Mozart: Concerto 02 C Kv314

Mozart's Oboe Concerto in C major, K. 314 (285d) is one of the most important works in the classical oboe repertoire. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed the work in 1777 in Salzburg, probably in the spring or summer, for the Italian oboist Giuseppe Ferlendis, who was associated with the Prince-Archbishop's court orchestra. The current Köchel catalog dates the concerto between April 1 and September 22, 1777. The concerto combines virtuoso passages with long, singing melodic lines. The oboe part often has the character of an opera voice: lively and brilliant in the fast movements, but warm and expressive in the slow middle movement. The soloist must possess flexible articulation, good breath control, and refined mastery of dynamics and phrasing. History of Composition After leaving Salzburg, Mozart presumably took the concerto with him to Mannheim. There it was performed by Friedrich Ramm, a prominent oboist of the famous Mannheim orchestra. The work made a great impression and grew into an important showpiece for the oboe. In 1778, Mozart adapted the oboe concerto for flute. He transposed the work from C major to D major and adjusted the solo part to suit the character and range of the flute. This version is known as Flute Concerto No. 2 in D major, K. 314. For a long time, primarily the flute version was known; the orchestral parts of the original oboe version were only rediscovered in the twentieth century. The two versions are closely related in content but not entirely identical. Differences in articulation, phrasing, and figuration are related to the technical characteristics of both instruments. Modern Urtext editions therefore sometimes show both the oboe and flute versions, allowing performers to compare them. Movements The concerto consists of three movements: Allegro aperto A bright and energetic opening movement. The orchestra presents the main thematic material, after which the oboe takes over and expands it with virtuoso runs, leaps, and embellishments. Adagio non troppo A lyrical middle movement with long, vocal melodic lines. The oboe takes center stage as a singer without words. Tone production, breath control, and expressive phrasing are more important here than technical display. Rondo: Allegretto A lively finale with a recurring main theme. The movement is playful, elegant, and technically challenging, with fast articulations and agile passages.

Difficulty Level

The Oboe Concerto in C major is intended for advanced oboe players and belongs to the standard repertoire for conservatory students, professional musicians, competitions, and orchestral auditions. The technical difficulty lies not only in the fast passages, but especially in the combination of: reliable intonation; long breath lines; even articulation; stylistically appropriate embellishments; a light classical playing style; convincing cadenzas; balance between virtuosity and lyricism. Meaning of K. 314 (285d) The letter K. refers to the Köchelverzeichnis, the chronological catalog of Mozart's compositions. The work number 314 is currently used for both the oboe concerto and the flute version based on it. The number 285d is a number from a later revision of the Köchel catalog. Due to the complex transmission, other numbering systems can also be found in older sources.

Merk	Edition Peters
Instrument	Oboe, Piano
Artikelnummer	EP8920
Barcode (EAN)	9790014103934