Taffanel-Gaubert: Cadenzas for Mozart's Flute Concerto in G Major

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's (1756-1791) Flute Concerto in G was written by the composer in 1778. The concerto remains widely studied and performed on the flute, making it one of the most important concerti in the instrument's repertoire. Paul Taffanel and Philippe Gaubert's composed cadenzas for the work are essential to all performers of the concerto. Concerto in G is in three movements; 1. Allegro maestoso, 2. Adagio ma non troppo, and 3. Rondo: Tempo di Menuetto. The first and last movements are in the tonic key, whilst the second movement is in the subdominant key of D major. All three movements contain a cadenza which initially would have been left for the performer to improvise. However, cadenzas have since been written, including those of Taffanel and Gaubert. Both were prominent flautists of their time and their understanding of the flute concerto repertoire is second to none, making their cadenzas well-informed and essential to performers of the concerto.