Mozart’s Piano Concerto No 26

David Threasher investigates the recorded history of one of the least-known of Mozart’s mature piano concertos, renowned for gaps left in the solo part as the composer worked at speed, and recommends his favourite versions

Why do some people seem to have a problem with Mozart’s Piano Concerto in D, K537? Since the Second World War the reputation of Mozart’s penultimate piano concerto seems to have nosedived while that of its sister works has held firm. True, it may not boast the Sturm und Drang drama of the D minor or C minor Concertos (K466 and 491), the piercing elegance of the Elvira Madigan (K467), the playfulness of the A major (K488), the grandeur of the E flat (K482) or C major (K503), or what some hear as the valedictory qualities of the last concerto (K595). Nevertheless, K537 remained popular throughout the 19th century and into the 20th; Friedrich Blume wrote in 1935, in the preface to the Eulenburg edition, that it was ‘the best…

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International Piano (Digital) - 1 Issue, Spring 2025

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