Piano Concertos (No.1 In F K37 ∙ No.2 In B Flat K39 / No.3 In D K40 ∙ No.4 In G K41)

These early piano concertos by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart were composed in 1767 while the composer was still a child of eleven. Rather than original compositions, these works were ingenious arrangements of sonata movements by contemporary masters such as Raupach, Honauer, Schobert, and Eckard. By adapting these works for the piano and orchestra, the young Mozart was effectively absorbing the evolving keyboard styles of the European capitals to refine his own emerging voice.

This recording features Daniel Barenboim leading the English Chamber Orchestra from the keyboard, a practice that reflects his commitment to the historical tradition of the soloist as conductor. Released under the Angel Records label in the late twentieth century, the performance was praised for its clarity and the youthful, inquisitive spirit Barenboim brought to these formative concertos. The production captured the intimate scale of these works, balancing the technical precision of the English Chamber Orchestra with Barenboim's nuanced interpretation of Mozart's early stylistic development.