Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart (1791 – 1844): The Piano Concertos
Media Review
2025-08-31 — Original posting
2025-10-26 — Replaced cover image of solo CD
Andriy Dragan spielt die Klavierkonzerte des “Lemberger Mozart” — Zusammenfassung
Vor einigen Monaten hat das Schweizer Label Claves Records eine CD mit Werken von Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart (1791 – 1844), dem jüngsten Sohn Mozarts, veröffentlicht. Die Werke dieses Komponisten und Pianisten, der einen Großteil seines Lebens in Lemberg (jetzt Lviv, Ukraine) verbrachte, sind heute weitgehend unbekannt. Mit dieser Aufnahme präsentiert der ukrainisch-schweizerische Pianist Andriy Dragan, der selbst in Lviv aufgewachsen ist, die beiden Klavierkonzerte des “Lemberger Mozart”. Begleitet wird er dabei vom Musikkollegium Winterthur (Konzertmeister: Bogdan Božović).
Andriy Dragan hat es sich zur Aufgabe gemacht, die Werke dieses Komponisten zu fördern und einem breiteren Publikum bekannt zu machen. Die beiden Konzerte sind im Abstand von 10 Jahren (1808 und 1818) entstanden und dokumentieren, wie sich der Komponist aus dem Schatten seines berühmten Vaters (den er ja nie persönlich kennengelernt hat) heraustritt. Es handelt sich um eine interessante und hörenswerte Produktion. Die Aufnahme ist akustisch hervorragend, die Interpretation technisch und musikalisch ausgezeichnet, und das Spiel des Solisten zeichnet sich durch Klarheit, differenzierte Dynamik und Subtilität aus. Eine empfehlenswerte Produktion!
Contents
- Introduction
- Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart
- The Artists
- The Contents of the CD
- The Works, the Interpretation, Experiencing the Music
- Conclusion
- Media Information
- Acknowledgements
Introduction
I received the above CD from the Swiss label Claves Records, SA, for reviewing. It features the Swiss-Ukrainian pianist Andriy Dragan (*1986) performing the two piano concertos written by Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart (1791 – 1844), one of two surviving children of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 – 1791). See below for the media information.
Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart
Early Life
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his wife Constanze (born Maria Constanze Cäcilia Josepha Johanna Aloysia Weber, 1762 – 1842) had six children. Only two descendants survived past early childhood: Karl Thomas Mozart (1784 – 1858) and Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart (1791 – 1844). Neither son ever married or had children. The elder son, Karl Thomas was born in Vienna, but attended school in Prague. There, he studied piano with Franz Xaver Niemetschek (1766 – 1849) and František Xaver Dušek (1731 – 1799). He became a gifted pianist but abandoned his musical career to pursue a career as government employee, primarily in Northern Italy.
The younger of Mozart’s sons, Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart (called Wolfgang in the family), was born on 1791-07-26. He was little over four months old when his father died on 1791-12-05. As a result, Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart did not inherit much of a “direct legacy” from his father, other than through his genes. Nevertheless, Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart received a thorough musical education and enjoyed a moderate career as composer, violinist, pianist, and conductor. He also taught during the late classical period. In Vienna, his teachers were Antonio Salieri (1750 – 1825) and Johann Nepomuk Hummel (1787 – 1837). He studied composition with Johann Georg Albrechtsberger (1736 – 1809) and Sigismund Ritter von Neukomm (1778 – 1858).
The Composer, Career
Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart learned to play the piano and the violin. He made his first public appearance in Vienna at age thirteen. As a performer and teacher he enjoyed moderate success. In the latter capacity he taught children of Polish aristocracy in Burshtyn (now Ukraine) and Lemberg (now Lviv, the largest city in western UkraineI), which was then part of the Habsburg empire and later part of Poland (as Lwów). Wolfgang Mozart (often also referred to as “Lemberger Mozart“) spent 25 years teaching in Lviv. He performed concerts throughout Eastern Europe, playing his own compositions, as well as those of his father. In 1838, Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart moved to Vienna and later to Salzburg where he was appointed Kapellmeister of the Mozarteum. (All biographical information is from Wikipedia.)
