Exactly how many piano concertos did W.A. Mozart write? Well, that’s a tougher question than you might think.

The answer depends on whether you count some of his earliest attempts at this musical genre, which were actually arrangements of compositions by others. Until a few decades ago, the first four piano concertos of Mozart were not included in the catalogue for this reason (K.37, 39, 40, and 41). However, more recently, musicologists have included them, and renumbered the catalogue, so that the Mozart piano concerto that used to be known as Number 1 is now referred to as Number 5.

Taking the current cataloguing system as our guide, Mozart wrote 27 piano concertos, of increasing complexity and artistry, culminating in the final concerto he completed shortly before his death. Yet even the earliest works show that remarkable quality that contributes to Mozart’s enduring popularity: Something for everyone.

As Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart put it himself in a famous letter to his father, Leopold: “There are passages here and there from which the connoisseurs alone can derive satisfaction; but these passages are written in such a way that the less learned cannot fail to be pleased, though without knowing why.” (source: Wikipedia)

Mozart wrote these words in reference to the piano concertos that we now know as Numbers 11, 12, and 13 (K.413, 414, and 415), but really, this attitude pervades all his works. Though clearly driven by his own artistic sensibilities, the prodigy and genius also wrote with a consideration for the pleasure of his listeners.

This attitude was a sensible one in an era where noble patrons provided much of the income for performers and composers alike. Today, many of us cherish an image of the temperamental genius loyal only to the demands of his art, but Mozart also understood the importance of pleasing his public. (And really, the most successful and popular of composers today do the same – think of John Williams and his phenomenal achievements in film scores.)

Beginning with No. 14, K.449 in E-Flat Major, the piano concertos Mozart composed show a greater depth and maturity than before. No. 14 began the remarkable era during which Mozart produced no fewer than 11 phenomenal piano concertos in the space of only 2 years, February 1764 – March 1786. More than once, he produced 2 such works in the same month!

After this period, Mozart’s production of piano concertos slowed down; he only produced 2 more complete piano concertos before his death in December 1791, 5 years later. No. 26, V.537, produced in 1788, referred to as the “Coronation” concerto, remains popular despite what some view as structural problems. No. 27, K.595 in B-Flat Major, is his last piano concerto.

While all of Mozart’s piano concertos bear study by the serious pianist – and the classical music fan – 3 of them have been most frequently performed and recorded: No. 20, No. 21, and No. 23 (K.466, 467, and 488). No. 21 in particular has also been used in numerous movies, along with Nos. 19 (K.459) and 25 (K.503).

If you have the opportunity to hear a good recording of some of these, or better still, attend a concert performance by a masterful pianist, you’ll be glad you did.

W. A. Mozart (Jan. 27, 1756 – Dec. 5, 1791) is one of the most enduringly popular composers in history, and even during his lifetime was esteemed by his fellow musicians. Mozart composed over 600 pieces in a variety of genres and for a wide range of instruments, starting at age 5. Many of these works are still performed frequently today, and his influence on other composers both during his lifetime and since was enormous.

Despite the many fictional portrayals of Mozart in film and book, he did not, in fact:
• Suffer under a harsh stage father;
• Behave and speak with a crudity other than what was normal for his time; or,
• Die in abject poverty causing him to be buried in an unmarked pauper’s grave.

Mozart’s life was interesting enough without these dramatic embellishments.

Childhood: Born in Salzburg, in what is now known as Austria, little Wolfgang really did begin to play the piano at age 3. He eagerly copied his older sister Maria Anna (generally called Nannerl), age 7, as their father gave her lessons. Nannerl herself was quite talented, though not to the same prodigious extent as her younger brother, and the family’s earliest European tours featured both youngsters.

By all accounts, their father Leopold Mozart loved his children very much, and stood in awe of his small son’s musical accomplishments. In the boy’s earliest efforts at composition, he played his small works for his father, who transcribed them to paper.

Young Wolfgang, with his father and sometimes sister in tow, performed for royalty all over Europe from the age of 6. During the next 11 years, the boy met numerous leading musicians and composers from Vienna to London to Milan, and developed a reputation for himself not only as a performer, but also a very able composer in his own right.

Young Adulthood: When Leopold and Wolfgang returned to their native Salzburg in 1773, they found favor with a noble patron there, Prince-Archbishop Hieronymus Colloredo, who ruled Salzburg at the time. Under Colloredo’s patronage, Wolfgang was appointed court musician, and here began several highly productive years as a composer.

During this time, Mozart wrote a series of violin and piano concertos, which are still considered staples of the repertoire for these instruments. However, the young composer was restless in Salzburg, and longed for greater – and more financially rewarding – opportunities. For one thing, he wanted to work in opera, but these were only infrequently performed in Salzburg. Despite several trips to leading European cities in search of employment elsewhere, such employment was not forthcoming.

Adulthood & Independence: In 1781, when W. A. Mozart was 25 years old, he finally managed to break away from Salzburg. The occasion was a trip to Vienna in the shadow of his employer Colloredo, who had been called there to attend the coronation of the Emperor Joseph II. While there, however, Mozart was offended by Colloredo’s refusal to allow him to perform for the Emperor in a salon. This opportunity would have paid Mozart a fee equal to half of the annual salary Colloredo afforded him.

Mozart attempted to resign, but Colloredo refused. Later, Colloredo quite literally had the young composer kicked out of his establishment – with his steward administering the physical punishment to Mozart’s backside. This rift with his erstwhile employer also damaged Wolfgang’s relationship with his father, who admonished his son for offending their patron. Relations were cool between father and son to the end of Wolfgang’s life.

However, Mozart had gotten a taste of the potentially lucrative opportunities to be had as a freelancer in Vienna. For a while, he managed to make a handsome living there. He wed Constanze Weber, whose family he and his father had met during their earlier European travels. Mozart secured an appointment as Chamber Composer to Emperor Joseph II. Life seemed promising for the young couple, and they settled down in a high-priced district to enjoy an interlude of being pleasantly well-off.

But financial trouble was around the corner. In 1786, the local aristocracy, funding a war effort, had little money to spare on entertainment, and times grew difficult for all musicians. Wolfgang and Constanze moved their family to much less expensive lodgings on the outskirts of Vienna. Mozart’s production of compositions fell off. He began to borrow money from friends.

Yet, the fictional portrayal of his death in poverty was an exaggeration. By 1791, Mozart’s fortunes had begun to look up again, and he started to pay off his debts. His volume of compositions improved as well. Mozart’s compositions during this time included some of his most critically-acclaimed and popular pieces, including the opera The Magic Flute and his final piano concerto, the K.595 in B-Flat.

However, in the fall of 1791, Mozart fell ill. The nature of his affliction may never be known exactly, but leading theories implicate an attack of recurrent rheumatic fever. This is a secondary problem associated with untreated streptococcus infection (i.e., “strep throat” that is not treated with antibiotics), that occurs in about 3% of untreated cases. It can cause damage to the heart, as well as some of the symptoms suffered by Mozart, and he is known to have suffered attacks of this illness earlier in life.

He was cared for in his illness by his wife Constanze and her younger sister Sophie. He was preoccupied during this time with trying to complete his Requiem, though evidence that he dictated it to a student (still less to Antonio Salieri) is quite sparse.

On December 5, 1791, W.A. Mozart succumbed to his illness. However, his burial in a common grave, without graveside mourners, was usual practice in his day and does not reflect on his public popularity or financial status. In fact, a series of memorial concerts held after his death was well-attended – which would tend to provide evidence for his high esteem in the public eye, or rather, ear. Also, we have seen that while he and his family were not well-off at the time of his death, neither was he a pauper.

The death of Mozart at age 35 will always seem tragic; what more might he have contributed to the musical canon, had he lived a longer life? Yet even so, his remarkable 30-year career as a composer left hundreds of striking works, for which we can be grateful.

There are many people who love taking piano, but dread performing in a recital. If you are one of them – or your child is – read on!

Most piano teachers these days require their students to perform in at least one recital per year, and some hold recitals 3 or 4 times in a year. Usually, this is a somewhat formal affair, with family and friends invited. And, while this should be the highlight of a piano student’s year of study and practice, all too often it is instead a time of fear, anxiety, sweaty palms and weak knees.

But it doesn’t have to be that way! You or your child can have an enjoyable recital, with calmness, confidence, and a sense of achievement. Here’s how.

(1) Stay Ready.
Preparation for your next recital begins the day after your last one. It’s not something you do the day before, the week before, or even the month before the Big Day.

Throughout the year, pay attention to your teacher and practice regularly. If you do these two things, you’ll be well on your way to having a great piano recital, even without doing some of the other things we’ll discuss here.

(2) Perform Often.
If performing in front of others is something you dread, probably the last thing you want to do is do more of it! But believe it or not, the best cure for stage fright is to perform more often. The more you perform, the more the act of performing will lose its power to intimidate you. You’ll see that it’s a challenge you’re capable of overcoming, and you’ll gain confidence.

At first, you’ll probably want your performances to be small and informal. Play for Grandma, or the next-door neighbor. Having a small, trusted, supportive audience will help you overcome your fear.

Then perhaps you could organize a series of small, informal recitals among your fellow students – playing just for each other. If your teacher conducts group lessons as part of her lesson plans, these can serve this purpose.

(3) Avoid Procrastinating.
Select your recital piece about two months ahead of the recital. Start practicing it right away – don’t assume you can make up all your practice time at the last minute. That’s unrealistic.

About one month before the recital, you should have some familiarity with both parts (right hand and left hand), and begin to put them together.

By the week before, your piece should be pretty much ready to perform. That way, you can spend that last week putting the finishing touches on and gaining confidence.

The night before the recital, make sure you get to bed early and get a good night’s sleep.

(4) Have a Back-Up Plan.
Even if you have your music memorized, always bring the sheet music along. That way, if you happen to have a “brain freeze” (it happens to the best) and suddenly can’t remember your piece, you’ll have the music handy to fall back on.

If you know your anxiety makes your hands sweat, bring along some talcum power and dust your hands right before it’s your turn to play. Sweaty hands make mistakes more frequently, since your fingers either stick to the keys or slide off them – or both, though not at the same time.

If you know your hands tend to get cold when you’re anxious, try to keep them warm and limber before your turn comes. Cold, stiff fingers do not perform as well as warm (but not sweaty) ones do, so try to keep your hands warm and ready.

(5) Realize that Mistakes are Inevitable.
No one is perfect. Mistakes will happen; accept that fact of life. Instead of working yourself into a panic wondering IF you’ll make a mistake, plan what you’ll do WHEN a mistake occurs.

(6) Have Confidence.
Even when you do make a mistake, have the confidence to realize that the rest of your performance was probably fine. You don’t have to slink off the stage, hanging your head in shame. Bow or curtsey, and walk off stage confidently, regardless of any mistakes.

Performing for others is a skill that you can develop, just like reading music. But like any other skill, the skill of performing takes practice. With your teacher’s help, and using some of these tips, you can learn to have a great piano recital.

If you attend a church during Advent (leading up to Christmas), chances are you have heard a bell choir playing a favorite Christmas carol. Many churches use handbells as music in worship throughout the year, not just at Christmas. But did you know that modern handbell choirs are connected to religious traditions (and superstitions) that go back hundreds of years?

It’s true. Back in Medieval times in Europe, Christians would ring bells to announce worship times. Eventually, the bells were made too big to carry around, and were housed permanently near churches. Later still, the structures containing the bells were attached to the church building itself, in the form of belfries and bell towers. Gradually, more and more bells were added to these installations, tuned to different pitches.

