Horn Concerto in E-flat major no. 3, K. 447

All of Mozart’s three horn concertos are in E-flat major. The K. 447 is thought to have been composed in the same year as Don Giovanni. The natural horn it would have been played on originally had no valves, meaning that pitch changes could be achieved through, among other things, modulating lip tension and placing the hand in the bell. The main theme and secondary theme of the opening movement are highly melodious, and the slow movement feels like an opera aria, together with the characteristically Mozartian chromatic passages. The concerto rounds off with a “hunting” style finale in 6/8 time.