28th Symphony (Mozart)

The Symphony in C major Köchelverzeichnis 200 was composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1773 or 1774 in Salzburg. According to the Old Mozart Edition, the symphony bears the number 28.

General

Mozart in 1777

For the Salzburg symphonies Köchelverzeichnis (KV) 162–202 in general see KV 162 . The date on the autograph made illegible by Mozart could only be partially reconstructed even with modern technology. While there is agreement about the month (November) and day (probably 17th, possibly also 12th), the year is unclear: V. a. in older literature, including the New Mozart Edition and based on it in Wolfgang Gersthofer (2007), 1773 is assumed (because the style matches the symphony KV 201 composed in 1773 and November 1774 for the work on the opera La finta giardiniera is busy), on the other hand Cliff Eisen (1991) gives “1774 (1773?)” and Volker Scherliess (2005) “1774 (instead of the first read year 1773)” . If the latter is the case, the C major symphony is still composed after the D major symphony KV 202 and thus the last of the Salzburg symphony group.

The corner clauses and the andante have a coda . Alfred Einstein (1953) emphasizes the special importance of KV 200 together with KV 183 and KV 201 and compares this “triad” with Mozart's last three symphonies. In KV 200 Mozart uses both “learned” and “gallant” forms, e.g. B. the imitation at the beginning of the movement of Allegro spiritoso on the one hand, the Lombard rhythm in the same movement and in the andante on the other.

Despite the festivity suggested by the key and scoring, “the work surprises in many places with a chamber music-like restrained attitude” , which v. a. expresses itself in the contrast between the sound of strings and wind instruments, e.g. B. in the second theme of the first movement, in the Andante "with its muted violins and sparingly used woodwind colors" or in the trio of the minuet.

To the music

Instrumentation: two oboes , two horns , two trumpets , 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. A handwritten (now lost) copy that was used by Mozart himself contained a bassoon part, and there was also an autograph timpani part that was sold in Berlin in October 1929 and has also been lost since then. It is possible that Mozart later performed the symphony with a larger orchestra in Vienna.

Performance time: approx. 25 minutes

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 200 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

C major, 3/4 time, 173 bars

The first theme consists of two contrasting parts: two bars of a C major triad in forte unison , broken down by “tension pauses”, are followed by four piano bars in the violins with an imitative, descending eighth note trill figure, which is used for the further structure of Meaning is and also forms the main motive of Presto. With the two-measure antecedent and the four-measure suffix, Mozart deviates from the otherwise usual symmetrical scheme (2 + 2 or 4 + 4 measures); he takes up this design element again in the Presto. The theme is repeated with reversed roles on the violins. This is followed by a rather long forte passage (bars 13–32) with an ascending melody line, tremolo and an ascending sequence of the trill figure.

In the second theme (bars 33–47, dominant in G major) with a swaying character, the strings play in dialogue with the oboes. The eight-bar theme is repeated in various ways. The final group brings another tremolo, a motif with tone repetition and chromatics , a suggestion and at the end a unison eighth run in staccato . The exposure is repeated.

The implementation starts unexpectedly not in the dominant G major, but with chord strokes above the trill motif again in the tonic C major, but with the subdominant F major-setting seventh , and modulated then quickly in this key. The trill motif is now combined in a dance-like piano passage with a tapping tone repetition and leads back to the recapitulation from bar 83 with Lombard rhythm in G major (bar 91). This is structured similar to the exposure. At the end, however, the decomposed triad appears again from the beginning of the sentence. The accompanying trill figure from the follow-up to the first theme is only given to Mozart after repeating the development and recapitulation in a coda.

Second movement: Andante

F major, 2/4 time, 91 bars, trumpets and timpani are silent

The strings open the movement (voice-leading violins with mutes) as a singing, somewhat melancholy-carried melody in a wide arc, which contains not only tone repetition but also the trill motif from the Allegro. Before the theme is repeated with a different continuation, there follows - almost as a final turn - a falling, somewhat lyre-like figure of the whole orchestra in the forte ("lyre motif"), which ends with the tonic F major with a broken F major triad affirmed. The continuation of the theme then leads to the dominant C major, which also contains the second theme. This (from bar 21) is characterized in the front movement by an imitated trill motif, in the subsequent movement by dotted rhythms (Lombard rhythm). Just like the first theme, it ends with the lyre motif, which is now closing group-like, but which then swings up again to lead on to the beginning of the exposition or the development.

The development begins as a held chord of the winds on A, which has a dominant effect on the following D minor - entry of the lyre motif. This is now led alternately from piano and forte to B flat major and G minor before returning to F major. The recapitulation (from bar 48) is structured similarly to the exposition. Mozart ends the movement with a coda which, in addition to the trill motif, contains a final chromatic twist.

Alfred Einstein (1953) thinks that "the slow movement, in its serenity, (...) is already on the way to the Adagio" .

Third movement: Menuetto. Allegretto

C major, 3/4 time, 42 + 20 bars

In the first part of the minuet, two contrasting parts are presented: first a powerful forte of the entire orchestra with a falling melody line and some chromaticism, followed by an echo in the horn, followed by a string passage in the piano with two upbeat motifs. The second part begins in the tonic in C major (although the first part closed in G major; similar to the beginning of the development of the first movement, also in Presto), initially identically to the first part, but then continues the material differently. When taking up the first part (from bar 25), motif 1 of the string passage is varied and motif 2 is repeated an octave higher in the forte of the entire orchestra as the final twist.

The trio (F major, only strings) with a chamber music character begins with the imitative eighth note motif of the violins, which merges into a suggestion phrase reminiscent of motif 2 from the minuet. The second part first features a contrasting, chromatic unison passage in the forte, before the final turn of the first part is taken up and expanded.

Fourth movement: Presto

C major, 2/2 time (alla breve), 190 measures

The virtuoso movement is opened by the two violins playing in concert, with the voice-leading 1st violin playing a three-bar, descending sequence of the trill motif from the Allegro, while the 2nd violin accompanies in a continuous, flowing eighth note movement (this is also predominantly in the rest of the movement). These three bars with a descending line are contrasted by a bar with four ascending staccato quarters, so that a “conventional” four-bar theme arises. The three-bar trill passage is repeated, but now followed by a signal-like fourth motif in the forte tutti , which, with its two bars, expands the theme to “asymmetrical” five bars. The whole section is repeated (bars 11-18) and then leads into the one passage that picks up on the continuous eighth note movement of the 2nd violin. a. the dominant G major was established with virtuoso runs.

After a short general pause, the second theme begins in bar 33. In contrast to the first theme, it shows a symmetrical structure and is characterized by its memorable, vocal melody. In the aftermath, the winds join in with sustained chords. The final group (bars 48-71) repeats an accent - motif echoing in the piano, takes up the fourth motif (bars 60 ff.) And ends the exposition with a screw-up tone repetition motif (again with accents), which is repeated after the Exposure flows seamlessly into implementation.

This begins (as in the first and third movements) unexpectedly again in the tonic in C major with the first theme, which then leads to F major, D minor and G major. With the fourth motif, Mozart changes from bar 90 via G major to C major, reaches F major with the accented motif (bars 99 ff.) And leads with the trill motif in G major - played by the oboe - to Recapitulation back.

The recapitulation (bars 106 ff.) Is initially structured similarly to the exposition, but the first theme is not repeated. In the coda, Mozart first presents the trills from the first theme again - first as in the beginning in the violins, then in the tutti. Then the flowing eighth note movement, which was previously played by the 2nd violin in particular, becomes independent in a huge crescendo with staggered use of the instruments and a narrowing sequence of four, three and two bar groups that ends the movement with the fourth motif in fortissimo.

“The finale is a milestone in Mozart's development: Presto, with his dialogue between solos (the two violins) and tutti, with his great orchestral crescendo at the end, could still have used it as an overture for his“ kidnapping ”if the invention were not too Italian buffonesk. "

See also

• List of symphonies by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Web links, notes

• 28th Symphony (Mozart) : Score and critical report in the New Mozart Edition
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Symphony C major K 200. Edition Eulenburg, No. 548, London / Mainz without year (pocket score).

Individual references, comments

1. ↑ ^{a b c d} Alfred Einstein: Mozart - His character, his work. Pan-Verlag, Zurich / Stuttgart 1953, p. 260 f.
2. ^ ^{A b} Arnold Werner-Jensen: Reclam's music guide. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Volume 1: Instrumental Music. Philipp Reclam jun., Stuttgart 1989, p. 174.
3. ↑ Beck 1960, cf. under web links
4. ^ ^{A b c} Wolfgang Gersthofer: The “Salzburg” Symphonies KV 162-202. In: Joachim Brügge, Claudia Maria Knispel (Ed.): The Mozart Handbook, Volume 1: Mozart's orchestral works and concerts. Laaber-Verlag, Laaber 2007, ISBN 3-89007-461-8 , p. 28 ff.
5. ^ Cliff Eisen: Symphonies. In Howard Chandler Robbins Landon (ed.): The Mozart Compendium. Droemer Knauer, Munich 1991, pp. 292-300
6. ↑ ^{a b c} Volker Scherliess: The symphonies. In: Silke Leopold (Ed.): Mozart-Handbuch. Bärenreiter-Verlag, Kassel 2005, ISBN 3-7618-2021-6 , p. 292.
7. ^ Neal Zaslaw: Mozart's Symphonies. Context, performance practice, reception. Clarendon Press, Oxford 1989, 617 pp.
8. ↑ HF Redlich: Mozart: Symphony in C major, K200 (173e). Foreword to the pocket score of the symphony KV 200 published by Eulenburg-Verlag, Volume 548, London / Mainz without the year
9. ↑ An example of a recording with bassoon, harpsichord and timpani is provided by The English Concert , conducted by Trevor Pinnock.
10. ↑ The beginning of the sentence is structurally reminiscent of that of the Symphony K. 128 .
11. ↑ The repetitions of the parts of the sentence are not observed in some recordings.