The concerto is a genre we’ve encountered in the baroque period, though it continues to evolve as we move into the Classical period.  The concerto grosso  is rarely composed after the Baroque. From this point forward the term concerto refers to a solo concerto.  Though the basic principle of contrasting a soloist with a full orchestra remains, changes are made to the form of the movements and the most commonly used solo instruments.  While violin concertos remain popular, the advent of the piano and its rise in popularity makes it the dominant solo instrument in concerto compositions.

Classical

The Classical period brought the triumph of the solo concerto  assisted by the continued rise of the virtuoso soloist and the growing demand for  works for performance by amateurs.  The keyboard concerto  became  especially  popular. Until about 1770, the preferred keyboard instrument was the harpsichord, but now gradually supplanted by the piano. The most important composers of keyboard concertos before Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart were Bach’s sons. Vienna saw the production of many keyboard concertos and brought forward  the rise of traveling piano virtuoso performers. They  show a broad transition from Baroque to Classical style. Most are in three movements.  The ritornello form in the fast movements was replaced with the sonata form and rondo forms respectively.

Of Mozart’s 23 original piano concertos, 17 date from his Viennese period. They are the crowning achievement of the concerto in the 18th century. Most of the works he wrote for Vienna are of a type that Mozart called grand concertos, intended for performance at his own subscription concerts  held in sizable halls. They call for an larger orchestra with expanded roles  assigned to the winds. The orchestra is  capable of sustaining a dramatic confrontation with the virtuosity of the soloist.  The range of styles and expression is greater than that of most other concertos of the period, from the comic-opera elements of K.467 (#21 –  the one presented here) to the Italianate lyricism of K.488, the tragic character of K.466 and 491 to the Beethovenian heroism of K.503.

This is a beautiful concerto. Though 31 minutes in length pay attention to the first movement. especially listen to the cadenza  (11:28 -12:10). The second movement  with the beautiful theme, used as the theme for the the movie  Elvira Madigan. begins at 14:35. This movement is very lyrical almost romantic, every expressive – more typical of the romantic period rather than the classical  period.