Finished in 1786, when Mozart was 30 years old, this is an amazing melodic concerto for piano and orchestra, bearing all elements of the work of a musical genius. The general form of Mozart’s piano concertos is that of a three-movement work, an opening fast movement, followed by a slow movement, and a final, energetic rondo. In the first movement, you hear gorgeous rising melodies, with passion and optimism which rise you into heaven. And in no way does the vividness of this movement prepares the listener for the serene, moving and darker music of the second movement which is also in contrast with the generally "light" and "easy listening" music by Mozart. Probably, Mozart was trying to express a tumultuous personal phase he was going through, or this might have been just an innovation. Whatever the explanation for this intense contrast in the mood of the two movements might be, these extremes provide material for thought about the life's ups and downs.
The legend says that this was the last thing Stalin had listened before he was found dead in 1953.
A suggested name for this masterpiece: "Between light and dark".