JAVS Summer 2026

a single extended melody, the passage develops through a succession of related figures, each growing organically from the previous one. This approach offers a useful model for constructing a cadenza from the motivic material found in Stamitz’s concerto.

Mozart’s concerto cadenzas provide particularly clear examples of this process. Figure 7, drawn from the opening measures of Mozart’s cadenza to Piano Concerto No. 5, demonstrates how contrasting ascending and descending gestures can be combined to create a continuous musical argument. 35 Rather than relying on

Figure 7. Development of contrasting ascending and descending figures in Mozart's cadenza to the first movement of Piano Concerto No. 5, K. 175, mm. 1–5.

underlying melodic framework. Near the conclusion of many cadenzas, rapid grace-note figures often intensify the musical momentum before the final trill and orchestral reentry, as illustrated in Figure 9. 37

Ornamentation serves a similar developmental function. As Figure 8 demonstrates, Mozart frequently embellishes structurally important notes through turns, grace notes, and other decorative figures. 36 These embellishments enrich the musical surface while preserving the

Figure 8. Ornamentation of structural tones in Mozart's concerto cadenzas through grace notes, turns, and decorative figuration.

Journal of the American Viola Society / Vol. 42, Summer 2026 Online Issue

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