18th Symphony (Mozart)

The Symphony in F major Köchelverzeichnis 130 was composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in May 1772. According to the Old Mozart Edition, the symphony has the number 18.

General

Painting by Mozart by Saverio dalla Rosa, January 1770

After the symphony Köchelverzeichnis (KV)  124 from February 1772, six more symphonies were written from May to August (KV 130 in May 1772): KV 128–130 and KV 132–134. It was the first time that Mozart had such a concentration of symphony production. It is noticeable that the six works are in different keys. This may be related to the fact that Mozart wanted to make an impression on his new employer, Count Colloredo, with a representative collection of symphony. In the case of printed symphony collections, it was customary at the time for the mostly six symphonies to be in different keys. A possible grouping can look like this:

• KV 128 , KV 129 : are the only three movements;
• KV 130, KV 132 : instrumentation with four horns and unusual trios;
• KV 133 , KV 134 : In the first movement, the recapitulation begins with the second theme.

On the other hand, one could also count KV 130 and KV 134 in one group, since flutes are used instead of oboes.

Alfred Einstein (1953) evaluates KV 129, KV 130, KV 132 and KV 133 as “final symphonies” in the sense that the finale no longer appears as a light-weight sweep, but rather gains in weight compared to the first movement.

Several authors assign a special meaning to KV 130:

• Alfred Einstein (1937) writes: "After the instrumentation, extent and content of one of the epoch-making works in Mozart's oeuvre, his first major symphony."
• Bernhard Paumgartner (1957) praises: “With the F major symphony, Mozart created a new type in his symphonic oeuvre in an incredibly short time. He has thus made a decisive step forward on the way through the various spheres of influence to himself (...). " Compared to his contemporaries, Mozart's work stands out more and more: " (...) better in its throw, in the continuation of the themes, more subtle in the feeling for the subtle art of inner variation instead of comfortable redicts, gorgeous in the lighting up of a witty return, a cozy cantable twist, in the slim, impeccable growth of the whole of a symphony, in the variety of secret relationships between the basic ideas, in the precision of an almost incomprehensible Sense of sound (...). Our F major symphony is such an example of early personal affirmation from its young master. One would for a hundred places in the work cited, from the remote-acting force of the fourth jump in the main thoughts about the coda of the first movement of time, the Andantio, the finals in until the diversity of ideas in this sparkling set. "
• Hermann Abert (1955) thinks, “that Mozart made the first attempt here to combine four movements into a tighter, ideal unit and thus to approach the most difficult problem of symphonic music. In K.-V 130 it is the strict thematic and contrapuntal work and the ingenious soloistic treatment that connects the movements. "

To the music

Instrumentation: two flutes , four horns (two in C alto, two in F; two in B in the second movement), two violins , viola , cello , double bass . In contemporary orchestras it was also customary, even without separate listing bassoon and harpsichord (if available in the orchestra) to reinforce the bass part or as a basso use -instrument. It is noticeable that no oboe is used.

Performance time: approx. 19-23 minutes (depending on compliance with the prescribed repetitions).

With the terms of the sonata form used here, 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 130 with restrictions. - 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

F major, 4/4 time, 132 bars

The movement begins with the first theme, which is initially held piano. Essential components are the fourth downwards and “rhythmically pointed repetitions” of the 1st violin, accompanied only by the 2nd violin (falling figure) and viola (quarter movement). This five-bar first half of the theme is repeated forte by the entire orchestra, before the second half of the theme follows piano, which is also repeated (shortened). The following passage from bar 18 contains runs, tremolo and syncopation . In measure 29 the double dominant G major is reached, which leads to the dominant C major of the following second theme. The second theme (from bar 30, piano, C major) consists in the first half of a detached figure of the 1st violin with trills, initially only accompanied by the 2nd violin and horn. The first half of the theme is repeated with a somewhat more extensive cast, before the second half of the theme follows from bar 38 with its two-bar motif. The final group from measure 62 contains further runs, tremolo and a surprising further appearance of the first theme in a slightly different form. The exposition ends with a unison motif, which takes up the fourth down again.

In the relatively short execution (cycle 63-83) appear elements of the first thread in staggered use and various harmonies; sometimes there is a slightly polyphonic effect. From bar 71 the timbre changes to minor. The recapitulation from bar 84 is structured similarly to the exposition. Depending on your point of view, the last bars with the extension of the fourth motif can be viewed as a coda.

Second movement: Andantino grazioso

B flat major, 3/8 time, 120 bars, violins up to bar 112 with mutes

As in the Allegro, the first theme is initially presented rather cautiously by the strings in the piano. It consists of two three-bar halves, the strings complement each other e.g. T. voices against. From bar 11 the theme is repeated, now by the whole orchestra and in the forte. A short closing formula of the first theme (bars 17–20) leads directly to the second “theme” in the dominant F major (two bar motif from a broken chord, bars 20–24). Up to the end of the exposition in bar 39, two further motifs are presented in the final section: one with a trill, the other with a stepped movement divided between the flutes / viola and the violins.

The development (bars 40–55) takes up the first theme as a variant, swings shortly to a minor from bar 44 and is relatively short with a total of 15 bars.

The recapitulation beginning in measure 56 is structured similar to the exposition. From bar 88, however, there is an extension that can be broken down as follows:

• new motif 1 with the horns in Bb, bars 88–92;
• new motif 2: flutes with descending sixteenth pendulum figure, bars 93–96;
• new motif 3: horns with a preposterous figure, repeated foreshortened, bars 97–100;
• third appearance of the first theme in the tonic, bars 104–109;
• three measures closing formula; Development and recapitulation are repeated;
• after the repetition: a section entitled “Coda”, bars 113–120 with the first half of the first theme in unison and forte; End of movement with final chords.

The horns offer exotic splashes of color or melody sections. Howard Chandler Robbins Landon (1991) suggests that the sound "from the fog is bright sunlight" emerges when the mutes for the coda are removed. After Robbins Landon, Mozart initially started “a somewhat more complicated andante” as the second movement , but then discarded it in favor of the andantino.

Third movement: Minuetto

F major, 3/4 time, with trio 38 bars

The energetic minuet is kept compact with its two eight-bar parts. Characteristic of the upbeat melody with its fourth at the beginning is the continuous eighth note accompaniment in oscillating seconds. The first part consists of the four-bar piano "question" of the strings, which is "answered" by the whole orchestra forte. The second part continues to spin the material in staggered use, whereby the continuous eighth-note movement becomes dominant for a short time with accompanying horn fanfares.

The trio in C major is special: it has no clear melody, but consists of a cadenza-like sequence of harmonies. The second part begins as a fanfare in G major before the cadences continue. Overall, the trio has a slightly “medieval” timbre. This “tendency towards the eccentric” can also be found in the trio from the symphony KV 132 .

Fourth movement: Allegro molto

F major, 4/4 time, 196 bars

The first theme consists of two four-bar, identical halves with a signal-like fourth jump F - C downwards (tonic - dominant) and a figure cadencing back to F with eighth barrel and tone repetition. The subsequent forte block is initially characterized by its rising and falling stepping figure in quarters, then the previously accompanying tremolo becomes dominant when the stepping figure is reduced and the note values ​​(eighth notes) are reduced.

The second theme in C major (bars 22-30) consists of the contrasting alternation of an upward movement of the violins in the piano, interrupted by pauses, "answered" by forte interjections from the whole orchestra with tremolo. As in the first and second movements, the section from the second theme to the end of the exposition is extended, here to a particularly high degree. Several new motifs / themes appear, consisting of runs, tremolo, syncopation and repetitions (e.g. echo-like repetition of forte and pianissimo: bars 59/60). In addition to the suggested dance motif (bars 51–54), the chromatic section (bars 42–50) for strings, which can be interpreted as a third theme depending on your point of view, is striking. After the musical events pick up speed from bar 66, the movement in bar 72 is abruptly interrupted. The subsequent final group first brings a piano motif in quarters (“fourth theme”, C major) that contrasts with the previous event, before the chord melody ends the exposition in C major.

The implementation takes up various motifs of the exposition (e.g. the dance suggestion motif from bar 51). Compared to the 83-bar exposition, the development seems quite short at 23 bars. The recapitulation is structured in a similar way to the exposition, but its harmonies are slightly different.

Individual references, comments

1. ↑ ^{a b} Volker Scherliess : The symphonies. In: Silke Leopold (Ed.): Mozart-Handbuch. Bärenreiter-Verlag, Kassel 2005, ISBN 3-7618-2021-6 , pp. 282–283
2. ↑ ^{a b} 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.
3. ↑ Alfred Einstein: Mozart - His character, his work. Pan-Verlag, Zurich / Stuttgart 1953.
4. ^ 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.
5. ^ Bernhard Paumgartner: Mozart. Atlantis-Verlag, Zurich and Freiburg i. Br. 1957, pp. 161-162
6. ↑ The first and fourth movements begin with a fourth; a fourth motif is also characteristic for the beginning of the first movements of the symphonies KV 128 and KV 200
7. ↑ ^{a b} Hermann Abert: WA Mozart. Revised and expanded edition of Otto Jahn's Mozart. First part 1756-1782. 7th expanded edition, VEB Breitkopf & Härtel, Leipzig 1955, p. 287
8. ↑ Abert refers here to the unusual instrumentation with four horns and two flutes
9. ^ Neal Zaslaw: Mozart's Symphonies. Context, performance practice, reception. Clarendon Press, Oxford 1989, 617 pp.
10. ^ Howard Chandler Robbins Landon: KV 130 in F major. Text contribution to: Mozart Symphonies Nos 17, 18, 19, 22, 32. Translation: Byword. The Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra , Ton Koopman; Erato Disques SA 1991.
11. ↑ Volker Scherliess (2005) thinks that this “large-scale sonata movement” justifies the term “final symphony” in terms of its scope, inner weight and compositional demands. H. the focus is no longer on the first movement, but on the finale.

Web links, notes

18th Symphony (Mozart) : Score and critical report in the New Mozart Edition

• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Sinfonia in Fa, K. 130 PR 788, Ricordi-Verlag, Milan 1955 (pocket score).

See also

• List of symphonies by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart