39th Symphony (Mozart)

The Symphony in E flat major Köchelverzeichnis 543 composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in the summer of 1788 in Vienna. According to the Old Mozart Edition, the symphony bears the number 39.

General information on the symphonies KV 543, KV 550 and KV 551

Mozart in 1789, silver pen drawing by Doris Stock

According to Mozart's index of all my works , the last three symphonies Köchelverzeichnis (KV) 543, KV 550 and KV 551 were created within a few weeks in the summer of 1788. The entries are from June 26th, July 25th and August 10th, which is probably the end the composition work is meant. Mozart wrote the works in a crisis characterized by financial worries and depression (letter of June 27, 1788 to Michael Puchberg):

“Come to me and visit me; I'm always at home; - I worked more in the 10 days that I live here than in other lodgings in 2 months, and if I didn't have black thoughts so often (which I just have to reject with force) I would be even better off ... "

Since there is no reliable evidence that the works were actually performed during Mozart's lifetime, earlier authors assumed that Mozart composed the symphonies with no hope of a performance; H. only for yourself or "for eternity". This corresponded to the romantic art concept of the 19th century of the poor, unworldly and misunderstood genius. From today's perspective, however, it seems unlikely that Mozart should have written such extensive scores with no prospect of a performance. With regard to the occasion for the composition, various interpretations come into question:

• Planning for a performance of concerts in the summer of 1788. Of these, apparently only the first took place, while the others were canceled due to lack of interest.
• Planning for a publication: It was common at the time to publish three larger or six smaller works as one opus. Here Mozart could have been influenced by the symphonies No. 82 , 83 and 84 published by Joseph Haydn in 1787 , which are in the same keys: C major, G minor, E flat major.
• Planning for a trip to England in 1788, which then did not take place.

Despite the lack of reliable evidence, several authors believe that the three symphonies could possibly have been performed during Mozart's lifetime. The following traditional events come into question (it is not clear in each case which Mozart symphony was performed):

• At the concert by Mozart at the Dresden court on April 14, 1789, symphonies were probably also played.
• A Mozart symphony was played at the concert on October 15, 1790 in Frankfurt.
• At the concert on April 16 and 17, 1791 by the Tonkünstler-Sozietät under the direction of Antonio Salieri , “A great symphony from the invention of Mr. Mozart” was played with the participation of the clarinetists Johann and Anton Stadler , who were friends with Mozart .

The question of similarities between the works in the sense of a "triad" is assessed differently. Peter Gülke (1997) sees the introduction to KV 543 as an introduction and the finale of KV 551 as the conclusion for the three symphonies as a whole, but also points to the speculative nature of the considerations. Bernhard Paumgartner (1957) and Peter Revers (2007) make a similar statement , while other authors are more skeptical. So z. B. Volker Scherliess (2005) highlights the differences in the instrumentation and says: “If you look at the symphonies, what is more individual than what connects them becomes apparent. (...) If you wanted to see them as a group of works that belong together, then - paradoxically - a moment of togetherness would already be seen in how different they are individually designed (...). ”However, a common aspect lies in their genesis: they are within was composed in a short time.

To the music

The work is dated June 26, 1788 and is therefore the first of the three symphonies written in the summer of 1788. In the (early) romantic period she experienced numerous interpretations and underlays that sometimes seem kitschy from today's perspective, some of which extend into the 20th century:

• A. Apel (1806) puts a text under the symphony and writes e.g. B. on the minuet: “(...) The couples swirl around each other in the dance / rejoice in the youth of the noisy years / and with the intimate, firm circumference / the young man becomes familiar with the girl. (...). "
• Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann (1810): “Mozart leads us into the depths of the spirit realm. Fear envelops us: but without torture it is more a premonition of the infinite. Love and melancholy resound in lovely voices, the night of the spirit world rises in a bright purple shimmer, and in unspeakable longing we follow the figures who wave friendly to us in their ranks, fly through the clouds in an eternal dance of spheres (e.g. Mozart's symphony in E flat major, known as the swan song). "
• Hermann Abert (1955): The symphony is an expression of “healthy joy of being, increased to exuberance”.
• Theodor Kroyer (1933): “The heroic and elegiac features of the symphony, the F minor theme of the Andantes, especially in the Adagio, the violent thirty-second notes and the heartfelt sighs just before the frizzy mood dissolves into smiling serenity, are real experiences of which there is no doubt. In this respect, the E flat major symphony does not present any obstacles for the explainer. It is more difficult to interpret as a whole, precisely because of its internal contradictions. ”Kroyer also sees several parallels between the E-flat major symphony and Ludwig van Beethoven's 3rd symphony . For example, for the first movement that “certain sections could easily be exchanged between the two symphonies - just one example: the side movement in Mozart, bars 97-106 could just as well stand for the transition in Beethoven, bars 57 ff.” In addition he still sees connections to Beethoven's 4th, 7th and 9th symphonies.
• Kurzt Pahlen (1966): "A happy atmosphere prevails in this work, a bright light, an amiability paired with tenderness."