Bells were thought to hold special powers over demons and other evil spirits, particularly after they had been “blessed” or even “baptized.” Church bells would be rung during storms or other calamities, in the hope of driving away the evil spirits responsible. Bells were also rung whenever a person died, again to frighten away any evil spirits which might have been attracted to the tragic scene.

Some historians even believe that our modern doorbells derive from this custom. It is said that people would hang a small bell outside the door of their home, because evil spirits lurked outside, hoping to slip in unnoticed whenever anyone went in or out. So a visitor would ring the bell to frighten away the evil spirits, and only after this would he enter the home.

In the 1600’s, church bells in England began to take a different turn from the practices observed on the European continent. Elsewhere in Europe, churchbells, while tuned, were rung at random. In England, however, bell ringers began to play tunes on their bells. By striking only one bell at a time, in sequence, the church bell ringer could play surprisingly complex melodies.

Competitions began to spring up. And bell ringers began to practice indoors, so as not to alarm the neighbors with the constant clangor that practicing on the full-sized church bells would have produced. (Also, indoor practice was a lot more comfortable in January, compared to being up in the cold, drafty bellfry!)

Small practice bells were needed. In 1660, brothers William and Robert Cor of the Wiltshire Foundry (England) produced the first set of practice hand bells. Soon, the small handbells became an interesting musical tradition in their own right – no longer considered just a stand-in for the big bells installed above the church. By the end of the 1700’s, practically every town in England had its own bell choir.

In 1845, showman P.T. Barnum brought handbells to the United States. He had heard a group of bellringers while on a trip to England, and been delighted with this new (to him) art form. While a popular attraction in Barnum’s day, bell choirs didn’t really take off in the U.S. until the early 1900’s.

Today, there is a thriving industry to provide arrangements and original works written for bellchoirs, not to mention the bells themselves and numerous accessories. And to think, it all goes back to scaring away evil spirits in Medieval Europe!

The hymn “It Is Well With My Soul” is a powerful choral work that is frequently used in worship. As such, a pianist or organist who plays in church services will likely be called upon to accompany the choir on this piece. The hymn has been adapted and performed by Christian rock groups and gospel choirs, and has also been arranged for drum & bugle corps and full wind ensemble.

The words and music are both very moving expressions of the central tenets of the Christian faith. This alone might account for the hymn’s enduring popularity. But perhaps even more powerful is the story behind the hymn.

The man who wrote the words, Horatio G. Spafford, had been a successful lawyer in Chicago in the 1860’s. He and his wife Anna had been associated with the famous preacher D.L. Moody, and Horatio had plowed his savings into real estate investments on the Lake Michigan shoreline. The Spaffords had 5 children, a boy and 4 girls. All seemed well, indeed, with their life in Chicago.

But in 1871, disaster struck. The Spaffords’ little boy, age 4, died of scarlet fever. Then the Great Chicago Fire wiped out all of their real estate holdings. Deciding the family needed a break after these crises in their lives, Horatio and Anna planned to join their friend D.L. Moody on his evangelizing tour of England, and after that to take a European holiday.

At the last minute, Horatio was delayed by pressing business concerns. Rather than spoil the holiday for Anna and their daughters, he told them to go ahead on their scheduled ship, and he would follow after. In the fall of 1873, Anna and the four girls boarded the ship Ville du Havre bound for England.

On November 2, 1873, disaster struck again. An English sailing vessel The Lochearn had collided with the Ville du Havre, which sank in 12 minutes. Out of the 273 people aboard, only 47 survived. Among the survivors was Anna Spafford. But not any of her 4 daughters. All the children were lost. On November 11, 1873, Anna’s telegram reached Horatio with the tragic words, “Saved alone.”

Horatio quickly set sail to join his bereaved wife in England. The captain of his ship called Horatio to the bridge to tell him when the ship was passing nearest to the place where the Spaffords’ 4 daughters had lost their lives. Upon returning to his cabin, Horatio Spafford wrote the words to the now-famous hymn, “It Is Well With My Soul:”

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

The Spaffords eventually had 3 more children, 2 of whom, Bertha and Grace, survived to adulthood. The family moved to Jerusalem to take part in a missionary group called the American Colony, which was founded to serve the poor. It is truly remarkable how the private tragedies in their lives moved Horatio and Anna to create beauty for the lives of others.

Now the next time you hear, or sing, or play this hymn, you’ll know the story behind “It Is Well With My Soul.”

The piano is a truly remarkable instrument — in its range, versatility, and power — so it is not surprising that master composers have written some remarkable concertos for it.

A concerto is a large, complex, and extremely challenging piece, which is usually performed with the accompaniment of a full orchestra. Concertos (or concerti, for purists) have been written for every instrument imaginable and for vocalists as well. A concerto is usually written with 3 movements, or at least is broken up into several clearly-defined sections. The complete concerto is 20 – 40 minutes in duration — and is often memorized by the soloist.

A notable feature of the concerto form is the cadenza. A cadenza is a part of the typical concerto where the soloist is spotlighted for a complex solo part, with no orchestral accompaniment. The cadenza is often improvised — or if not improvised on the spot, the soloist certainly puts his or her personal touches on the cadenza. A version of the cadenza may or may not be written out by the composer in the score, but if it is, it is generally considered a guideline and the soloist is expected to add personal embellishments worthy of his or her mastery of the instrument.

Because of the challenging nature of the concerto form, only performers who have mastered their chosen instrument can even think of attempting one of these grand concert pieces.

Since the dawn of the modern piano, composers have penned these works to showcase the piano’s capabilities. Even early in the piano era, Mozart wrote several well-loved piano concertos – and usually performed them himself, while simultaneously directing the accompanying orchestra! However, many people argue that the most striking of piano concertos were not written until the instrument had matured and its capabilities tested by generations of composers and performers.

As a result, in this article I’m going to be talking about several of the later piano concertos. Of course, in any list of this sort countless contenders will be left out for space reasons, to the wails and woe of people who love them – so if I’ve left off your favorite, please don’t take it personally! Feel free to add your own favorites to the list, in the “Comments” section.

Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto

The Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 73, by Ludwig van Beethoven, is considered one of the most powerful works in piano literature. It is the last piano concerto that Beethoven wrote, and as such is a true masterwork, written by a musical genius at the height of his form, between 1809 and 1811. It is the last piece that Beethoven himself last performed publicly, due to his growing deafness. It was dedicated to the Archduke Rudolf, a relative of the Austrian Emperor at the time, and Beethoven’s student and patron. (The name “Emperor” was not given to the work by Beethoven himself, but by the man who published the English-language version of it.)

Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky wrote his Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23 for his friend and supporter Nikolai Rubenstein. Tchaikovsky’s first piano concerto was composed starting in the mid-1870’s. To Tchaikovsky’s chagrin, Rubenstein, the person he had hoped to honor with this work, rejected it at first. Tchaikovsky was deeply offended by this but refused to revise it further, and it was premiered by a different pianist, Hans Von Bulow. Later, Rubenstein came to admire it as written, and later still, Tchaikovsky did in fact revise it slightly based on the advice of other pianists.

In 1958, American pianist Van Cliburn became famous for winning the first International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, by playing this work.

Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto

Sergei Rachmaninoff was considered to be perhaps the best pianist of the 20th Century. His concert touring career made his composing career somewhat erratic, yet he still managed to produce some of the best-beloved works in piano literature. Among these was his Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18, written in 1900 – 1901. This is considered by many to be among the greatest, if not the greatest, piano concertos. It also represents Rachmaninoff’s regaining his confidence as a composer after the disastrous reception of his First Symphony a few years earlier, which had plunged him into a period of depression and writer’s block.