Academy of Ancient Music . Giuliano Carmignola

Compared to his more than twenty piano concertos, Mozart's contribution to the violin concerto -- 'only' five pieces -- seems rather modest. However, these five works, written between 1773 and 1775, offer an interesting insight into the young Mozart's world. He was only nineteen when he wrote his last violin concerto. His years as a child prodigy were behind him, and he had joined the service of the archbishop of Salzburg as a musician and composer. At this court, the brilliant violinist Antonio Brunetti was the music director and concertmaster. Mozart was an accomplished violinist himself. On his many travels, he had witnessed performances by such violin virtuosi as Tartini, Pugnani and Nardini. Vivaldi's concerti were Mozart's formal model. His First Violin Concerto is still completely Italian in concept, with the soloist the first among equals. In his later concertos, he developed a much more personal style. The demands he made on the soloist were so great that his director, Brunetti, had to order him to write an easier version of the middle part of the Fifth Concerto. On this occasion, the Italian master violinist Giuliano Carmignola, who is also the soloist, conducts the Academy of Ancient Music.