29th Symphony (Mozart)
The symphony in A major Köchelverzeichnis 201 was composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1774. According to the Old Mozart edition, the symphony has the number 29.
General
Mozart completed the Köchelverzeichnis (KV) 201 symphony on April 6, 1774 in Salzburg. For the history of the composition and the reason for the composition, see KV 162 .
Several authors emphasize the importance of this symphony as a temporary high point in Mozart's symphonic work. This is based on the length and the formulated " sonata form " of the first, second and fourth movements, all with an explicit coda , on the counterpoint especially in the first movement and on the strength of expression (e.g. in the long development in the fourth movement).
“It is a new feeling for the necessity of deepening the symphony through imitation animation, rescuing it from the purely decorative through chamber music subtlety. The instruments change their character; the violins become more intellectual, the wind players avoid anything noisy, the figuration everything conventional. The new spirit is documented in all sentences (...). "
This symphony and KV 183 are the earliest Mozart symphonies to establish themselves in the concert program.
To the music
Instrumentation: two oboes , two horns in A (in the second movement 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. 25 to 30 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 201 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 moderato
A major, 4/4 time, 206 bars
The first theme (bars 1-18) begins - unusual for a symphony of the time - piano and not forte. It is played by the strings while the rest of the voices pause. The theme is based on a two-bar motif with a characteristic octave jump downwards and a subsequent eighth note movement with tone repetition and semitone steps . This motif is sequenced upwards . After eight bars there is a transition-like passage in the violins before the whole orchestra begins and the theme is repeated in the forte - but now in an imitation, with the bass and viola staggering the theme two quarter beats to the violins. The following transition section (bars 18–32) is characterized first by strings tremolo and sustained chords by the wind instruments, then (bars 23 ff.) By a figure with alternation of forte and piano. In bar 32 the double-dominant B major is reached, which has a dominant effect on the second theme (bar 33 ff.) In E major.
The second theme is in the piano and has the same instrumentation as the first theme, in that it is only played in the strings. The tutti will then be heard again, but not with a repetition of the theme as with the first theme. The second theme is divided into three sections of four bars each. In the motif of the first section there is a note repetition that is reminiscent of the first theme. The whole motif of the first section is varied by the 2 violin in the second section, opposite to the main part.
From bar 45 there is a forte section with a melody line in a tremolo and characteristic jumps in intervals, which is repeated from bar 53 in a varied form with imitation of the 1st violin by the 2nd violin and with continuation in the piano. From bar 63 there is another tremolo passage, with the bass now also participating in the tremolo and the melody line being marked by leads. The final group (bar 68 ff.) Is based on broken chord melodies in eighth runs of the violins. The exposition ends as a chromatically falling figure of the 1st violin in measure 76 and is repeated.
The " implementation " initially attacks the chromatically falling figure in Forte unison and "processed" in the following two new motifs, d. H. material from the exposure is not used. The first new motif consists of a trill, an eighth run up an octave and a subsequent octave jump down to D major (bars 79-82). From this is derived a variant with eighth up / down and broken triad in quarters, which is played between viola and cello / double bass in imitation over the tremolo of the violins and sustained chords of the oboes. Mozart changes from E major and F sharp minor to B minor. The second new motif begins in bar 92 with an upbeat in F sharp minor and in the piano. It is in two bars with a striding bass figure interrupted by pauses, is sequenced upwards and merges into a crescendo from bar 99 , which increases to the forte with syncopation to E major. The recapitulation in bar 107 is reached via a falling figure (similar to the one at the end of the exposition) .
The recapitulation is structured similarly to the exposition. After repeating the development and recapitulation, the coda follows from bar 185, in which the first theme appears again, now in three-part narrowing (leading part: 1st violin; cello / double bass: viola). The horns make a fourth incomplete entry. The movement ends with chord melodies and eighth runs in the forte.
Second movement: Andante
D major, 2/4 time, 109 bars, violins with mutes
The first theme is only presented by the strings in the piano with muted violins leading the voice. It has a typical periodic structure of two times four bars and is characterized by its slightly march-like melody line with dotted rhythm (colon dots). As in the first movement, contrapuntal work takes place right at the beginning: In the first movement, the staggered 2nd violin imitates the 1st violin, in the subsequent movement it takes over the main part, while the 1st violin has its own counterpart. Accompany viola, cello and bass. A short transition section follows from bars 9–13, in which the winds begin for the first time. With a phrase derived from the first theme, Mozart changes from D major to B minor to E major.
The second theme (bars 14 ff.) Is designed homophonically with the first violin leading the voice. After four bars there is an approach to varied repetition with the dotted rhythm known from the first theme, which is spun on from bar 20.
The final group (bars 27 ff.) Begins pianissimo with a new, pendulum-like motif, which is repeated a total of four times, the last two times with wind accompaniment, with the oboe taking part in the melody. The conclusion is a continuous triplet movement , with the 1st violin playing alone at the end, as in the first movement. The exposition ends in measure 38 and is repeated.
In the development (bars 39–52) the triplet movement continues from the end of the exposition in 2nd violin and viola, but with a new motif with trills. With this motif, Mozart changes from D major to G and B major as well as to E minor. The section from bar 46, with its tone repetition in the continuing triplets (now in both violins), can be seen as a return to the recapitulation, which is announced by a wind fanfare (bars 51-52).
