11th Symphony (Mozart)
The symphony in D major Köchelverzeichnis KV 84 was possibly composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1770 during his first trip to Italy. According to the Old Mozart Edition, the symphony bears the number 11.
General
On August 4, 1770, Mozart wrote to his sister from Italy: “Meanwhile I have already composed 4 Italian symphonies (…).” Possibly these are the four D major symphonies Köchelverzeichnis (KV) 81 , KV 84, KV 95 and KV 97 . However, the authenticity is not unequivocally clarified, u. a. because there is no autograph .
The Symphony KV 84 has come down to us in three different copies:
- a Viennese copy that ascribes the work to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: the manuscript reads "In Milano, il Carnovalo 1770" at the top right, and "Del Sigre Cavaliero Wolfgango Amadeo Mozart á Bologna, nel mese di Luglio 1770" at the bottom. Einstein therefore suspects that the symphony could have been drafted in Milan in January or February and the final version could have been completed in Bologna in July. This is plausible insofar as the Mozarts were in Milan from January 23 to March 15 and in Bologna in July 1770.
- a Berlin copy, only with the comment "del Sig: re Mozart" (i.e. without a first name), this copy was partly attributed to Wolfgang and partly to Leopold Mozart .
- a Prague copy assigns the work to Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf .
Neal Zaslaw refers to a "detailed style analysis by Jan La Rue", which has shown that KV 84 most likely comes from Wolfgang. Wolfgang Gersthofer expresses himself in a similar way: “Of course, the four works in question do not just form a fairly homogeneous group, so that the authorship of a single composer can be expected; Similarities to the authentic Italian symphony corpus of Mozart can also be found with regard to a number of features (...). (...) In short: all four D major symphonies KV 81, KV 84, KV 95 and KV 97 are likely to be authentic. ” Despite these (expert) assessments, residual doubts remain.
In form and character, the piece corresponds to the Italian symphony or overture type: in three movements with a first movement that runs through without repetitions, a vocal middle section and a finale of the "sweeping" type. Symphonies of this kind were often used at that time, e.g. B. performed at the beginning of a concert evening. The sentences are based on a series of short motifs that are usually repeated once.
Volker Scherliess praises the work as “an extremely appealing symphony , sparkling with thematic ingenuity as well as clearly formative” , while Johannes Forner criticizes the “almost stereotypical triad theme ” in the final movement. The dominance of triad melodies is, however, quite common for symphonies of this (overture) type and the then modern “gallant-light” style.
To the music
Instrumentation: two oboes , two horns in D, two violins , viola , cello , double bass . In contemporary orchestras it was also customary to use bassoon and harpsichord (if available in the orchestra) to reinforce the bass voice or as a continuo , even without separate notation .
Performance time: approx. 10 minutes.
With the terms used here based on the sonata movement form, it should be noted that this scheme was designed in the first half of the 19th century (see there) and can therefore only be transferred to the Symphony KV 84 with restrictions. The sentences correspond even more to the two-part form, in which the second part of the sentence is viewed as a modified iteration of the first ("exposure"). - The description and structure of the sentences given here is to be understood as a suggestion. Depending on the point of view, other delimitations and interpretations are also possible.
First movement: Allegro
D major, 4/4 time, 135 bars
The movement opens as a fanfare from the gradually ascending D major - chord in the forte of the whole orchestra, followed by a piano - "answer" of the violins. This symmetrical structure of two phrases each forms the “first topic” that is repeated. The following passage brings two clichéd motifs with voice-leading violins and bass accompaniment from tone repetition: Motif 1 plays around the notes of the broken D major - triad with trills, Motif 2 consists of a detached figure with a "grinder". Both motifs are repeated. With a short cadence , Mozart changes to the dominant A major.
After a general pause, the second theme (bars 28–35) follows with its characteristic suggestion figure (grinder) on the accompanying “carpet” of the other strings playing in pizzicato . When the theme is repeated, the winds join in one after the other with sustained chords. In bar 36 another section begins with tremolo and chord melodies (change from E major and A major), a somewhat melancholic motif in the 1st violin over a descending bass line (is repeated an octave lower and varies from 2nd violin and viola) , as well as broken chords in the bass over tremolo, which are each repeated as an echo in the piano.
The exposition ends with its characteristic final group in pizzicato and a simple cadenza of chords leading to A major in bar 62. Without repeating the exposition, a short transition (bars 62–72) follows immediately, in which above the organ point on A 1. Violin and viola play a (again) phrase-like motif in parallel. The tremolo passage from bar 70 already leads to the recapitulation . This corresponds almost literally to the exposition, although from the second topic the section no longer refers to the dominant A major, but to the tonic D major.
The nature of the sentence with clearly delineated parts is emphasized by several authors.
Second movement: Andante
A major, 3/8 time, 79 bars
At the beginning the strings play the swaying, symmetrically structured first theme in legato , which is reinforced by the winds when it is repeated. In bar 17, the symmetrically structured second theme in the dominant key of E major starts immediately, in which the winds enter into a brief dialogue with the strings. After the characteristic pizzicato passage with alternation from B major and E major (bars 24–28), from bar 29, the final section, played only by the strings, follows the first part (“Exposition”) in bar 35 in E major completed. A short unison transition leads to the repetition of the first part ("recapitulation"), but the harmonies from the second theme onwards are related to the tonic in A major (instead of E major).
Volker Scherliess emphasizes the vocal character of the whole movement, and Neal Zaslaw speaks of an " ambience reminiscent of Gluck ."
Third movement: Allegro
D major, 2/4 time, 188 bars
The beginning of the movement is structurally similar to the opening Allegro: a signal-like broken D major chord as an antecedent, but now in forte unison, and a subsequent movement of the two violins in the piano. This already contains the triplets that dominate the rest of the movement , which give the Allegro a rapidly flowing character. The eight-bar theme is repeated.
In bar 17, a passage with chord melodies and triplet tremolo begins in the 2nd violin and viola. From bar 24 the triplets are emphasized even more strongly in the form of a motif with energetic, "chattering" repetitions of notes.
The second theme in the dominant key of A major is only performed by the violins and the accompanying viola on the piano. It is also interspersed with triplets and is repeated. The triplet flow then continues: as a continuous tone repetition over a bass motif of three ascending quarters in legato (bars 48 ff.) And as a falling line without bass (bars 73 ff.) With a subsequent cadenza to A, which the exposition in bar 92 ended with chord strikes.
The second part consists of the slightly different course of the exposure. The “development” takes up the first theme first in A major and then moves it one step up to the tonic parallel in B minor. The passage from bar 108 (analogous to bar 17 ff.) Changes from B minor to G major, and the "chattering passage" analogous to bar 24 ff. Ends in A major (instead of E major). The rest of the movement (“recapitulation”) corresponds to the exposition, but the harmonies are now based on the tonic in D major instead of previously in A major. Both main parts of the sentence are repeated.
At the very end, the signal-like broken triad from the first topic appears again. The reuse of the opening thought at the end of the sentence was used by Mozart, for example. B. also in the finale of the symphony KV 543 .
Individual references, comments
- ^ Alfred Einstein: Chronological-thematic directory of all of Wolfgang Amade Mozart's music works. In addition to the information about the lost, started, transferred, dubious and superseded compositions by Dr. Ludwig Ritter von Köchel. Third edition, edited by Alfred Einstein. Breitkopf & Härtel-Verlag, Leipzig 1937, 984 pp.
- ↑ a b c d e f Volker Scherliess : The symphonies. In: Silke Leopold (Ed.): Mozart-Handbuch. Bärenreiter-Verlag, Kassel 2005, ISBN 3-7618-2021-6
- ↑ a b c d e f Neal Zaslaw: Mozart's earliest symphonies. Symphony in D major, KV 73q / 84 (No. 11). Text contribution to: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Early Symphonies 1764–1771 , German translation by Henning Weber from 1982. Recording by the Academy of Ancient Music ; Concertmaster Jaap Schröder, continuo: Christopher Hogwood. Decca Record, London 1986.
- ^ Wolfgang Gersthofer: Symphonies KV 16-134. In: Joachim Brügge, Claudia Maria Knispel (Ed.): The Mozart Handbook, Volume 1: Mozart's orchestral works and concerts. Laaber-Verlag, Laaber 2007, ISBN 3-8900-7461-8 , pp. 15-27.
- ^ Johannes Forner: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Symphonies. In Malte Kopf (ed.): Concert book orchestral music 1650-1800. Breitkopf & Härtel-Verlag, Wiesbaden / Leipzig 1991, pp. 477-625.
- ↑ Probably refers Zaslaw (1986) on this point when he says that a passage in the set especially on Figaro chatter in Gioachino Rossini's The Barber of Seville recalls
- ↑ The repetitions of the parts of the sentence are not observed in some recordings.
Web links, notes
- 11th Symphony (Mozart) : Score and critical report in the New Mozart Edition
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Sinfonia in right, K. 84. Pocket score. PR 628. Ricordi Publishing House, Milan 1955