Like his father, Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart began composing at a young age. According to Wikipedia “Unlike his father, he was introverted and given to self-deprecation. He constantly underrated his talent and feared that whatever he produced would be compared with what his father had done.” Thus, his father’s shadow proved to be a burden for Wolfgang Mozart. Wikipedia states that his works are “heavily influenced by his father’s late style”. We’ll see how much of this influence is apparent in his piano concertos. Wolfgang Mozart also knew Franz Schubert (1797 – 1828) and Robert Schumann (1810 – 1856), who apparently held him in high esteem. Saying that Wolfgang Mozart was a prolific composer would be an exaggeration. After 1820, he almost stopped composing altogether. Between 1828 and 1839, he didn’t compose at all.
Oeuvre
Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart’s oeuvre is limited — it comprises 30 opus numbers, plus a dozen unnumbered works. Among his works are
- piano works (a sonata, variations, various individual movements)
- chamber music (a piano quartet, duos, etc.)
- choral and vocal works (2 cantatas, songs)
- two piano concertos (both are included in this recording, see below)
- symphonic works (a sinfonia, an overture)
Wolfgang Mozart’s name also appears on the list of 50 “important” composers that the publisher and composer Anton Diabelli (1781 – 1858) approached to contribute to a set of variations on a simple waltz he wrote. Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart contributed one variation to Diabelli’s collection, which was ultimately overshadowed by the famous *33 Variations on a Waltz by Anton Diabelli”, op.120 by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827).
The Artists
Andriy Dragan, Piano
The Ukrainian-Swiss pianist Andriy Dragan (*1986) was born into a family of musicians in Lviv, Ukraine, where he also started his piano education at the Music Boarding School and later at the Mykola Lysenko Lviv National Music Academy. A key mentor at that time was Lidia Krych. At age 17, he moved on to the Music Academy in Basel, to study with Adrian Oetiker. He received important artistic impulses in master classes with Zoltán Kocsis (1952 – 2016), Piotr Anderszewski (*1969), Elisabeth Leonskaja (*1945), Ferenc Rados (1934 – 2025), Klaus Hellwig (*1941) and Alfred Brendel (1931 – 2025).
Andriy Dragan continued his studies at the International Music Academy in the Principality of Liechtenstein, profiting from additional master classes with artists such as Dmitri Bashkirov (1931 – 2021), Arie Vardi (*1937), Hung-Kuan Chen (*1958), Milana Chernyavska (*1968), and Pavel Gililov (*1950). Awards and successes at numerous competitions allowed Andriy Dragan to launch an international career as soloist and as chamber musician. Since 2020, he is also a Swiss citizen and now lives in Basel. For full detail see the biography at the artist’s Website.
My first (and so far only) encounter with Andriy Dragan long before Russia’s full-scale invasion into Ukraine in 2022: the artist was joined by a cellist in a “double solo recital” in Zurich, on 2016-05-25.
Connection to Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart
It goes without saying that Andriy Dragan keeps an eye on Ukrainian composers, such as Mykola Lysenko (1842 – 1912) or Vasyl Barvinsky (1888 – 1963). This is of particular importance right now, at the time of Russia’s brutal invasion into Ukraine.
At the same time, it’s only natural that Andriy Dragan is interested in Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart (also known as the “Lemberger Mozart” or “Mozart of Lviv”) already early on. At age 13, the artist performed Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.1 in C major, op.14 on the occasion of his first orchestral appearance outside of Ukraine, in Switzerland, together with the INSO-Lviv Symphony Orchestra (Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Lviv National Philharmonic) under the direction of Gunhard Mattes (*1957).
Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart has since continued to play a central role in Andriy Dragan’s interest and repertoire. The artist pursues active research into sources and information on this composer’s oeuvre and it’s standing at the composer’s lifetime. One result of these activities is Andriy Dragan’s 2021 debut CD featuring 8 sets of variations by this composer, see below. Last year now, Andriy Dragan followed up with the release of his recording of Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart’s two piano concertos, discussed in this posting.
Bogdan Božović, Musikkollegium Winterthur
The Orchester Musikkollegium Winterthur (a.k.a. Musikkollegium Winterthur) appeared in two of my reviews so far, one from a concert on 2016-12-04 (including detailed information on the orchestra’s history), and another one from a second concert on 2022-10-20. The ensemble’s Website states that it is the oldest musical organization in Switzerland, and one of the oldest in Europe, with its origins going back as far as 1629. Around 60 years ago, I actually witnessed this orchestra—then still under its earlier name Stadtorchester Winterthur—in a concert very close to where I grew up. This was my first encounter with an orchestra in concert.
In the recording under review, the orchestra was led by its concertmaster, the Serbian violinist Bogdan Božović, Božović was born in Belgrade in 1993 and has held that position since 2022.
The Contents of the CD
This CD contains two works, each with three movements. See the track listing below. Claves Records made the recording in October 2023 at Winterthur’s primary concert venue, the Stadthaus Winterthur. The soloist played on a Steinway D-274 concert grand.
Track Listing
- Piano Concerto No.1 in C major, op.14 [25’46”]
- I. Allegro maestoso [11’10”]
- II. Adagio [7’12”]
- III. Rondo: Allegretto [7’24”]
- Piano Concerto No.2 in E♭ major, op.25 [24’36”]
- I. Allegro con brio [13’01”]
- II. Andante espressivo [3’37”]
- III. Rondo: Allegretto [7’58”]
Total Duration: 50’22” (6 tracks)
The Works, the Interpretation, Experiencing the Music
In this recording, Andriy Dragan performs the only two piano concertos written by Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart. These works comprise the entirety of F.X.W. Mozart’s compositions in this genre. The information on the two works below is taken from the detailed work descriptions in the CD booklet, written by Ukrainian musicologist Lyubov Kyyanovska (*1955). I avoid direct quotes from these texts.
Piano Concerto No.1 in C major, op.14
The Piano Concerto No.1 was composed in 1808 when the composer was 17 years old. Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart was obviously drawing from his education with teachers such as Johann Nepomuk Hummel (1787 – 1837) for the piano part, or Johann Georg Albrechtsberger (1736 – 1809) for composition in general. His late father’s works, particularly his concerti, certainly left their mark on this concerto as well. Based on my listening experience, it would be wrong to expect anything similar to, let alone at the level of, the five piano concertos by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827), all of which were written between 1787 and 1809.
The instrumentation for this concerto includes 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, and strings.
I. Allegro maestoso
In the very first bars, W.A. Mozart’s legacy (see above) indeed appears to shine through: the syncopated rhythms instantly invoke the beginning of W.A. Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.20 in D minor, K.466. However, this piece is in C major, and is completely devoid of the somber, if not menacing, atmosphere of the D minor concerto. Instead, the music is generally lighthearted and serene, if not playful. Minor keys appear only sporadically, mostly in the development section, and the syncopated rhythm just becomes an occasional feature in the accompaniment’s violin and viola voices.
The composition is inventive and refreshing. However, it is not nearly as coherent or compelling as Wolfgang Amadeus’ concerti. There are many pleasing ideas and themes, often loosely connected at best: very nice music, indeed. However, due to the number and variety of themes, the orchestral introduction feels more like an opera overture. While it is excellent, it cannot compete with W.A. Mozart’s catchy themes and melodic mastery.
