Search results
- Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K. 550, symphony by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, sometimes known as the Great G Minor Symphony. Composed in the summer of 1788, it was finished at about the same time as his Symphony No. 39 and Symphony No. 41, marking a period of productivity exceptional even by Mozart’s standards.
www.britannica.com › topic › Symphony-No-40-in-G-Minor
People also ask
What symphonies did Mozart write?
What did Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart write?
How many symphonies did Mozart make?
Did Mozart compose the three symphonies as a unified work?
This is a list of symphonies by the classical composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Symphonies No. 2 (attributed to Leopold Mozart) and 3 (written by Carl Friedrich Abel) are spurious. Mozart's "37th symphony" is actually Michael Haydn's 25th symphony; Mozart only added a 20-bar slow introduction to it.
K1K6TitleKey16161919Anh. 22319a2222- Overview
- Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart raised the symphony to heights that in many respects remain unsurpassed. Of his 50-odd symphonies, produced between 1764 and 1788, the earliest ones are conventional but precocious, reflecting influences of Johann Christian Bach, Giovanni Battista Sammartini, and Joseph Haydn. An invigorating first movement predominates, followed by a light cantabile movement and a fast finale or minuet (minuets in his symphonies date mostly after 1767). The Symphony in B-flat Major, K 22 (1765; “K” or “Köchel” numbers—named for Ludwig, Ritter (knight) von Köchel, the scholar who catalogued Mozart’s musical corpus—are the standard way of identifying Mozart’s works) contains a lovely chromatic slow movement in the key of G minor.
Mozart’s exposure to Europe’s main musical currents led him to synthesize the playful Italian homophonic and operatic style with serious German polyphony. This is evident in the agitated Symphony in G Minor, K 183 (1773)—a Sturm und Drang work and his first minor-key symphony—and in the cheerful Symphony in A Major, K 201 (1774). In these works the balance of interest shifts to the last movement. The addition of codas, which extend the closing sections and reaffirm the tonic, the increased length and scope of slow movements and minuets, and a growing orchestral sensitivity all point toward maturity. In contrast with those of Haydn, Mozart’s slow movements lean toward the sonata form with their inherent drama.
Mozart, unlike Haydn, was not a formal experimenter; he reused successful structural formulations in later works. It was his treatment of melody that set him apart. He preferred to ignore monothematic structure; and his first and second themes, neither folklike nor mosaic-like, contrast strongly. His harmonic range is narrow compared with Haydn’s, but within his range he constantly transformed thematic material. Development sections expand with the introduction of new thematic material and modulations over a wider tonal field. His recapitulations tend to be straightforward. In this mature period, Mozart’s symphonies became unified thematically and expressively, using fuller imitation, more singing figuration, and freer instrumentation (the Symphony in D Major, K 297 [Paris], introduces clarinets). Mozart rejected Mannheim gesture in favour of better-integrated dynamics.
Mozart’s last 10 years saw him further exposed to Haydn’s influence and very aware of J.S. Bach’s music. The monumental last six symphonies reflect his experience as an opera and chamber music composer. The Symphony in C Major, K 425, has a rare, slow chromatic introduction, while Symphony in D Major, K 504 (Prague), dispenses with the minuet, has all three movements in sonata form, and uses canonic development (development by means of exact imitation). The last three symphonies (K 543, in E-flat major; K 550, in G minor; K 551, in C major [Jupiter]), summits of the Classical genre, are bold in their harmonies and counterpoint; the serious minuet of K 550 foreshadows the scherzo of Beethoven’s Fifth. (The scherzo is a rapid, rhythmic, minuet-derived form.)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart raised the symphony to heights that in many respects remain unsurpassed. Of his 50-odd symphonies, produced between 1764 and 1788, the earliest ones are conventional but precocious, reflecting influences of Johann Christian Bach, Giovanni Battista Sammartini, and Joseph Haydn. An invigorating first movement predominates, followed by a light cantabile movement and a fast finale or minuet (minuets in his symphonies date mostly after 1767). The Symphony in B-flat Major, K 22 (1765; “K” or “Köchel” numbers—named for Ludwig, Ritter (knight) von Köchel, the scholar who catalogued Mozart’s musical corpus—are the standard way of identifying Mozart’s works) contains a lovely chromatic slow movement in the key of G minor.