The symphony KV 543 was nicknamed "Swan Song" in the early 19th century. The reason may be that the work was printed last in several chamber music arrangements of this time "and was therefore linked to the old mythological idea of ​​'swan song' as the last utterance by an artist."

Instrumentation: flute , two clarinets in Bb, two bassoons , two horns in E-flat, two trumpets in E- flat , timpani , two violins , viola , cello , double bass . It is noticeable that no oboe is used. In contemporary orchestras, a harpsichord (if available in the orchestra) may also have been used as a figured bass instrument.

Performance time: approx. 30 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 543 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: Adagio - Allegro

Adagio: E flat major, 2/2 time ( alla breve ), measures 1–25:

The adagio begins as an alternation of chord strokes in dotted rhythm (forte) and descending scales of the violins (piano). From bar 9, Mozart forms a large sound surface: above the organ point on B in the bass (including timpani roll, cello and double bass in dotted rhythm) the voice-leading flute plays paused, ascending chord figures, in addition the violins step with their descending scales. With the change to forte in bar 14, the instruments swap their roles: the bass plays the scale runs (now ascending), while the dotted rhythm develops into the dominant figure. There are also dissonances (bar 15: second B-A-flat and bar 18: D-flat C). The conclusion of the introduction contrasts with its cautious, hesitant movement and the offset chromatic line between the upper part and the bass to the previous event.

“We enter the symphonic building through a portal - a slow introduction whose dotted rhythms are reminiscent of the baroque overture rhythm . In the alternation of forte and piano, tension and solution, radiant chord and shadowy aftertaste, distinctive focal points, floating scale figures and sung melodic lines, the listener is drawn into a world of their own. "

Mozart also uses slow introductions to symphonies in KV 425 and KV 504 . For a symphony by Michael Haydn he wrote the separate introduction KV 444 .

Allegro: E flat major, 3/4 time, measures 26–309

The first theme has a lyrical character and is performed piano by strings and woodwinds. It is divided into two 14-bar halves, which in turn consist of sub-units. In the first half, the 1st violin leads the part, in the second half the bass. With an echo-like offset, the woodwinds make characteristic interjections.

In the forte block from bar 54, the broken E-flat major triad at the beginning is somewhat reminiscent of the main theme of the first movement from Beethoven's Third Symphony. This is followed by a sequence of violin melody lines in tremolo , tone repetitions in connection with violent interval jumps (larger than two octaves) and virtuoso sixteenth notes down, the latter reminiscent of the scale runs from the introduction. The passage ends with a repeated, moving, hopping unison motif, which is important for the rest of the movement ("gallop motif").

The second theme (bars 98–118) is in the dominant B flat major and, like the first theme, is played in the piano by strings and woodwinds. It can be divided into several motifs:

• Motif A (bars 98-105): Dialogue between the descending eighth note figure in the violins and the response of the winds, plus "drum bass" on B,
• Motif B (bars 106-109): descending cadence phrases of the woodwind with stripes from C minor,
• Motif C (bars 110–114): vocal melody in the violins / viola; striding bass accompaniment in walking eighth notes interrupted by pauses,
• Motif D (bars 115–118): Final turn of the woodwinds and strings with staccato.

The following forte block from bar 119 is designed with the rising melody line in the tremolo, similar to the section from bar 54 (e.g. bar 125 f. Similar to bar 64 f.) And has an energetic character. The exposition ends with an ascending unison run and the “gallop motif” in B flat major, it is repeated.

The implementation (clock 143-183) processes in particular, the "galloping motif", the first in the strings Piano in G Minor, then suddenly in unison Forte in D flat major occurs. After an interlude of motifs A and B of the second theme in A flat major (bars 147–159), the gallop motif is shifted between 1st violin and bass and modulated in C minor, B flat major, F major and A flat major . The following passage from bar 168 is structured similarly to bar 119 ff. And ends “openly” when, in bar 180, instead of the expected ending on the tonic parallel in C minor, a general pause begins. This is followed by the woodwinds with a three-bar, hesitant chromatic figure, which structurally reminds of the end of the introduction. Here, however, it forms the end of the development or leads from this to the recapitulation , which begins in measure 184 and is largely designed similar to the exposition. Compared to the exposition, the section from bar 293 is extended to include virtuoso sixteenth-note runs reminiscent of the introduction and can be viewed as a coda . The development and recapitulation are not repeated.

Probably the beginning of a symphony by Michael Haydn , which he composed in August 1783, gave Mozart some ideas for composing the Allegro.

