Mozart wrote his Piano Concerto No. 9 in E-flat major, often called “Jeunehomme,” in honor of an excellent pianist, Madame Jenové, who was the daughter of French choreographer Jean Georges Noverre.
In the first movement we expect to hear the themes of the opening exposition twice, first from the orchestra and then with the soloist taking over in orderly fashion. But Mozart lets the piano interrupt the orchestra with something that is definitely not the expected repeat of the first theme, putting the orchestra in the position of having to correct the soloist.
The turn to the relative minor gives the second movement a surprising sense of drama. While not following a specific form, the Andantino is clearly operatic in tone. The throbbing, sighing lines from the string section work as well as any curtain-raising introduction. Each statement of the two contrasting themes, one mournful and the other in a bittersweet major mode, is increasingly embellished by the soloist.
The rondo finale—typically meant as a straightforward, rousing finish to any concerto or symphony—also takes an unexpected turn. The rondo theme is a relentless rigaudon, a folk-inspired dance in a quick duple time, each phrase of which seems to rush into the next. The episodes for the soloist should provide contrasting material, but the drastic change in tempo and meter to a minuet in the middle of the movement is shocking, in a pleasant way.
Here is pianist Maria Joao Pires to play this masterpiece for you:
