34th Symphony (Mozart)

The Symphony in C major Köchelverzeichnis 338 was composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in Salzburg in 1780. According to the Old Mozart Edition, the symphony bears the number 34.

General

Mozart with sister Maria Anna ("Nannerl") and father Leopold, on the wall a portrait of their deceased mother, Anna Maria. Painting by Johann Nepomuk della Croce, around 1780

The autograph is dated August 29, 1780. Nothing is known about the details of the composition and its destination. The symphony Köchelverzeichnis (KV) 338 is the last of the symphonies written in Salzburg: After his break with the archbishop, Mozart left the city and moved to Vienna, where he arrived on March 16, 1781. There KV 338 was probably performed on April 3, 1781 in an academy of the "Tonkünstler-Societät". It was Mozart's first public appearance in Vienna since his “child prodigy”.

Characteristic of the work is the pompous, somewhat baroque character with its (in the corner movements) block-like changes from forte and piano or minor and major (from "light and shadow") as well as the structure of motifs often only one to two bars long, which are lined up and combined like building blocks. Michael Kontarsky (2007) writes e.g. B. on the first sentence: "We experience a kaleidoscope of different motifs that - literally - stand in each other's way, but together develop a breathtaking musical dynamic." The musicologist Alfred Einstein (1953) comments similarly, also on the first sentence: " Already in the exposition, Mozart colors the brightness of C major and G major with all sorts of broken lights: F major, F minor, G minor, D major, E minor: the way from tonic to dominant is not just and is full of exciting events. "

In the autograph, a minuet begins after the first movement, but the beginning has been crossed out and the continuation has evidently been removed. The reason for this is unknown. The Minuet KV 409, which was written in Vienna in 1782/1783, is not identical with this. Alfred Einstein (1953) is of the opinion that Mozart re-composed KV 409 for KV 338 in order to create a four-movement symphony in the Viennese style from the three-movement Italian type. Although the minuet has flutes that are missing in KV 338, Einstein believes that Mozart later added the flutes to the corner movements of KV 338. Other authors, on the other hand, see the flutes as a weighty argument that KV 409 was not designed for KV 338. Mozart probably intended KV 409 as a piece to be performed independently, for example for the musical academies he organized himself in the early 1780s.

In some performances, however, KV 409 is included as the third movement of KV 338 (e.g. in the recording by the Berliner Philharmoniker with Karl Böhm ). This seems to be at least possible because in the performance practice of the time the movements of a symphony did not necessarily form a related unit, but were interrupted by other works (arias, piano pieces) at concerts / academies (see e.g. KV 385 ).

To the music

Instrumentation: two oboes , two bassoons , two horns , two trumpets , timpani , violins I / II, violas , cello , double bass . In addition, a harpsichord was probably used - if available in the orchestra - to amplify the bass voice. In the minuet KV 409 two flutes are also included .

Performance time: approx. 22 minutes (without KV 409)

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 338 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 vivace

C major, 4/4 time, 264 bars

The first theme (bars 1–16) consists of a fanfare motif with a march-like, dotted rhythm (which is characteristic for the entire movement), a block-like alternation of forte and piano as well as major and minor, trills, repeated notes and tremolo . It is almost always in unison . The character thus resembles - as well as the entire structure of the sentence, which manages without repetitions - a baroque overture . The motif in the strings that begins with an upbeat triplet in bar 3/4 is somewhat reminiscent of the beginning of the Symphony in C major, K. 96 .

In the following transition section (from bar 17) a two-bar motif of the 1st violin dominates with an upbeat sixteenth-note figure and a final thirty-second phrase. This is initially accompanied by horn fanfares and fluctuates between C major, G major, G minor and D major. A syncopation passage (bars 31 ff.) Then changes again from G minor to D major, which is now reinforced with two virtuoso ascending octaves in the violins and oboes (bars 38-340) and as a dominant to the following entry of the second theme acts in G major.

The second theme (bars 40–64) has eight bars and is introduced via a chromatically descending line of the strings. It is characterized by its separate movement in second steps with the 1st violin leading the voice and is repeated with oboe accompaniment and a continuation of the spinning which merges into a new motif from bar 59.

The further course of the exposition consists of several motif passages in a row:

• The second theme is followed by an unscrewing crescendo section, in which the violins play two two-bar motifs in parallel and alternately, gradually using the other instruments (drum bass or sustained chords of the winds), bars 65–74;
• Motif with an emphatic suggestion and a stepped eighth note movement (this similar to bar 15 from the end of the first theme), bars 74–82;
• six-bar motif with tone repetition and trill phrase, repeated from bar 88 l and then spun on, bars 82–100;
• Cadence in the piano: oboe echo of the previous G major triad (ascending) and “answer” in the 1st violin (descending), bars 100–103;
• Final group in the forte with chord melodies, wind fanfares and drum bass, harmony change between G and D major, bars 104–111.

The implementation (clock 112-157) has line-like character, because they hardly draws on material exposure. It is mainly in the piano and can be divided into three sections:

• Bar 112–125: After the trill phrase, a two-bar motif begins in unison with strings that is based on a descending, broken triad and then merges into a short pendulum figure. The half note at the beginning of the motif is emphasized. Mozart modulates in G major to C minor and E flat major, thus building a bridge to A flat major in bars 126 ff.
• Measure 126–134: “restrained, spatial sampling” of the A flat major triad in separate quarters in the 1st violin, accompanied and a. of continuous triplets of the 2nd violin and the viola. The motif is repeated with trills.
• Bar 134–157: Change of a “static” pendulum motif in flute / bassoon and an alternating response from the strings, plus notes of the trumpet that are sustained like an organ point . The pendulum figure at second intervals can be derived from the second theme. From bar 152, the musical events are reduced more and more and finally ebbs away as a leading figure and general pause.

The recapitulation (bars 158 ff.) Begins with the first theme as a variant (modulation of the motif from bars 3–4, now only in the bass), but is otherwise structured similar to the exposition. Mozart concludes the movement as a coda , which once again brings the fanfare-like material of the first theme and then continues it pompously to the end of the movement.

Second movement: Andante di molto più tosto allegretto

F major, 2/4 time, 174 bars, only strings and bassoon

The first theme has a vocal melody that is played by the two violins with an initially staggered entry. The theme is divided into three parts, with the violas bridging between the parts with a legato figure. For the first two parts (such as question and answer or front and back sentences) the ascending movement with a double beat, for the third part the accented lead (bar 12) is characteristic and important for the rest of the sentence. From bar 15 the theme is repeated as a variant with opposing voices, descending movement in 1st violin and 2nd viola.

The following passage up to the second topic consists of a sequence of three repeated motifs:

• Motif 1 (bars 30–34): clichéd, one-bar figure;
• Motif 2 (bars 35–38): ascending and descending movement in staccato;
• Motif 3 (bars 39–43): repeated leading phrases, derived from the accentuated leading of bar 12.

The second theme (bars 44–60), like the first theme, is characterized by a vocal melody, with the first violin now leading the voice. The downward movement of four eighths in staccato is characteristic. The eight bar theme is repeated.

Another section follows, which consists of several repeated motifs:

• Motif 4 (bars 62-72): stepped movement in staggered use with half a note as a resting point, after the repetition short spinning,
• Motif 5 (bars 73-76): downward movement with a pronounced lead, derived from the passage bar 12/13,
• Motif 6 (bars 77-84, final group): cadencing, ascending sixteenth-note movement with chromatic end phrases, only 1st violin. From bar 81, the ascending movement is picked up with a double beat from the beginning of the movement, which ends “openly” on the C major seventh chord.

The second part begins in bar 85 and largely corresponds to the first (minor deviations relate, for example, to motif 1, which appears as a variant in bar 114).

Third movement: Allegro vivace

C major, 6/8 time, 304 bars

The whole movement has a stormy character and is characterized by its almost continuous eighth note movement - often in unison. Volker Scherliess (2005) suspects an influence of the finale from Joseph Haydn's 56th Symphony in C major, and Michael Kontarsky (2007) also sees the sentence as a "clear homage to Joseph Haydn."

The first theme has eight measures and consists of two four-measure blocks, both of which are based on C major chord melodies: the first in forte unison (opening chord, then broken chord in ascending eighth notes), the second in the piano (1st violin leading part, continuous Movement interrupted by dotted quarters). The topic is then repeated in full.

The transition to the second theme (bars 17–42) is again characterized by chord melodies: alternation of tonic (C major) and dominant (G major) in broken chord runs, which are e.g. T. are led in unison.

The second theme (bars 43–59) in G major piano begins on a “carpet” of repeated notes from the 2nd violin and violas and consists of an ascending and descending movement of the leading 1st violin with alternation of staccato and legato . The second theme, like the first, has eight bars and is repeated - now with oboe accompaniment.

The passage up to the end of the exposition is characterized (as in the other movements) by the sequence of motifs based on chord melodies. It can be divided into the following sections:

• Section 1 (bars 59–79): Forte unison figure, motif corresponding to bars 26 ff, two-bar oboe motif. Repeat bars 72–79; bars 64–71;
• Section 2 (bars 80–102): motif with voice leading initially in the bass, when repeated (separated by an oboe motif) in the violins;
• Section 3 (bars 103–115): a two-bar motif in which the instruments join in offset (“composed crescendo”).
• Section 4 / final group (bars 115-134): broken G major chords and runs in unison

As in the first movement, the development (bars 135–179) has a more transition-like character, since at the beginning only the (first) oboe motif from the exposition appears. From bar 149 a new, four-bar motif dominates, consisting of an energetic tone repetition and a subsequent interval downwards, which is offset between violins and violas / bass. The introduction to the recapitulation (bars 161 ff.) Takes place via a chromatically falling line and staggered leads between oboes and bassoons.

The recapitulation (bars 180 ff.) Is structured largely similar to the exposition, but is partly shortened (in the transition and the final group) or extended by a piano cadenza before the beginning of the final group. The exposition, development and recapitulation are repeated.

Individual references, comments

1. ↑ ^{a b c d e} Volker Scherliess : The symphonies. In: Silke Leopold (Ed.): Mozart-Handbuch. Bärenreiter-Verlag, Kassel 2005, ISBN 3-7618-2021-6 .
2. ^ ^{A b c d} Michael Kontarsky: The late Salzburg symphonies KV 318, KV 319 and KV 338. 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. 62-68.
3. ^ ^{A b} Alfred Einstein : Mozart. His character, his work. Pan-Verlag, Zurich et al. 1953.
4. ^ Neal Zaslaw: Mozart's Symphonies. Context, performance practice, reception. Clarendon Press, Oxford 1989.
5. ^ GE Winkler: The early symphonies KV 16 - KV 338. In: Attila Csampai, Dietmar Holland (ed.): The concert guide. Orchestral music from 1700 to the present day. Rowohlt-Verlag, Reinbek bei Hamburg 1987, ISBN 3-8052-0450-7 , pp. 155-156.
6. ↑ The repetitions of the parts of the sentence are not observed in some recordings.

Web links, notes

• Symphony in C major KV 338 : Score and critical report in the New Mozart Edition Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Sinfonia in right, K. 338. PR 645, Ricordi-Verlag, Milan (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 338 for two-handed piano)

See also

• List of Mozart's symphonies