Mozart - Bassoon Concerto in B flat

The 18-year old Mozart triumphed with his first concerto for a wind instrument.

If you're one of the lucky few people who play the bassoon, it's likely you'll be familiar with this lively concerto.

Written in 1774 by the 18-year old Mozart, it was the composer's first concerto for a wind instrument and is now probably the most studied piece in the entire repertory for the instrument.

Mozart wrote the work as a commission, most likely from an aristocratic amateur bassoon player. He probably went on to write two more concertos for the instrument but only this one survives.

Nearly all bassoonists will perform the piece at some stage in their career, and it is usually requested that the player perform excerpts from the concerto's first two movements in every audition.

The second movement, in particular, is known for its beautiful lyrical melody, a tune later used in 'Porgi Amor' in Mozart's opera, The Marriage of Figaro.