Violin Concerto No. 5 in A major, 1st movement
The masterclass
About this masterclass
In this masterclass, Professor Olivier Charlier is accompanied by student Giovanna Sévi playing the first movement of the fifth Mozart Violin Concerto, with Ian Wong playing the piano.
Professor Charlier proceeds to listen carefully to Giovanna's interpretation, at the end of which he mentions the importance of maintaining the quality of sound on every note. He then shows Giovanna a few exercises to liberate her from her consciousness, for that when she properly hits a note, it then makes her doubt the next one. He discusses how it is important to find a comfortable state of mind while playing, as well as a relaxed physical stance.
What we learn in this masterclass
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How to connect with every note and every bow movement,
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How to pay attention to the continuity between movements,
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How to adapt and use breaths to your advantage,
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How to exercise bow movements to feel more continuous.
Violin Concerto No. 5 in A major, K. 219 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Concerto No. 5 in A Major premiered during the winter season of 1775 in Salzburg, Austria — a time in the composer’s life of when most of his string concertos were composed. The concerto was written for 2 oboes, strings, and 2 horns and consists of the following movements: the first movement (Allegro aperto - Adagio - Allegro aperto); the second movement (Adagio in E Major); and the third movement (Rondeau - Tempo di minuetto).
The first movement begins with the orchestra playing the main theme, which is met with a solo violin, which enters with a short but sweet dolce adagio passage in A Major. The orchestra follows with a simple accompaniment. Next, the piece returns to the main theme, with the solo violin expressing a different melody over the orchestra.
Particularly notable, the aperto markings in this first movement are rarely present in Mozart’s instrumental music and are more commonly found in the composer’s operatic works. These markings suggest that the piece should be played with gaiety and radiance.
- Composer: Mozart
- Piece:Violin Concerto No. 5 in A major, 1st movement
- Professor: Olivier Charlier
- Student:Giovanna Sevi
- Instruments: Violin
- Date:23 February 2022
- Producer: Produced by the Saline royale Academy
- Duration:47 min
- Spoken language:English
- Subtitle languages: English
Sheet music
Aim for excellence! You can improve your skills with expert advice. Download the annotated sheet music of this violin masterclass. Please note that this piece has been annotated in accordance to Olivier Charlier’s feedback and comments.
Olivier Charlier
Revealed by the Long-Thibaud Foundation competition
Olivier Charlier counts undoubtedly among the great violinists. He conquers the public with the natural grace of pure playing, as an exceptionally dedicated and gifted performer whose virtuosity supremely serves the music.
Of a remarkable precocity, he enters the Paris Conservatoire at the age of 10, and received illustrious support, as Nadia Boulanger, Yehudi Menuhin and Henryk Szeryng. Follows an impressive series of international rewards: Competition of Munich, Montreal, Sibelius, Jacques Thibaud, Indianapolis, Young Concert Artists (New york).
A brilliant career opens then and he is invited by the Parisian orchestras : Orchestre National de France, Orchestre de Paris, Philharmonique de Radio France, Ensemble Orchestral de Paris, Orchestre de l'Opera...) as well as numerous international orchestras: London Philharmonic, Symphony Orchestra of Berlin, Tonnhalle of Zurich, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonic of Monte Carlo, RAI of Turin, BBC Orchestras, Pittsburgh Symphony, Orchestra of the Foundation Gulbenkian, National Orchestra of Belgium, Phiharmonique of Liège, Yomiuri Nippon Symphony, Tokyo Philharmonic, Orchestras of Montreal, Sydney, Mexico, Caracas...) and with conductors : Serge Baudo, Alain Lombard, Theodor Gushlbauer, Sakari Oramo, Yann-Pascal Tortelier, Armin Jordan, Pascal Rophé, Emmanuel Krivine, Gianandrea Noseda, Karl-Anton Rickenbacker, Lawrence Foster, James Judd, Yutaka Sado, Gustavo Dudamel, Jerzy Semkow, Charles Dutoit, Hans Graf, Klaus Weise, Michel Plasson...
His discography testifies of a great eclecticism: Beethoven, Schumann, Mendelssohn, Grieg, St Saëns, Lalo... Next to the concerto "L'arbre des songes" of Dutilleux that he recorded twice, we also find works of Pierné, Lili Boulanger, Vierne, Gerard Schurmann, John McEwen, Edward Gregson, Roberto Gerhard, Cyril Scott, among whom several world premieres. His most recent recording is dedicated to Mozart concertos, with Prague Chamber Orchestra. Vivaldi will be released this year.
The Marlboro Festival was for the young Olivier a revelation, and he is since a fervent chambrist. He participates regularly to numerous festivals: Prades, "Folles journées" of Nantes, La Roque d'Anthéron, Orangerie of Sceaux, Berlioz festival, Nice, Radio-France-Montpellier...
Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a great child prodigy of Western music and one of the most important musicians of Classicism. He wrote more than six hundred compositions and single-handedly developed and popularized the piano concerto. He was widely recognized during his lifetime, and is still regarded as the most universal composer in the history of classical music.
Born in 1756 to Anna Maria and Leopold Mozart in Salzburg, Austria, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s musical talents were recognized at an early age. By age four, the young prodigy began playing the harpsichord, and by five-years old he was composing pieces. The Mozart family would make several trips throughout Europe to exhibit the young boy and his sister’s sensational virtuosity with the harpsichord and violin.
In later years, Mozart would enjoy a flourishing career in Vienna. He frequently performed as a pianist and was regarded as the most outstanding keyboard player in the city. In addition to his career as a performer, Mozart established himself as a fine composer. In 1782, he wrote the opera Die Entführung aus dem Serail, which was very successful. Other renowned operas written by the rising composer included Le Nozze de Figaro (1786), Don Giovanni (1787), and Cósi fan Tutte (1790).
The death of his father in 1787 may have marked the decline of Mozart’s career. He composed very few works, suffered many financial problems, and in 1791 during a visit in Prague for the premier of his opera La clemenza di Tito, Mozart became very ill. In his final days, Mozart was preoccupied with completing his final oeuvre : Requiem in D Minor, K. 626. Unfortunately, he was unable to complete this piece (it was later finished by his student Franz Xaver Süssmayr) as he passed away on December 5th, 1791 possibly of rheumatic fever, however the official cause is unknown.
Despite Mozart’s tragic early demise, the brilliant instrumentalist and composer left an unparalleled legacy. He was a gifted composer all around and wrote in every major genre including but not limited to symphonies, operas, solo concertos, sonatas, masses and more. His influence is wide and profound, and his music continues to be recognized and celebrated for its ingenuity.
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