Mozart composed his Piano Concerto No. 26 in February of 1788. The nickname “Coronation” is attributed to the fact that he performed this work when Leopold II was crowned Emperor at Frankfurt in October 1790. Having been overlooked for participation in the official ceremonies, Mozart, at his own expense, directed a concert on October 15 at which he performed this concerto.
The solo piano nearly approaches virtuosity for its own sake. In this sense, this concerto might be thought of as proto-Romantic in that the emphasis is given to virtuosic display over a classical integration and balance of melodic and harmonic materials between orchestra and soloist.
That it was prophetic of the concerns of Romantic composers is evident in that it was the most popular of all Mozart’s concertos during the 19th century.
Here is Oxana Shevchenko to play this concerto for you:
