The violin concertos K. 211, 216, 218 and 219 were all composed within a
few months, between June and December 1775, while Mozart was in the employ
of the Archbishop of Salzburg. The Violin Concerto No. 5 is the most
refined and accomplished of Mozart's early works for this instrument. It
explores all the resources of the violin and integrates the orchestra much
more thoroughly and organically into the concerto structure than in the
previous works. A particular original touch is the Adagio entrance of the
violin after the traditional Allegro introduction by the orchestra. The
slow movement unfolds a variety of modulations in minor which give the
movement a tragic touch. The last movement is beloved above all for its
minor-mode "Turkish" or "Hungarian" episode, with marked leaps and basses
which hit the strings with the wood of the stick - a delightful idea that
comes at the close of what is arguably Mozart's most popular violin
concerto.
After having devoted himself to Baroque music for many years, Nikolaus
Harnoncourt began turning increasingly to the orchestral works of Mozart in
the 1980s. Here, too, Harnoncourt's views differed radically from those of
traditional Mozart reception. For him, Mozart is "the most romantic
composer of all", his music "dramatic, dynamic, often strikingly and
exceedingly emotional". In Gidon Kremer, Harnoncourt found a partner who
shared his views. The German-Russian violin virtuoso has also sought his
own path in his Mozart interpretations. In 1970 the then 23-year-old
virtuoso attained the first peak of his career by winning the first prize
at the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. He has since
become one of the most sought-after violinists in the world. It should also
be noted that the Vienna Philharmonic, celebrated for its natural and
graceful Mozart style, initially opposed Harnoncourt's unconventional
concepts. However, the orchestra was soon won over by the unusual stylistic
approach often concertizes with Harnoncourt today.
