JAVS Summer 2026

Eighteenth-century evidence further suggests that the orchestra may have reentered before the soloist reached the final tonic note. Drawing on Antonio Lorenzoni’s Saggio per ben sonare il flautotraverso (1779), Lasocki notes that the accompanying forces likely supplied a dominant seventh harmony during the trill itself, strengthening the harmonic motion toward the final resolution. 39 Although this practice is rarely observed in modern performances, it offers valuable insight into the collaborative nature of Classical concerto performance and the role of the cadenza within the larger musical structure. The trill is commonly followed by a brief closing figure that resolves to the tonic and signals the orchestra’s return. Figure 1 illustrates several examples of this convention. Together, these procedures complete the cadential progression and restore the movement’s formal momentum after the soloist’s improvisatory departure.

Tempo, Length, and Harmonic Design The evidence surveyed thus far suggests that a historically informed cadenza should remain closely connected to the character of the movement from which it emerges. This principle extends not only to melodic vocabulary but also to tempo, length, and harmonic design. Although some of Mozart’s written cadenzas include time signatures, their notation should not be interpreted as requiring strict metrical execution. Figures 10 and 11 demonstrate the flexibility with which Mozart treated rhythm and meter, occasionally altering time signatures or introducing passages whose expressive character transcends regular metric organization. 40 Such examples reinforce Quantz’s view that a successful cadenza should project the spontaneity of improvisation while remaining stylistically connected to the movement.

Figure 10. Rhythmic flexibility and metrical freedom in Mozart's cadenza to the first movement of Piano Concerto No. 5, K. 175. 41

Figure 11. Changes of meter within Mozart's cadenza to the third movement of Piano Concerto No. 18, K. 456. 42

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

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