Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major, K. 467, is a celebrated 30-minute masterpiece composed in 1785, featuring a majestic first movement, a famous romantic Andante (nicknamed “Elvira Madigan”), and a lively finale. It is known for its technical difficulty, operatic style, and was premiered by Mozart himself in Vienna.
- Composition: Composed in March 1785, shortly after Piano Concerto No. 20, representing a period of high productivity.
- Structure:
- I. Allegro maestoso: Opens with a quiet march, developing into a majestic, virtuosic movement.
- II. Andante: A serene, dreamlike movement in F major, famously used in the 1967 film Elvira Madigan.
- III. Allegro vivace assai: A fast, cheerful, and witty finale (rondo) with an opera buffa feel.
- Instrumentation: Scored for solo piano, flute, two oboes, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani, and strings.
- Context: It was written for his own subscription concerts in Vienna.
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