Concerto in B-flat Major

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart scored the Concerto in B-flat Major for bassoon solo, two oboes, two horns, and strings. It is the earliest surviving concerto for a wind instrument by Mozart (dated 1774), and is likely one work of a small series commissioned by Munich amateur Baron Thaddeus von Dürnitz. Mozart exploits the unique and distinctive qualities of the bassoon: contrasting registers, rapid note repetition and passages, staccato articulation punctuation, and beautiful instrumental color. In developing this arrangement for band, Charles Yeago distributes the string parts among the woodwinds and keeps the transparency of the piece intact, including all embellishments of the period. (JRO)