Don't Miss the Bus to Mozart's Piano Concerto No 21
II. Andante
Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major, K. 467
I'm Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and I'm about to explain the II. Andante of my Piano Concerto No 21. You'll notice a shadowy turn with aching dissonances interrupt the dreamy calm of this movement before the brightness returns, and that brief shadow is what makes the return feel so warm. Along with my fellow composers, I also teach you on this site to recognize our pieces whenever they play, so test yourself in the Trainer .
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How to Listen Without Needing a Degree
Think of the Andante as a quiet conversation in which the strings set the mood and the piano does most of the confiding. The strings carry the dreamy tune, and for the opening they play with mutes, which gives their sound a soft, veiled edge. The piano floats above and around them, and the other instruments of the orchestra add a little color at the edges. Keep an ear out for the piano's big leaps between high and low notes, because they are easy to hear even if you've never listened to a concerto before.Why I Called It Andante
Andante is the tempo marking I gave this movement, and it means an easy walking pace, neither hurried nor dragging. I wanted a calm place in the middle of the concerto, with a fast movement on either side of it. That is why the three movements go fast, slow, fast, and the Andante is where the listener gets to breathe. You may also know it as the "Elvira Madigan" music, but that nickname isn't mine, since it comes from a Swedish film made in 1967.The Shape of the Journey
Choosing the form for this movement was an adventure of its own, and in the end I settled on a three-part form. That means there is a beginning, a contrasting middle, and a return to where we started, a bit like leaving home, taking a walk and coming back. I wrote it in F major, which gives the whole movement a warm, open feeling. I'll take you through the three sections one at a time, so you'll know what to listen for in each of them.Section 1: A Lullaby with a Secret Pulse
The movement opens with the dreamy theme on muted strings, and it is so gentle that you may find yourself leaning toward the speakers. Under that melody the strings keep up a soft, throbbing motion in triplets, while the piano joins in with steadier duplets. The result is a calm surface with a little movement beneath it, like a quiet lake with a current you can't quite see. If this tune sounds familiar, it may be because Neil Diamond built his hit "Song Sung Blue" on it in 1972.Section 2: A Cloud Drifts Across the Sun
In the middle of the movement the mood changes, and a shadowy turn interrupts the calm. Here the harmonies grow aching and unsettled, and the music sounds as if it has remembered something it would rather have forgotten. I didn't want the sadness to last, though, and before long the brightness comes back. This is the heart of the story, because the return of the light only feels so warm after the darkness that came before it.Section 3: Home Again, With a Detour
Now the opening mood returns, and the music settles back into the peaceful F major we started in. The piano keeps making its great leaps from the high register to the low, and they give the calm a touch of drama. Near the end I let the music turn briefly to A flat major, like opening a door onto a differently colored room and then gently closing it again. After that detour the movement winds down, and we end as quietly as we began.Your Turn to Press Play
Now it's your turn, so find a quiet moment and let the Andante play from the first muted notes to the last. You don't need to know any theory, because you can simply let the music carry you. If you like, keep in mind the three sections we talked about, the calm, the shadow and the return. I hope you enjoy the journey as much as I enjoyed writing it.---
I hope you enjoyed this listen guide to the Andante of Piano Concerto No 21. Did it make you want to put the music on and hear that dreamy opening for yourself? I wrote this slow movement in F major, and it still feels to me like a quiet pause in the middle of a busy day. Once you know where the muted strings, the gently throbbing triplets and the piano's wide leaps are hiding, the music tends to open up a little more each time you return to it. There is much more to explore in Piano Concerto No 21 than this one movement. The first movement begins with a tiptoeing march and the finale brings a lively, witty rondo, and each has its own stories and surprises. I'd love for you to hear how the three movements fit together, from the bright opening to the calm of the Andante and on to the cheerful finish. If you'd like to keep going, please click on the links provided and explore Piano Concerto No 21 further. I hope you'll find something new to love every time you listen.