Klavierkonzerte Nr.11-13

Concertos nos. 11, 12 and 13 were Mozart's first concertos, which he wrote after his move from Salzburg to Vienna. In a letter to his father Leopold he described them as "a golden mean between too light and too difficult; very brilliant, pleasing to the ear and natural without being insipid". At this point Mozart was free from the dominant presence of his father. He wrote them to win over Vienna, and he succeeded, establishing himself firmly as Europe's leading composer. But with these pieces he also sought his father's approval. And the desire for parental approval is fundamental. There are indeed many moments in the concertos, whether sublime, galant or majestic, where you still feel a sense of childlike wonder.