About this edition
Composed in early 1785 and premiered by Mozart himself at a Vienna subscription concert, the Piano Concerto No. 20 in D Minor, K. 466 stands as one of the most dramatically charged works in the classical concerto repertoire. Its turbulent opening syncopations, operatic interplay between soloist and orchestra, and shadowed lyricism anticipated the Romantic sensibility by a generation — qualities that drew Beethoven to perform it publicly and to compose his own cadenzas, which remain in use today. Together with K. 491, it is one of only two Mozart piano concertos in a minor key, and arguably the most performed concerto Mozart ever wrote.
This score reproduces the concerto as published in the landmark Mozarts Werke (Serie XVI: Concerte für das Pianoforte, Bd. 3, No. 20), issued by Breitkopf & Härtel of Leipzig in 1878 under plate number W.A.M. 466. The Breitkopf complete edition, prepared by an editorial board including Johannes Brahms, Joseph Joachim, and Philipp Spitta, was the first scholarly attempt to assemble the entirety of Mozart's output and remained the standard reference for nearly a century. Its clear engraving, careful textual judgment, and continuing use by performers and scholars make it a cornerstone document of Mozart studies.
About this edition:
- Full orchestral score (pages 1–56, original pagination 181–236)
- Page size: 8.5 x 11 inches
- Faithfully reproduced from the 1878 Breitkopf & Härtel engraving
- Sourced from a public domain historical edition
- Published by Purple 4R Publishing
Because the original Breitkopf & Härtel score is in the public domain, we're delighted to bring this historic engraving back into print at an accessible price for conductors, pianists, students, and scholars who want a reliable physical copy on the desk or stand.