Solo Part
In its inventiveness and fresh spirit, the solo part is in line with the orchestral introduction. It offers a kaleidoscope of themes and motifs that are loosely connected to the orchestral accompaniment. The solo is playful without being overly demanding or virtuosic. Through the variety of themes and patterns, the composer successfully avoids sounding idiosyncratic. Andriy Dragan’s performance is effortless, light, and clear. The recording particularly highlights the brilliant, luminous descant of the Steinway grand piano.
I have two minor quibbles with the performance. First, the penultimate solo is an implicit, accompanied cadenza featuring the most intricate motif cascades. However, it is slightly faster than the surrounding tutti segments, for no apparent reason. Is this a patched section from a separate take? There is a similar issue with the very first solo, which begins at a slightly faster pace than the introduction. I suspect there’s an imperceptible cut after the orchestral introduction that caused a slight disruption in the tempo. Both of these issues are minor and hardly noticeable.
★★★½
II. Adagio
The slow movement is in A minor. It is a rich set of variations on a beautiful, solemn theme that is first presented in the strings. The theme features a classical structure of four 4-bar phrases. Its journey can be described as “mourning, melancholy — soothing consolation — reflection and doubt — redemption and hope”. The subsequent variations build on the theme’s expressive richness, with the orchestra and piano alternating in the lead role. The solo features inventive, rich ornamentation in semiquavers and semiquaver sextuplets (variation I), then demisemiquavers (variation II). Variation III begins in A major, then returns to longing and melancholy in A minor. The ending in A major is luminous, serene, and bright.
This is a beautiful, harmonious, and peaceful movement. Andriy Dragan’s performance is relaxed and balanced, both emotionally and technically. His unpretentious playing reveals the beauty of the movement. The recording maintains an ideal balance between solo and orchestra, never obscuring the solo part, but exposing the beautiful woodwind voices. Nothing is rushed; it’s a peaceful idyll throughout. I am tempted to call this movement a masterpiece that easily stands alongside concerto movements by the composer’s father.
★★★★★
III. Rondo: Allegretto
The piano opens the movement by presenting the joyful, catchy, and folksy eight-bar theme, which the orchestra instantly picks up and expands: lively, light, and agile, with even virtuosic moments. This is the main rondo theme, which features an affirmative ending. The piano then introduces a second theme that is equally folksy and catchy. One might view this as a first couplet. However, the composer expands upon it, adding playful virtuosity. It soon becomes clear that this is more than a simple rondo episode. Indeed, the movement combines the concepts of rondo and classic sonata form (Sonatenhauptsatz). A short, fitting cadenza (by Andriy Dragan) leads back to the main rondo theme. The second couplet, with its modulations, serves as a development section that combines new motifs and elements from the previous themes.
The third instance of the rondo theme appears episodic, as the solo part quickly takes up further development, combining the theme with existing and new elements. A fermata on the dominant G major leads into the main cadenza (again by Andriy Dragan). It is rich in modulations yet perfectly “in style”, based on material from the movement—excellent! The short coda includes the final appearance of the rondo theme, followed by a brilliant, and festive closing formula.
★★★★½
Summary, op.14
Unlike his father, Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart was not a child prodigy. His works should be viewed in the context in which they were created. Therefore, it’s no surprise that the first movement is not a brilliant masterpiece. While not very demanding as a composition, it is excellent entertainment and refreshing. However, there is fairly little that “sticks” in the memory from this movement. In my case, it’s the syncopated orchestral introduction. Apart from that, there are few really catchy themes, and too many of them.
The slow movement and the rondo-finale stand out as far more “contained”, compelling, and convincing. They have catchy themes (which were missing from the first movement), originality, and expressive depth.
Piano Concerto No.2 in E♭ major, op.25
Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart’s second piano concerto was finished ten years after op.14, 1818 in Lemberg (now Lviv). The concerto is dedicated to Maria Pavlovna (Romanova), Grand Duchess of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (1786 – 1859), see the front page of the original publication above. The booklet states that the dedicatee was “the wife of the Russian Tsar Alexander (Aleksandr) Pavlovich (1777 – 1825)“. However, as far as I could find out, Maria Pavlovna Romanova was not married to Tsar Aleksandr Pavlovich.
