Glenn Dicterow, esteemed concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic together with violist Karen Dreyfus performs works by Mozart

Alfred Einstein calls Mozart's radiant Sinfonia Concertante "the creative summit of his Salzburg period, and the crowning achievement in the field of the violin concerto." This radiant work uses the variation form to some extent, but not as a defining characteristic. Despite Einstein’s omission, the most notable aspect of this piece is that it allows the violin and viola solo parts equal treatment, causing their music to grow organically from the orchestral texture.

William Thomas McKinley’s Concert Variations takes a theme that is similar to Mozart’s in its simplicity and gives it a twentieth-century fantasy-variation treatment. True to form, he first states the theme. Yet it is no simple opening declaration. After the theme appears, there is an ominous bassoon ostinato that you won’t find in Mozart. McKinley’s Concert Variations brilliantly combines Mozartian compositional techniques with McKinley’s very own unique style.