The recapitulation is structured largely similar to the exposition; Changes affect e.g. B. the extended transition to the second theme and the participation of the horn in the melody at the second attempt of the second theme. After repeating the development and recapitulation, a coda follows from bar 98 with a dragging, upward line, which ends in a stressed lead and "falls back" over triplets, whereupon the procedure is repeated again. Surprisingly, in bar 104 the winds begin in the forte, with the oboes playing the beginning of the first theme offset from one another, which is taken up by the 1st violin in bar 106 with the mutes removed.
Third movement: Menuetto
A major, 3/4 time, 32 + 22 bars
The minuet is characterized by its march-like melody with dotted rhythms (similar to the second movement). Winds and strings alternate z. T. dialogically. A signal motif consisting of tone repetition with dotted rhythm in unison is striking . This occurs at the end of the first part (winds in forte), at the beginning of the second part (strings in fortissimo) and at the end of the second part (winds in forte). The second part also contains a further motif that begins in B minor (bars 15 ff.) And in which only the prelude of the repeated notes has a dotted rhythm; this is imitated offset by viola, cello and double bass.
The trio in E major contrasts with the minuet with a more tied melody line and predominant piano. The dotted rhythm takes a back seat, but reappears at the end of the first and second part. The beginning of the second part is marked by chromatics. It is noticeable that the function of the wind instruments in the whole trio is limited to just two sustained chords.
Fourth movement: Allegro con spirito
A major, 6/8 time, 187 bars
The movement is characterized by several virtuoso runs (“Coup d'archet”, “ Mannheimer Rakete ”) and longer passages with tremolo.
The first theme is eight bars with four bars fore and aft. The defining motif in the first sentence is the octave jump downwards (similar to the beginning of the first movement), followed by a run upwards ("octave jump motif"); the ending is characterized by its falling trill figure. Both parts are in the forte and are repeated piano from bar 9 by the strings, but in the subsequent clause from bar 13 a continuation begins, which after a seventh and a sixth upwards the first complete "rocket", i. H. brings the barrel over a duodecime , here as a rocket downwards (later also upwards). From bar 22 a new motif follows in the forte consisting of a broken chord in staccato eighths, which is conducted in a dialog between 1st violin and bass, accompanied by the winds and the other strings (this one in the tremolo).
In the second theme (bars 34 ff.) Only the strings play the piano. It consists of a tone repetition of B with a play-like lead in the 1st violin, in which from bar 35 the 2nd violin begins with the actual, descending motif. This four-bar section is repeated, followed by a descending passage with holdover (bars 43–47) or “hesitant” chromatics (bars 48–51). The final group (bars 52 ff.) Is characterized by tremolo and energetic chord changes (E major / B major / A major). Finally the 1st violin plays the "rocket" upwards; d. H. As in the first and second movements, the first violin alone ends the exposition. The “rocket” is not the end of the line, but appears open, demanding a continuation. The exposure is repeated.
The development (bars 62-101), which Alfred Einstein (1953) particularly emphasizes, uses the “octave jump motif” from the beginning of the sentence: it is modulated (using diminished chords and, for example, G major, C major, C sharp major, F sharp Major) and from measure 81 (F sharp minor) tossed back and forth between bass (forte) and violins (piano). As early as bar 74, the bass had picked up the characteristic octave jump, but still without a run. From bar 96 the energetic chord changes known from the final group occur, which lead over a “rocket” up into the recapitulation (bar 102 ff.).
The recapitulation is structured similarly to the exposition. From bar 167 after the “rocket” of the final group, it goes over into a coda, which first brings the octave jump motif again in forte unison, followed by the motif of broken triads (corresponding to bar 22) and the energetic chord changes A major / D- Major (i.e. tonic - subdominant). The movement closes with a final “rocket”, whose open character is only now answered by two simple chord strikes (dominant tonic).
Individual references, comments
- ↑ a b Volker Scherliess : The symphonies. In: Silke Leopold (Ed.): Mozart-Handbuch. Bärenreiter-Verlag, Kassel 2005, ISBN 3-7618-2021-6 , pp. 277-278.
- ^ 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, 848 pp.
- ↑ Michael Kontarsky: 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 , pp. 28-43.
- ↑ a b c Alfred Einstein: Mozart - His character, his work. Pan-Verlag, Zurich / Stuttgart 1953, 553 pp.
- ^ Bernhard Paumgartner: Mozart. Atlantis-Verlag, Zurich and Freiburg i. Br. 1957, p. 155
- ↑ a b c Neal Zaslaw: Mozart's Symphonies. Context, performance practice, reception. Clarendon Press, Oxford 1989, 617 pp.
- ↑ a b The repetitions of the parts of the sentence are not kept in some recordings.
Web links, notes
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Symphony in A major KV 201. Ernst Eulenburg Ltd. No. 546, London / Mainz without year (pocket score)
- W. Meves: Symphonies de WA Mozart. Collection Litolff No. 168. Henry Litolff's Verlag, Braunschweig without a year (edition from approx. 1890, including a version of the symphony KV 201 for piano 2 hands)
- Symphony in A major KV 201 : Score and critical report in the New Mozart Edition