Schroeter: Six Keyboard Concertos, Op. 3

Johann Samuel Schroeter (ca. 1752–88) was one of the foremost pianists of his generation. Born in Germany, he toured the continent as a child prodigy, alongside his sister Corona, until settling in London in 1772, where he was mentored by J. C. Bach and then became music master to Queen Charlotte. Charles Burney praised him for his “neat and exquisite performance” and Charlotte Papendiek, a court attendant, said he “was truly an enchanting player.” His six keyboard concertos, op. 3 (London, 1774), were his most popular works, circulating in more than seven editions across Europe. Mozart thought very highly of them, recommending them to his father and sister. This first critical edition of Schroeter’s opus 3 includes twenty-three cadenzas, five by Mozart and eighteen by anonymous authors preserved in three libraries, giving a deeper sense of the importance of the keyboard concerto both at home (with a simple cadenza in an English musical commonplace book) and at court (with a beautiful set of cadenzas prepared for the electoral court at Dresden).

Concerto No. 1 in F Major
I. Allegro
II. Rondo: Tempo di minuetto

Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major
I. Allegro
II. Rondo

Concerto No. 3 in C Major
I. Allegro
II. Grazioso
III. Rondeau

Concerto No. 4 in D Major
I. Allegro
II. Grazioso
III. Rondeau

Concerto No. 5 in G Major
I. Allegro
II. Rondo: Grazioso

Concerto No. 6 in E-flat Major
I. Allegro spiritoso
II. Larghetto
III. Rondo: Presto

Appendix: Cadenzas