Concerto n°3 « Strasbourg » pour violon en Sol majeur K 216

About this work

The Violin Concerto in G major K.216, dated 1775, represents a clear expansion beyond the first two concertos. Its nickname “Strasbourg” comes from a passage in the finale traditionally associated with a Strasbourg dance tune; it indicates neither a place of composition nor a general programme. Mozart’s real design is a journey through characters: orchestral confidence, suspended song, then a rondo whose tempo and gait change several times.

The Allegro begins with a broad orchestral theme immediately divided by silences and lighter replies. The principal violin enters without breaking this motion, but lengthens phrases, rises into the upper register and turns cells into runs. In the Adagio, the solo line rests above a regular, gently pulsing accompaniment. Winds support changes of colour while the violin must preserve a single breath through its ornaments.

The Rondeau is the work’s true laboratory. Its opening Allegro returns as a landmark, yet Mozart interrupts it with an Andante and then an Allegretto shaped like a dance. Changes of metre, accent and texture move the music from elegance towards an almost popular directness without breaking the form. The refrain therefore never returns in the same surroundings: its stability is precisely what allows the episodes to surprise.

In performance, changes of character should be prepared before changes of speed. Retain some orchestral weight in the Allegro when the soloist takes up shared notes; in the Adagio, do not let ornaments divide the phrase into small units. In the finale, make the move into Andante and Allegretto unmistakable, then recover the refrain without rushing. Stylistic accuracy lies in committing to these transitions.

What the document containsDocument: The document contains 34 pages in PDF format. No MIDI file is currently attached to this historical record. The 34-page PDF contains the Allegro, Adagio and Rondeau with its Allegro, Andante and Allegretto sections. The full score is written for principal violin, two oboes, two horns and strings; it does not provide a separate solo part.The historical record marks the work and file as public domain but does not document the editor or exact provenance of this copy. The file preserved by LesPartitions.info can be compared with the reference catalogue. Following that check, LesPartitions.info separates established facts from information that remains incomplete.