Mozart’s exposure to Europe’s main musical currents led him to synthesize the playful Italian homophonic and operatic style with serious German polyphony. This is evident in the agitated Symphony in G Minor, K 183 (1773)—a Sturm und Drang work and his first minor-key symphony—and in the cheerful Symphony in A Major, K 201 (1774). In these works the balance of interest shifts to the last movement. The addition of codas, which extend the closing sections and reaffirm the tonic, the increased length and scope of slow movements and minuets, and a growing orchestral sensitivity all point toward maturity. In contrast with those of Haydn, Mozart’s slow movements lean toward the sonata form with their inherent drama.
Mozart, unlike Haydn, was not a formal experimenter; he reused successful structural formulations in later works. It was his treatment of melody that set him apart. He preferred to ignore monothematic structure; and his first and second themes, neither folklike nor mosaic-like, contrast strongly. His harmonic range is narrow compared with Haydn’s, but within his range he constantly transformed thematic material. Development sections expand with the introduction of new thematic material and modulations over a wider tonal field. His recapitulations tend to be straightforward. In this mature period, Mozart’s symphonies became unified thematically and expressively, using fuller imitation, more singing figuration, and freer instrumentation (the Symphony in D Major, K 297 [Paris], introduces clarinets). Mozart rejected Mannheim gesture in favour of better-integrated dynamics.
Mozart’s last 10 years saw him further exposed to Haydn’s influence and very aware of J.S. Bach’s music. The monumental last six symphonies reflect his experience as an opera and chamber music composer. The Symphony in C Major, K 425, has a rare, slow chromatic introduction, while Symphony in D Major, K 504 (Prague), dispenses with the minuet, has all three movements in sonata form, and uses canonic development (development by means of exact imitation). The last three symphonies (K 543, in E-flat major; K 550, in G minor; K 551, in C major [Jupiter]), summits of the Classical genre, are bold in their harmonies and counterpoint; the serious minuet of K 550 foreshadows the scherzo of Beethoven’s Fifth. (The scherzo is a rapid, rhythmic, minuet-derived form.)
Mozart was a versatile composer, and wrote in every major genre, including symphony, opera, the solo concerto, chamber music including string quartet and string quintet, and the piano sonata. These forms were not new, but Mozart advanced their technical sophistication and emotional reach.
Apr 23, 2024 · Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–91) was an Austrian composer. Mozart composed music in several genres, including opera and symphony. His most famous compositions included the motet Exsultate, Jubilate, K 165 (1773), the operas The Marriage of Figaro (1786) and Don Giovanni (1787), and the Jupiter Symphony (1788). In all, Mozart composed more ...
- Mozart was a child prodigy. His father—a talented violinist—taught him basic notes on the harpsichord. Mozart composed his first piece of music in...
- Mozart wrote in all the popular genres of his time, and he excelled in every one. He wrote several successful operas, including The Marriage of Fig...
- Mozart was not a revolutionary musician. He rarely experimented with musical form, and he often recycled successful structural formulations in his...
Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K. 550, symphony by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, sometimes known as the Great G Minor Symphony. Composed in the summer of 1788, it was finished at about the same time as his Symphony No. 39 and Symphony No. 41, marking a period of productivity exceptional even by Mozart’s standards.
- Betsy Schwarm
Jun 1, 2023 · Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) was an Austrian composer who wrote a wide range of works including piano concertos, string quartets, symphonies, operas, and sacred music.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart completed his Symphony No. 41 in C major, K. 551, on 10 August 1788. The longest and last symphony that he composed, it is regarded by many critics as among the greatest symphonies in classical music. The work is nicknamed the Jupiter Symphony, probably coined by the impresario Johann Peter Salomon.