Second movement: Andante con moto

A flat major, 2/4 time, 161 bars

Regarding the form of the sentence, a two-part structure is proposed:

First section (bars 1–95)

• 1st part (bars 1–27): Presentation of the main theme in the string piano, which is structured according to the ABA 'pattern. A as well as B and A´ are repeated. The main motif in the A section is four bars and can be divided into two sub-motifs separated by a pause, the latter with a “stair-like” upward movement (“initial motif” and “staircase motif”). The movement in dotted rhythm is characteristic of the whole part. Towards the end, the A 'part takes up the main motif in minor and for the first time no longer leads it to the dominant E-flat, but back to the tonic A-flat.
• 2nd part (bars 28–52): After two transition bars, the whole orchestra begins in bar 30 with a stormy, agitated passage that begins in the tonic parallel in F minor and two new motifs (motif 1: bars 30 ff .; Motif 2: bars 46 ff.). Large jumps in intervals, syncopation and tremolo create a strong contrast to the quieter first part. In between is a section in the piano where the “opening motif” and “staircase motif” of the theme are sequenced upwards in a dialogue between clarinets / bassoon and bass / viola (bars 38–45).
• 3rd part (bars 53–67): The “final group” brings a phrase made up of two contrasting motifs (woodwind motif with staggered use: tapping tone repetition and downward movement in the piano, then string response in forte). The phrase is repeated, but with the wind motif being continued at the expense of the string answer.

Second section (bars 68–161)

• 1st part (bars 68–95): As in the first section, there is an ABA 'structure. The instrumentation is e.g. Partly changed, also provided the main melody with a voice against. In the A part, this can be derived from the end of the “staircase motif”, while in the B part it only consists of downward sixteenth notes in staccato . With their chromaticity, bars 92 ff. Form a transition to the next part and change over from F sharp major, which is far away from A flat major, to B minor at the beginning of the next part.
• The 2nd part (bars 96–125) largely corresponds to the 2nd part of the first section, but with changed harmonies (starting in B minor). The “interlude” with the opening and the staircase motif also contains the countervote-like sixteenth-note movement analogous to bar 77 ff.
• The third part (bars 125–140) largely corresponds to that of the first section, but now in the tonic A flat instead of the dominant E flat.
• In the coda (bars 140–161) the staircase motif initially forms a transition-like passage before the main motif as a whole has its final appearance, namely in the form of bars 68 ff. (I.e. initially as at the beginning of the sentence, then with an opposing voice). The staircase motif is then spun on, increases to the forte unison of the woodwinds and ends the movement as a simple turn of the end (E flat major / A flat major).

Third movement: Menuetto. Allegretto

E flat major, 3/4 time, with trio 68 bars

The character of the minuet is described in literature e.g. Sometimes rendered somewhat crude with descriptions such as “stamping German dance” or “wine-happy stamping dance menu”. The movement begins with its strong main theme in a question-and-answer structure based on chord melodies with the basic harmonies (tonic: E flat major, subdominant: A flat major, dominant: B flat major). In contrast, the strings in the piano respond with a gentle, soft turn that ends the first part. The second part continues the melody from the beginning of the movement on the dominant B flat major and repeats the first part like a reprise from bar 25.

The trio is also in E flat major and is of a rural type. In the first part, the 1st clarinet leads the part, while the strings and the 2nd clarinet accompany (the latter with a continuous eighth note movement). The flute brings echo-like repetitions of the clarinet part. In the first half of the second part, the roles of the clarinets are transferred to the violins (i.e. 1st violin leads the part, 2nd violin accompanies the eighth note movement). The second half repeats the first part, i.e. H. the structure corresponds to that of the minuet. Bernhard Paumgartner (1945) speaks of an "immortal clarinet idyll".

Fourth movement: Finale. Allegro

E flat major, 2/4 time, 264 bars

The stormy movement is reminiscent of a perpetual motion machine. The first theme is dance-like and is initially only presented by the two violins in the piano with the first violin leading the voice. The starting motif is essential for the rest of the movement: sixteenth-note upward movement, sixteenth-note figure downward, two-eighth notes upward and subsequent interval jump downward. This “vortex motif” occurs completely or incompletely in the course of the sentence (only the sixteenth-note phrase). The eight-bar theme is repeated from bar 9 in the forte of the entire orchestra, but starts at bar 15 without a break in a new section.

This section is consistently in the forte and contains v. a. Chord melodies (E flat major, F minor, B flat major), runs and emphasized octave jumps in the bass. From bar 37, F major stabilizes, which has a double dominant effect on the second, varied appearance of the first theme in B major (from bar 42, instead of the otherwise usual second theme, which contrasts with the first theme): a total of six bars, the antecedent between 1 The violin and the woodwinds are divided into dialogues, the postscript contains a downward suggestion figure. The repetition of the variant is followed by a passage (bars 54-61) on the diminished C sharp chord, in which the incomplete vortex motif is thrown over a syncope motif in the 1st violin, flute and bassoon.

Until the end of the exposition in bar 104, smaller fanfare-like motifs and phrases (runs, trill-like sixteenth-note figures, tone repetition) as well as the incomplete vortex motif, offset in the woodwinds and violins, follow. Theodor Kroyer (1933) describes the passage from bar 85 as a “Dutch fair scene” with a “bagpipe à la musette”. The exposure is repeated.

The development (bars 105–152) is essentially based on the vortex motif: at the beginning it appears twice in G major-forte unison, only to begin after a general pause in the form of the first half of the main theme in A flat major. The harmonic shift in the woodwinds (bars 113/114) leads to a modulation passage of the complete vortex motif, which begins in E major and a. leads over G major and C minor. From bar 124 onwards, the action is condensed, with the violins and bass / viola no longer throwing the incomplete vortex motif to each other in a dialogical manner, but instead playing them offset next to each other. Here, there is also a downward sequencing, which ends in bar 135 in G major. The vortex motif is then played twice in forte unison, i.e. H. the bulk of the implementation ends as it began. The passage from bars 138 ff. Can be seen as a return to the recapitulation. It represents a chromatic downward course in the piano, in which, in addition to held wind chords, the vortex motif plays the main role.

The recapitulation (bars 153 ff.) Is structured similarly to the exposition. The final group (bars 251 ff.) Is extended, however. The end of the movement is remarkable: the two repetitions of the (incomplete) vortex motif in the E flat major unison forte followed by a general pause. This “snapping” was already emphasized by HG Nägeli (1826) and also by other authors (partly critical): “So the end of the finale (...) in the last two bars is so stylelessly unclosed, so snapping that the the uninhibited listener does not know what is happening to him. ”The end of the symphony thus contrasts with its majestic beginning with the slow introduction.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c} Stephan Kunze: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Symphony in G minor KV 550. Series: Masterpieces of Music - Work monographs on music history. Volume 6, Wilhelm Fink Verlag, Munich 1998, ISBN 3-7705-2703-8 , 100 pages + appendix.
2. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i} Volker Scherliess : The symphonies. In: Silke Leopold (Ed.): Mozart-Handbuch. Bärenreiter-Verlag, Kassel 2005, ISBN 3-7618-2021-6
3. ↑ ^{a b c} Neal Zaslaw: Mozart's Symphonies. Context, performance practice, reception. Clarendon Press, Oxford 1989, 617 pp.
4. ↑ ^{a b c} Peter Revers: The Symphony Trias KV 543, KV 550 and KV 551 ("Jupiter"). 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. 98-148.
5. ↑ Peter Gülke: One world in the cycle. Mozart's last symphonies. Munich 1997. Quoted in Scherliess (2005)
6. ↑ ^{a b c} Bernhard Paumgartner: Mozart. Atlantis-Verlag, Zurich and Freiburg i. Br. 1957
7. ^ ^{A b} Alfred Einstein : Mozart - His character, his work. Pan-Verlag, Zurich / Stuttgart 1953, 553 pp.
8. ↑ A. Apel (1806): Article in the Allgemeine musical newspaper on April 16 and 23, 1806. Quoted in Scherliess 2005
9. ^ Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann (1810): Writings on music. Articles and reviews . Edited by Friedrich Schnapp, Munich 1977. Quoted in Scherliess (2005)
10. ^ 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.
11. ↑ ^{a b} Theodor Kroyer: Mozart, Symphony in E flat major. Foreword and revision report for the pocket score edition of the Symphony in E flat major KV 543 by WA Mozart. Edition Eulenburg No. 451, London-Mainz, 64 pp. (Foreword from 1933)
12. ^ Kurt Pahlen: Symphony of the world. Schweizer Verlagshaus AG, Zurich 1966/1978.
13. ↑ similar to a motif in the first movement from Joseph Haydn's Symphony No. 35
14. ^ HG Nägeli (1826): Lectures on music with consideration of the dilettantes. Stuttgart and Tübingen. Quoted in: Scherliess (2005)

See also

• List of symphonies by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Web links, notes

• Symphony in E-flat KV 543 : Score and critical report in the New Mozart Edition
• 39th Symphony (Mozart) : Sheet music and audio files in the International Music Score Library Project
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Symphony E flat major K. 543. Edition Eulenburg No. 451, London / Mainz without year, 64 pp. (Pocket score, original edition from 1933; reprint without year)
• W. Meves: Symphonies de WA Mozart. Collection Litolff No. 168. Henry Litolff's Verlag, Braunschweig without a year (approx. 1890, including a version of the symphony KV 543 for two-handed piano)