Mozart 3 Tempo

December 19, 2020, 6:54 PM · 100 is a pretty good tempo, but for a performance it should be 112 or more.

Edited: December 20, 2020, 8:06 AM · Perlman plays it 111/112 bpm, Oistrakh plays faster. I prefer Perlmans.

December 19, 2020, 10:06 PM · I think it's an adequate speed.

December 20, 2020, 5:34 AM · Worth bearing in mind the metronome hadn't even been invented yet, so 111bpm would mean nothing to Mozart. Allegro - needs to be lively. Character more important than speed, but of course too slow and will be hard to pull off the character.

Edited: December 20, 2020, 7:47 AM · I think 111 is not "allegro" enough for Mozart 3, it is usually played (by those who can ;-) at 120 or just slightly above that.

December 20, 2020, 8:08 AM · Faster doesn't always mean harder. Like James said, slower is harder to pull of the character.

December 20, 2020, 8:19 AM · Lol. Am I the only old fashioned geezer that gets triggered by non-traditional metronome numbers like 111?

December 20, 2020, 10:16 AM · Think of it as 112 with a little Kentucky windage.

Edited: December 20, 2020, 10:27 AM · James, I tune my violin to 441, so I don't have to choose between 440 or 422. Does that trigger you?

December 20, 2020, 12:00 PM · David, not at all. I suppose different regions have always had their own tuning preferences, but the standard metronome markings are universal :)

December 20, 2020, 12:37 PM · Even though I use a digital metronome I love very much, I do not like using numbers that would not be attainable on the "limited/more restricted" metronomes of old. So I also do not use odd numbers, and do not go too high or too low either. For all practical purposes, we do not need to practice a scale in steps of three or one (52, 55, etc. 60, 61, 62, 63, etc.) Even numbers work out fine in my opinion, be it pairs, 4, 12, etc.

One can also use an old school metronome and not lose much. They tend to be loud and are accurate when working well. Their main disadvantage is that they are generally slower to adjust to a newer tempo, especially if you are used to most digital metronomes. And having to wind (though that takes a while, and not a big problem). Using a mechanical metronome is better than having none to practice with for sure!

(I do not like app metronomes, though they may serve a purpose in a pinch.)

Edited: December 20, 2020, 1:29 PM · Yes, but it's always 440, or 442+. I never saw 441 being a standard.

December 20, 2020, 1:36 PM · Aidan - I think the real test is how you feel about the speed at which you are taking the piece. Does it sound the way you want it to? As someone pointed out, the metronome was not yet invented, and what Allegro might have meant to violinists of the day (other than fairly fast) in terms of modern metronome markings is unknown. The fact that Oistrakh or someone else took it at a particular speed should not be dispositive, although listening to the piece at other speeds can help you decide whether you like the speed at which you are taking it. Good luck!

December 20, 2020, 1:54 PM · Hummel and Czerny did make editions and arrangements of Mozart where they left their own metronome marks-- and they knew more of the style than anyone could hope to get today.
Still, those are symphonies (arranged for chamber groups) and string quartets, for the most part. You can absorb their ideas but will still have to use your intelligence to solve the problem of the violin concertos.

December 20, 2020, 3:23 PM · I was able to run through it at about 112-116 a few times, with only a few minor slips, and I enjoy the way it sounds at that tempo, and probably won’t go much faster or slower than there!

December 20, 2020, 3:33 PM · Also play through the orchestra parts in your head. It has to work for them, too. And between you and them, when you finally butt heads.

December 21, 2020, 1:32 PM · I was just setting the metronome to 120 and trying to imagine the music at that tempo. It seems rushed to me. I prefer a tempo around 110 such that the 16th's still have time to be heard as melody.

To show off one's technical prowess Mozart is a poor choice.

December 21, 2020, 2:03 PM · Totally agree, Albrecht.