Mystery and controversy surround the Mozart Sinfonia Concertante in E flat Major, and it seems that no amount of scholarly research can put the matter to rest. The tangled web begins in 1778 in Mannheim, Germany where Mozart was seeking employment.
Mannheim housed the greatest orchestra in the world at the time, and Mozart loved the playing of the orchestra’s principal players of flute, oboe and bassoon. They were on their way to Paris to perform chamber music with a world-renowned horn player and thought that Mozart should join them to potentially gain some commissions.
A short time after arriving in Paris, Mozart wrote to his father stating that he was composing a concertante for the group and it had been commissioned by the director of the Concert Spirituel, Joseph Legros. It was to be performed on April 12, 1778, and Mozart sent the parts to Legros for copying so they would be done in time for the concert. For reasons which offer much speculation, they were never copied and perhaps lost.
As such, mystery still abounds, but we have the music, and here it is for your enjoyment:
