Horn Concerto No. 3

Background#

The composition was written as a friendly gesture for the hornist Joseph Leutgeb (his name is mentioned a few times in the score), and Mozart probably did not consider it as particularly important, since he failed to enter it to the autograph catalogue of his works. The autograph score remains well preserved; it is stored in the British Library in London. Michael Haydn’s Romance for horn quintet in A major (MH 806) is very similar to the Romance from Mozart’s Horn Concerto No. 3. Karsten Nottelmann has speculated that Leutgeb had other composers revise and make corrections to his own works, and that this explains the two versions of the Romance as well as the two versions of the Rondo of Mozart’s Horn Concerto No. 1 (one a draft by Mozart, the other a complete version by Franz Xaver Süssmayr): they would be different composers’ edits to a Leutgeb original.

Instrumentation#

In addition to the solo horn (in E), the concerto is scored for 2 clarinets in B (unlike the oboes used in the other horn concertos), 2 bassoons, and strings.

Form#

The work is in three movements: The main melody of the third movement is reminiscent of the theme from the rondo of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 22 written in 1785.

Discography#

Given its duration (about 15 minutes), Fred Rizner has recorded this concerto together with K. 495 with the English Chamber Orchestra conducted by José Luis García Asensio on a Summit disc which also includes the Clarinet Concerto, K. 622 (with clarinetist Joaquin Valdepeñas). 2018: Javier Bonet (horn); Munich Radio Orchestra, Hermann Baumann (conductor), ARSIS. A recording with all the Mozart horn concertos including the Rondo K. 371 and the Horn Quintet, K. 407.

External links#

• • • , Radek Baborák, RTVE Symphony Orchestra, Jean-Jacques Kantorow conducting