The booklet article mentions that the composer premiered the concerto in Lviv on 1818-12-17 on the occasion of a farewell evening in the Grand Ballroom. Based on the solo part, the text suggests that Wolfgang Mozart wrote the concerto for his own performances during an upcoming four-year tour of various European cities.
The instrumentation for this concerto includes flute, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, and strings.
I. Allegro con brio
From the acoustic appearance, this concerto seems “bigger”and more “massive”, perhaps even more significant. Interestingly, the instrumentation is almost the same as in the first concerto, except that clarinets are used instead of oboes. The CD booklet is not specific about the string section; it only provides an overall staff list: 9 + 6 violins, five violas, five cellos, and three double basses. There may be more string players than in Concerto No.1, or the orchestra may have adjusted its playing (volume and articulation) to suit this concerto’s textures and style. It is also possible, if not likely, that the sound engineer adjusted the acoustic balance and settings for this concerto.
Orchestral Introduction
With the first and longest movement, Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart clearly steps out of his father’s shadow. Unlike Concerto No.1, there is no soft, murmuring opening. Rather, the sonata-form movement opens with a self-confident, festive, and proclamatory, “statement”: a two-bar fanfare, followed by two bars with a light, punctuated (almost capricious) motif in the violins. These four bars are then imitated on the dominant. The second half of the 16-bar theme contrasts with a gentle, lyrical tone, culminating in a lovely, warm clarinet cantilena. This leads back to the punctuated motif and on to an affirmative ending in E♭ major. The following 22 bars are not the second theme. Instead, they can be seen as a short development section within the exposition that builds up to and ends in a dramatic climax.
The orchestral introduction then presents a second theme, initially in the woodwinds. This theme is reflective and melancholic, with syncopated upper voices. Over three bars with ascending pizzicato bass figures below syncopated upper voices the music brightens to a triumphant climax, closing in E♭ major.
After the last chord, there is a general rest before the soloist enters the scene. Superficially, the structure is similar to the opening movement of the first concerto. However, here the orchestral introduction offers a clearer structure, closed in itself, like the exposition in a classical sonata form. It features well-defined themes that are clearly structured in themselves. One might say that the movement more closely follows classical sonata form schemes. At the same time, however, the structural clarity helps listeners follow and “understand” the music. The clarity exposes the quality of the themes and avoids overwhelming the listener with an overabundance of ideas. After all, the sonata form emerged for a reason.
Enter the Soloist
The solo enters with powerful bass octaves beneath wide-spanning, descending broken chords. The piano clearly sets itself apart from the orchestral introduction, making a virtuosic “statement”, while the accompaniment remains subtle and soft, leaving the center stage to the soloist. The solo introduction makes only fleeting references to the orchestral introduction, quoting a punctuated motif from the first theme. Soon, however, the soloist presents a new, lyrical theme (dolce) in the descant above rolling figures in the left hand. The solo part then develops this material in an extended segment of semiquavers before introducing a new, somewhat melancholic theme, joined by the clarinet. This theme undergoes extended development as well, gradually moving towards greater virtuosity with semiquaver sextuplets.
Around the middle of the movement, the soloist introduces yet another theme, which is slightly elegiac and reflective. Soon, though, the right hand moves into playful semiquavers, followed by extended, virtuosic development. The initial fanfare-like theme in the orchestra signals the beginning of the recapulation section.
Throughout the movement, Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart does not strictly adhere to the classical sonata form. There may be a similar number of themes as in the opening movement of the first concerto. However, this movement feels more structured, and each theme has a distinct character. They are given more “room” because they are immediately followed by their own development section. The recap section itself is more of a development part. This makes the movement feel more cohesive, captivating, and easier to understand.
