Concerto in B-flat major for Bassoon and Orchestra

In 1934 Max Seiffert published this work as Concerto No. 2" by Mozart. His edition was based on the copy of a contemporary copyist in the possession of the Fürstl. Instituts für Musikforschung in Bückeburg, which was unfortunately destroyed during the war. The front page beard the title "Concerto in B / Fagotto Principale / 2 Violini 2 Oboi / 2 Corni / 2 Clarini / Tympano / Viola / con / Basso Dal Sigre Wolfg. Mozart.

Seiffert considers the work to be one of the concertos that Mozart is said to have written for Thaddäus von Dürnitz, concertoa that are repeatedly mentioned in the literature but have never been proven. Even the range up to c and the orchestration with trumpets and timpani, which Mozart used in some piano concertos but none of his concertos for wind instruments, cannot stop the author from his thesis.

In his contribution to the 1957 Mozart Yearbook, Ernst Hess not only refuted this attribution, but at the same time put forward the thesis that it must be a composition by Devienne. The reason for this is the concordance of numerous music examples between the concerto and the Six Duos concertants, which also seems very daring to me. In Devienne's other concertos are also no orchestral accompaniment with trumpets and timpani, and the solo part in this particular one is more frequently played in the upper register than normally used by Devienne.

So we have to take into account that a talented contemporary has made use of thematic material of Devienne and the authorship of this concert will remain in the dark. If the publisher has nevertheless decided to publish this new edition, this is for the simple reason that, despite the poor sources, it is an extraordinarily beautiful concerto in which both the cantabile and virtuoso possibilities of the bassoon are exhausted.