Mozart W.A. - Sinfonia concertante in E-flat (K.297b) for Fl, Ob, Hn, Bsn & Orch.

From Mozart’s letters to his father we know that in 1778, during his sojourn in Paris, he wrote a Sinfonia concertante for flute, oboe, horn, bassoon and orchestra, for a quartet of wind instrumentalists likewise staying in that city. Mozart’s autograph manuscript however has disappeared, and with it any trace of the work.

In the nineteenth century there appeared, in manuscript copy, a Sinfonia concertante in E-flat major for oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon and orchestra, for which Mozart was claimed to be the author. Despite the difference in scoring, this piece was identified with the Paris Sinfonia concertante, then believed to be lost. Although it was long thought to be genuine, for the last twenty-five years or so serious doubts have been raised concerning its authenticity, with regard not only to the scoring of the solo parts but also its orchestration.

Robert Levin’s reconstruction proceeds on the assumption that the set of solo parts is basically genuine, but was recast for other instruments by an unknown arranger who rewrote the flute part for oboe and the oboe part for clarinet. In Levin’s opinion, however, the orchestral parts are spurious. In his reconstruction he has reconstituted the solo quartet mentioned in Mozart’s letters (flute, oboe, horn and bassoon) and written new parts for the orchestra. Levin’s thorough analysis of Mozart’s style and intimate knowledge of his manner of composing have enabled him to risk thisreconstruction. It is available on hire (BA 7137) and already figures among the favourite works of solo wind players.