Piano Concerto No. 6 in B-flat
av Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Background and Composition
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed his Piano Concerto No. 6 in B-flat major, K. 238, in January 1776 while living in Salzburg[1]. At the time, 20-year-old Mozart had recently completed years of touring Europe as a child prodigy and was settled into a post as concertmaster and court organist for the Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg[2]. Culturally, he was working in the Classical era, an age shaped by Enlightenment ideas and a musical aesthetic favoring elegance and clarity – often called the galant style, which emphasized simple, song-like melodies, light textures, and immediate audience appeal[3][4]. Mozart’s sixth concerto was written in this galant vein, as were two other keyboard concertos (K. 242 and K. 246) that he composed within the following three months[1].
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In Mozart’s personal life, 1776 was a period of relative routine in Salzburg’s courtly milieu. He frequently performed in palace concerts and local salons, providing new works to entertain the aristocracy[5]. The B-flat Concerto was likely intended for such occasions – a graceful vehicle to showcase the young composer (and other talented players) during the festive carnival season of 1776[5]. In fact, Mozart himself premiered the piece as soloist during the carnival concerts that year[5]. Notably, surviving accounts suggest the concerto was first played not on a modern piano at all, but on a harpsichord. In Salzburg of 1776 there were reportedly no fortepianos available, so Mozart and his sister Nannerl would have given early performances on the harpsichord[6]. Mozart even labeled the score “Concerto di cembalo” (“concerto for harpsichord”) in the manuscript[7].
This concerto came at a time when Mozart was honing his craft in the genre. It follows the template of his earlier Piano Concerto No. 5 in D major (K. 175) with a bright sonata-form first movement and a lively rondo finale[8]. While it does not delve into profound drama, the work’s polished charm and inventiveness hint at Mozart’s future masterpieces[9]. The young composer himself was proud enough of K. 238 to carry it on his travels in 1777–78: he performed it in Munich and Augsburg in 1777, and he taught it to his teenaged pupil Rosa Cannabich, who played it in a Mannheim concert on 13 February 1778[10]. These performances show that the concerto was well-received as elegant entertainment, suited for both Mozart’s own virtuosity and the skills of gifted amateurs.
Instrumentation and Notable Features
Mozart scored the concerto for a solo keyboard (originally harpsichord, though often played on piano today) and a modest orchestra of two oboes, two horns, and strings[11]. In the slow movement Mozart swaps the oboes for two flutes, a change that lends a softer, sweeter timbre to that gentle movement[12]. Apart from this substitution, there are no clarinets, trumpets or timpani – the orchestra is kept light and chamber-like, befitting the piece’s intimate scale. The overall texture is light and transparent, characteristic of Mozart’s early concerto style[11].
Despite the small forces, Mozart introduces some interesting instrumental touches. Right from the opening, the French horns make their presence known with lively passages, adding warmth and playful energy – a feature that returns in the finale[9]. In fact, Mozart famously remarked (at age 8, while writing his first symphony) that one should “give the horns something worthwhile to do,” and in this concerto he indeed gives the horn players moments to shine[13][14]. The slow movement, on the other hand, features the flutes sighing in lyrical phrases over muted strings, creating a delicate dialog that heightens the music’s tender character[9]. Throughout the concerto, the accompanying orchestra complements the soloist with elegant restraint, never overpowering the keyboard. This balance between piano and orchestra – a hallmark of Mozart’s concertos – is already evident in this early work, with clear distinctions between solo and accompaniment typical of the galant style[4].
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Form and Musical Character
The concerto is laid out in three movements, each with its own mood and style[15]:
- I. Allegro aperto (B-flat major) – The first movement is in quick tempo and sonata form, marked Allegro aperto, an unusual term meaning “open” or “bright.” Mozart used aperto in a few early concertos to suggest a radiant, carefree spirit[16]. Indeed, this movement is cheerful and “open” in character, exuding radiance and gaiety[16]. The orchestra introduces a graceful main theme, and the solo piano picks it up with light, sparkling passagework. There are no stormy or dark interludes at first – the music maintains a polite, aristocratic charm. Only in the central development section does Mozart briefly venture into a minor key: the piano plays swirling arpeggios and broken octaves in the minor mode, answered by plaintive oboe intervals, adding a touch of pathos[16]. As one scholar noted, in this fleeting minor episode “the movement gives us a glimpse of the true Mozart” beneath the polite surface[17]. Soon, however, the sunny mood returns as the music recapitulates the opening themes with poise. Mozart wrote a short cadenza for this movement (about 12 bars) to allow the soloist a final flourish before the orchestra wraps up the Allegro[17]. Overall, the movement is light, crisp, and pleasantly tuneful, showcasing Mozart’s early classic style without heavy drama[18].
- II. Andante un poco adagio (E-flat major) – The second movement is a gentle Andante, offering a singing, lyrical contrast to the lively outer movements. Here Mozart replaces the oboes with flutes, which, combined with muted strings and pizzicato bass, lend the music a “sweeter, more gentle character”[12]. The piano weaves a simple, flowing melody over a rocking triplet accompaniment, creating an atmosphere of intimate warmth. This Andante is “simple and gentle” on the surface[12], yet Mozart introduces subtle sophistication in its harmony. He shifts between major and minor keys in a flash, a dramatic chiaroscuro (light-and-dark) effect that adds emotional depth[12]. These quick darkening and brightening harmonic turns would become a hallmark of Mozart’s later works, and here they foreshadow the profound contrasts of some later slow movements. In fact, commentators hear in this movement a germ of Mozart’s famous slow movement from the “Elvira Madigan” Concerto in C major, K. 467, composed nine years later[12]. Both share features like the delicate triplet rhythm and the mix of major/minor shading, showing how Mozart’s lyrical style evolved from these early experiments[12]. The overall mood, however, remains graceful and contemplative, never rising to tragic intensity. This refined interlude would have delighted Salzburg audiences with its poignant beauty and “sighing” woodwind phrases[9].
- III. Rondeau: Allegro (B-flat major) – The finale is a bright rondo (a recurring main theme alternating with contrasting episodes) marked Allegro. It has the feel of stylized dance music, brimming with elegant, playful rhythms from both orchestra and soloist[13]. The main rondo theme is cheerful and catchy, showcasing the pianist’s nimble touch in dialogue with the orchestra. In this movement the oboes return (flutes are dispensed with), and Mozart gives the horns an especially prominent role[13]. The horns interject with exuberant calls and harmonies, fulfilling young Mozart’s promise to let them “shine”[13]. Midway through the rondo, Mozart surprises the listener with a brief excursion to G minor, the one section where the solo part turns overtly virtuosic[19]. In this G minor episode, the piano must execute rapid Baroque-style fingerwork – for instance, repeated broken octaves that require agility and precision[19]. This provides a fleeting moment of virtuoso fire, but it soon resolves back to the joyful major-key refrain. Mozart wrote a short cadenza for the finale as well, and also expected the performer to improvise small embellishments (Eingänge) at strategic pauses[20]. Unusually, the concerto’s ending is charming but modest: after the final solo flourish, the last statement of the rondo theme is given not to the piano but to a single oboe, letting the piece close with a gentle “last smile” from the oboe rather than a grand solo bravura finish[21]. The effect is a warm, witty farewell in keeping with the work’s gracious character.
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Reception and Legacy
Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 6 was appreciated in its day as a delightful example of his youthful talent, though it did not attain the renown of his later concertos. In Salzburg, it likely pleased the courtly audiences during its 1776 debut. Mozart’s own satisfaction with the piece is evident from the fact that he took it on tour: he performed the concerto for elite circles in Munich and Augsburg in 1777, and he proudly featured it in Mannheim by having his student Rosa Cannabich play the solo part in 1778[10]. Contemporary listeners would have enjoyed its graceful melodies and brilliant keyboard passages, which provided entertainment without straining the ear – as one commentator noted, the concerto contains “nothing too demanding on the listener” yet is “completely captivating” in its charm[22]. The work’s galant elegance made it suitable for the polite salons and academies of the time.
After Mozart’s death, however, the B-flat Concerto fell into relative obscurity for many years. Mozart had intended to publish the score, but in his lifetime it remained in manuscript[23]. It finally appeared in print in the 1790s (around 1793–1795) under the title “Concerto di Cembalo”, reflecting its origin as a harpsichord concerto[23][24]. By that time, musical tastes had evolved and Mozart’s later, more dramatic piano concertos (such as the “Jeunehomme” K. 271 and the great Vienna concertos) had overshadowed this early work. There is no record of Mozart performing K. 238 during his Vienna years in the 1780s – he had moved on to new compositions and more ambitious concertos for his public concerts[25][26]. Throughout the 19th century, No. 6 was likely rarely heard in concert halls, as audiences gravitated towards Mozart’s mature masterpieces.
In the modern era, the concerto has regained attention as part of Mozart’s complete oeuvre, often recorded and performed in cycles of the piano concertos. Musicians and scholars now recognize it as an important stepping stone in Mozart’s development. While relatively lightweight and “pretty” compared to his later works, K. 238 offers its own pleasures: elegant craftsmanship, youthful exuberance, and hints of the greater depths to come[27]. Pianist Angela Hewitt, for example, admits she once found Mozart’s early concertos not very interesting, but after studying and performing this piece she “changed [her] mind completely,” discovering its subtle charm and fine details[28][29]. Listeners today can appreciate Piano Concerto No. 6 as a window into Mozart’s world in 1776 – a world of refined taste and joyous music-making – and as a portrait of the composer as a young genius, brimming with grace, wit, and melodic invention even in his early twenties.
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Sources
Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 6 in B-flat major, K. 238 (1776), Wikipedia[30][23][16][31]; LA Philharmonic program notes by John Mangum[32][9]; Angela Hewitt, Hyperion Records liner notes (2011)[6][13][19]; Cuthbert Girdlestone, Mozart’s Piano Concertos (1948)[17]; Fugue for Thought blog (2017)[33][34]; IMSLP (International Music Score Library Project)[35].
[1][3][10][11][12][15][16][17][23][30][31] Piano Concerto No. 6 (Mozart) - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_Concerto_No._6_(Mozart)
[2][5][8][9][32] Piano Concerto No. 6, K. 238, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
https://www.laphil.com/musicdb/pieces/2780/piano-concerto-no-6-k-238
[4][18][22][27][28][33][34] Mozart Piano Concerto no. 6 in B-flat, K. 238 – Fugue for Thought
https://fugueforthought.de/2017/05/25/mozart-piano-concerto-no-6-in-b-flat-k-238/
[6][13][14][19][20][21][29] Piano Concerto No 6 in B flat major, K238 (Mozart/Hewitt) - from CDA67840 - Hyperion Records - MP3 and Lossless downloads
https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dw.asp?dc=W13794_67840
[7] Concerto di cembalo | Library of Congress
https://www.loc.gov/resource/music.musihas-200154471/?st=gallery
[24][35] Piano Concerto No.6 in B-flat major, K.238 (Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus) - IMSLP
https://imslp.org/wiki/Piano_Concerto_No.6_in_B-flat_major%2C_K.238_(Mozart%2C_Wolfgang_Amadeus)
[25] [PDF] CONCERTOS - DME Mozarteum
https://dme.mozarteum.at/DME/objs/pdf/nma_145_-15_-3_eng.pdf
[26] [PDF] The letters of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1769-1791)
https://archive.org/download/lettersofwolfgan01moza/lettersofwolfgan01moza.pdf