Mozart | Concerto for Flute and Harp | 1 - Allegro

Mozart wrote the "Concerto for Flute, Harp, and Orchestra in C major" in April 1778, during his seven-month sojourn in Paris.

It was commissioned by Adrien-Louis de Bonnières, duc de Guînes (1735-1806), a flutist, for his use and for that of his eldest daughter, Marie-Louise-Philippine (1759-1796), a harpist, who was taking composition lessons from the composer, at the duke's home, the Hôtel de Castries.

Mozart stated in a letter to his father that he thought the duke played the flute "extremely well" and that Marie's playing of the harp was "magnifique".

Louis-Ernest Barrias (1841-1905) | Mozart child with a violin, 1887 | Musée Fabre

As a composition student, however, Mozart found Marie thoroughly inept.

The duke (until 1776, the comte de Guines), an aristocrat Mozart came to despise, never paid the composer for this work, and Mozart instead was offered only half the expected fee for the lessons, through de Guines' housekeeper.

But he refused it. (For his tutoring, Mozart was owed six Louis d'or).

Little is known of the work's early performance history, though it seems probable that father and daughter played it first.

The concert is scored for two oboes, two natural horns in C, solo flute, solo harp, and strings.

Louis-Ernest Barrias (1841-1905) | Mozart child with a violin, 1887 (detail) | Musée Fabre

The soloists in the piece will sometimes play with the orchestra, and at other times perform as a duo while the orchestra is resting.

The flute and harp alternate having the melody and accompanying lines.

In some passages, they also create counterpoint with just each other.

Mozart concertos are standard in how they move harmonically, as well as that they adhere to the three-movement form of fast-slow-fast:

I. Allegro

The orchestra states both themes.

The first is immediately present, and the second is introduced by the horn.

Both themes fall under the conventional sonata form.

The soli then re-work the already present themes.

Josef Büche (1848-1917) | Mozart composing, 1880

Il Concerto per flauto, arpa e orchestra K 299/297c fu composto a Parigi nell'aprile del 1778 da Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart appena ventiduenne.

Nel primo movimento, Allegro, che inizia con un deciso arpeggio in Do maggiore, vengono subito evidenziate le diverse possibilità dei due strumenti solisti con le loro particolarità timbriche e tecniche; il flauto e l'arpa hanno una parte predominante, sempre accompagnati dall'orchestra di modeste dimensioni che non prevale mai sulle loro tenui sonorità.