★★★★½
II. Andante espressivo senza ornamenti
The full title of this short movement is Andante espressivo senza ornamenti, which translates to “without extra ornaments”. This seems like an odd choice for a composition from 1818, a time when the transition from Classicism to Romanticism had just begun . However, this piece includes numerous ornaments, such as trills, turns, appoggiaturas, and acciaccaturas. Furthermore, an even greater number of ornaments are written out for the pianist’s right hand. Perhaps the composer feared that pianists would be tempted to add an abundance of their own ornaments?
The movement begins in C minor. wilth the lead role alternating between the piano and the orchestra. Initially it is calm, almost hesitant, earnest, and reflective. The atmosphere gradually brightens, and in bar 18, the solo modulates to E♭ major, establishing a peaceful, serene mood. This is a wonderful, heavenly piece that occasionally reminds of some of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s slow concerto movements and momentarily even hints at Beethoven’s Largo from the Piano Concerto in C minor, op.37—beautiful!
★★★★½
III. Rondo: Allegretto
This joyful, carefree Rondo movement is full of virtuosic passagework. Iit is always light, and the virtuosity is nowhere near as obsessive as that of some concerto movements by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809 – 1847). The main Rondo theme is the movement’s biggest weakness. It sounds like a children’s song—very catchy, but too simple, if not trivial. It easily turns into an earworm. It’s the easygoing episodes (couplets) with their seemingly unstoppable semiquaver passages that save the movement. There is a surprise: fourteen bars from the end, the semiquaver figures abruptly end on B♭ major. The following bar is a general rest with a fermata. This “question mark” is followed by a marked accent on C♭ that launches the short coda (with an ending in E♭ major, of course).
★★★½
Summary, op.25
Compared to his earlier op.14, Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart’s Second Piano Concerto has more “substance”. The composer has matured and developed a stronger personality and style. The Concerto op.25 offers more structural clarity and compositional mastery. It’s also clear that the two concertos were not written for the same instrument. I suspect the first was written for a fortepiano, perhaps by Anton Walter, while the second was written for an instrument with a larger tonal range, superior sonority, and likely a larger dynamic range and superior mechanics. As the piano part exploits the instrument’s highest range, the Steinway D-274 can play out the brilliance of its descant register.
Andriy Dragan’s performance is superb, offering clarity, differentiated dynamics and subtlety. He is clearly “at home” with these concertos and intimately familiar with this composer.
Conclusion
Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart (1791 – 1844) was born just months before his father, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, passed away. His musical oeuvre may not reach the level of his father’s works, or that of his contemporaries. Nevertheless, the new recording of F.X.W. Mozart’s two piano concertos performed by the Ukrainian-Swiss pianist Andriy Dragan (Claves Records, SA) reveals a composer who successfully stepped out of his father’s shadow. Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart developed his own style and demonstrated inventiveness and fantasy. His works a certainly worth recovering from near-oblivion, and Andriy Dragan’s efforts to rediscover this composer are highly commendable. Dragan’s recording demonstrates thorough familiarity with Mozart’s works and is excellent.
Media Information
Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart (1791 – 1844): The Piano Concertos
Bogdan Božović, Musikkollegium Winterthur
Andriy Dragan, piano
Claves Records 50-3070 (CD, stereo); ℗ / © 2024
Booklet: 24 pp. de/en/Ukrainian
Additional CD by Andriy Dragan (not reviewed)
Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart (1791 – 1844): Piano Variations
Andriy Dragan, piano
Claves Records 50-3033 (CD, stereo); ℗ / © 2021
Booklet: 15 pp. de/en/Ukrainian
Contents: Variations op.2, op.3, op.6, op.13, op.18; unpublished variations FXWM VII:18, FXWM VII:30 (Fantasy and Krakowiak), FXWM VII:35
Acknowledgements
Thanks to Claves Records, SA, for sending me the featured CD for this review.
