23rd Symphony (Mozart)

The Symphony in D major Köchelverzeichnis 181 was composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in Salzburg in 1773. According to the Old Mozart Edition, the symphony is number 23.

General

The autograph is dated May 19, 1773. For the history of the composition and the reason for the composition, see the Köchel Directory (KV) 162 symphony .

The three-movement form of the piece corresponds to the Italian symphony type ( overture type), with the movements merging into one another as in KV 184 and KV 318 . The first movement in particular has an overture-like character with the fanfares, virtuoso runs and extensive tremolo passages. Volker Scherliess (2005) sees this as an influence of the Mannheim school . "Other features of Mozart's engagement with the Mannheim style could be named, for example the tight, capricious forte-piano changes, or details of the instrument treatment, such as the dialogic parts between the first and second violins in the Presto assai." In the middle movement is the aria-like The melody for solo oboe is conspicuous, the final movement of the Kehraus type has march-like features.

To the music

Instrumentation: two oboes , two horns in D, two trumpets in D, two violins , two violas , cello , double bass . It was also at that time usual, to reinforce the bass part, a bassoon and a basso -instrument a harpsichord to use (if the respective Orchestra present), the same applies to the often used in parallel with trumpets timpani .

Performance time: approx. 8-10 minutes.

With regard to 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 181 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 spiritoso

D major, 4/4 time, 181 measures

The movement opens as a forte fanfare, in which the bass plays a broken triad figure over a flat tremolo and brass chords (similar to KV 162 ), followed by a “rocket-like” ascending D major run in the violins. The following section up to the second theme is relatively long for an overture-like symphony type (bars 5–69) and consists of the following sections:

• Section 1 (bars 5–23): sound surfaces with tremolo and chords over a triad figure in the bass (similar to bar 1/2); the sound surface varies between forte and piano and leads through G minor, D minor and B major to A major.
• Section 2 (bars 23-30): calm passage with tied half notes over tone repeater bass on D.
• Section 3 (bars 31–38): ascending, walking bass movement via syncopation of the violins.
• Section 4 (bars 39-69): tremolo with continuous bass, virtuoso sixteenth-note runs z. Sometimes in dialogue between the 1st and 2nd violin. A fanfare-like motif with dotted rhythm is switched on and occurs offset between the violins, oboes and viola / bass (bars 50–57). The beginning of the bass figure in bar 39 is reminiscent of that from bar 31. In bar 69, after a chord cadence, the dominant A major is reached.

The second theme (bars 80-77) is now presented piano in A major. It has a symmetrical structure with "question" from the 1st violin and "answer" from the oboe, 2nd violin and viola. This four-bar structure is repeated. The final group (bars 78–86) with its tremolo and the unscrewing melody line is followed by an almost literal repetition of the first part of the movement, but without the opening fanfare and with the exception that the harmonies are related to the tonic in D major. With further transition bars, the movement leads into the Andantino without a caesura.

Second movement: Andantino grazioso

G major, 3/8 time, 88 bars

The strings play their melody piano in separate movement, which is made up of three four-measures (measures 1–12). The melody is continued from bar 15 by the 1st oboe (Mozart emphasized "Solo" in the score) in the dominant D major as a vocal, aria-like continuation. The third part is no longer four bars, but eight bars and initially ends in a fallacy in the dominant parallel in B minor (bar 31), then in the subsequent repetition into the dominant D major.

This is followed by a short transition section with emphatic reservations, which from bar 44 onwards leads to the almost literal repetition of the previous material. However, the oboe melody is now in the tonic G major. The transition passage with the stressed leads changes to D major and ends without a caesura in the third movement.

Third movement: Presto assai

D major, 2/4 time, 166 bars

The sentence is structured as a rondo :

• Presentation of the main theme A ( refrain ) in D major, bars 1–16. It has a march-like character due to its dotted rhythm. Front and trailer are each eight bars.
• The first couplet (A major, bars 17–40) consists of three eight-bar units, the first and last being characterized by a trill phrase, the middle one by forte unison chords in a march-like dotted rhythm.
• Refrain (D major, bars 41-56).
• The second couplet (D minor, bars 57-80) is again made up of three eight-bar units. The first two correspond to each other like the front and back endings, are only meant for the violins and are characterized by a separate eighth note movement and the trill phrase from the first couplet. The last unit has a falling, stepped figure in the oboes / viola and an organ point on the horn (the violins are silent), it can be broken down into two four-bar sub-units.
• Refrain (D major, bars 81-96).
• The third couplet (D major, bars 97–120) is a variant of the second.
• Refrain (D major, bars 121-136).
• Coda in D major, bars 137–166: Again the main theme, but the front movement in the piano, from bar 152 further triad melodies with marching character.

In addition to the strong march character of the main theme, the symmetrical structure of both the main theme and the intermediate parts made up of small units is striking.

Individual references, comments

1. ↑ ^{a b c d} Volker Scherliess : The symphonies. In: Silke Leopold (Ed.): Mozart-Handbuch. Bärenreiter-Verlag, Kassel 2005, ISBN 3-7618-2021-6
2. ^ Neal Zaslaw: Mozart's Symphonies. Context, performance practice, reception. Clarendon Press, Oxford 1989, 617 pp.
3. ↑ An example of a recording without timpani can be found at the English Concert with Trevor Pinnock, a recording with timpani at the Academy of Ancient Music with Christopher Hogwood

See also

• List of symphonies by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Notes, web links

• Symphony in D major KV 181 : Score and critical report in the New Mozart Edition
• W. Meves: Symphonies de WA Mozart. Collection Litolff No. 168. Henry Litolff's Verlag, Braunschweig, no year (edition from around 1890, including a version of the symphony KV 181 for two-handed piano).