Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Sinfonia Concertante in Eb, K. Anh. 9/K. 297b

In 1778, while in Paris, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) wrote to his father that he had written a Sinfonia Concertante for soli flute, oboe, horn, and bassoon with orchestra accompaniment, but that the work was replaced on the program by another at the last minute. Following this, Mozart supposedly left the score in Paris, and the sinfonia concertante was considered lost. Then, in 1869, Mozart biographer Otto Jahn discovered an anonymous manuscript copy in Berlin that Jahn deemed to be the lost Sinfonia Concertante, despite the solo instruments now being oboe, clarinet, horn, and bassoon. He was confident enough to pass the work to Ludwig Ritter von Köchel to be included in his Köchel catalog of Mozart works as K. 297b. And while the work was initially accepted as Mozart's, in part because the woodwind writing sounds so decidedly like Mozart's woodwind writing, the controversy of this work's origin had become a hotly debated topic starting in the early 20th century that continues until today. Regardless of its impenetrable mysteries, it retains wide appeal and remains a regular part of the concert repertoire for its heavenly woodwind sounds, melodiousness, and charm. Instrumentation: 0.2.0.0: 2.0.0.0: Str (4-4-3-3-3 in set): Soli Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn in set.