4th Symphony (Mozart)

The Symphony in D major Köchelverzeichnis 19 was composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1765. According to the counting method of the Old Mozart Edition, it bears the number 4.

General

The young Mozart in 1763

The symphony was composed by the nine-year-old Mozart in 1765 as part of a trip to London (see KV 16 ). At the suggestion of his father Leopold Mozart , Wolfgang worked intensively on the symphonies of his contemporaries (e.g. Carl Friedrich Abel , Johann Christian Bach , Johann Gottfried Eckard, Hermann Friedrich Raupach ), which is reflected in the structure of KV 19.

To the music

Instrumentation: two horns in D, two oboes , two violins , viola , cello , double bass . In contemporary orchestras it was also customary to use the bassoon and harpsichord to reinforce the bass voice or as a continuo , even without separate notation .

Performance duration: approx. 14 minutes.

With the terms used here based on the sonata form, it should be noted that this scheme was designed in the first half of the 19th century (see there) and therefore this symphony can only be transferred with restrictions. The sentences correspond even more to the two-part form, in which the second part of the sentence is viewed as a modified iteration of the first ("exposure"). - 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

D major, 4/4 time, 78 bars

The movement is opened by a fanfare (bars 1–8) from broken D major - triad with dotted rhythm, which was then v. a. was used by post horns and military trumpets:

It does not return in the further course of the sentence. A transition section follows from bars 9 to 21 with a lot of tremolo in the two violins, chords in the winds and runs and broken chords in dotted rhythm with viola and bass. Mozart uses a similar structure of the opening theme and transition in the symphony KV 43 , but there a little more differentiated. The “second theme” in the piano with a more motif-like character begins on the double dominant E major and only then leads over to the dominant A. The following transition section is not sharply set off, of which bars 30–33 in A minor with syncope are to be emphasized. Bars 38 to 46 with chord progressions and trills can be seen as the final group. The first part of the sentence (“Exposition”) ends in measure 46 on the dominant A, but is not repeated as usual, but continues with a syncope on the unexpected A sharp.

The second part of the sentence begins with a transition-like passage with runs in the bass and tremolo / chords overlaid. In bar 60 the second theme begins, which now modulates from A major to D major. The final group follows from bars 70–78.

Overall, this movement has a march-like, partly overture-like character due to its tempo, fanfare and the lack of melodic themes . It is repeated as a whole.

Second movement: Andante

G major, 2/4 time, 45 bars

The oboes are silent in this movement with a pastoral character. The first theme (bars 1–8) contains a dotted motif in the front movement, and characteristic thirty-second triplets in the first violin in the subsequent movement . These triplets are characteristic of the entire movement and otherwise occur especially with the other strings.

Without transition, the “second theme” (bars 8–12) begins in the dominant D major, which, however, only consists of a motif with a semitone step in the 2nd violin and viola, while the 1st violin and horns an octave above on A hold. Up to the end of the “Exposition” in bar 19, the final group, characterized by triplets, follows. This is followed by a short “development” section up to bar 26, in which the antecedent of the first theme is heard once in all strings. With this antecedent, the recapitulation in the tonic G major also begins in bar 27. The second theme then modulates back to G major via E minor and D major, in which this movement ends with the final group.

Zaslaw thinks that "the yodelling of the melodies and the humming accompaniment" should be reminiscent of the organ barrel and bagpipes.

Third movement: Presto

D major, 3/8 time, 106 bars

The first theme is characterized in the antecedent by the fourfold, energetic tone repetition of D in unison and forte:

The episode with a dotted motif is repeated echo-like in the piano. The transition (bars 13-20) consists of a sequence of chords, trills and tremolo. The rapid change in dynamics (piano - forte) is remarkable here, e.g. Sometimes also offset in the instruments. For the second theme in the dominant A major, which is performed unusually in the forte, Mozart uses a motif in which the second violin and bass alternate with short phrases made up of three notes each. The motif is repeated on the piano, but now with the 1st instead of the 2nd violin and with the participation of the viola. The final group (bars 29-42) contains staccato downward runs on A, at the very end of the first part of the sentence ("Exposition") there is the four-fold tone repetition as at the beginning, but now on A.

After the short transition section with a stepped third movement in the piano (bars 43–50), there is a “development” section from bars 50–84, in which the antecedent of the first topic and the second topic are processed (first topic: sequencing according to E minor , later modulation according to B minor; second topic: modulation according to B minor). Then the second theme begins in the tonic in D major (bar 85), followed by the final group (bars 93-106). The movement ends with the four notes repeated in unison.

Individual references, comments

1. ↑ ^{a b c d} Neal Zaslaw: Mozart's earliest symphonies. Symphony in D major, KV 19 (No. 4). Text contribution to: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Early Symphonies 1764–1771 , German translation by Henning Weber from 1982. Recording by the Academy of Ancient Music ; Concertmaster Jaap Schröder, continuo: Christopher Hogwood. Decca Record, London 1986.
2. ↑ The repetitions of the parts of the sentence are not observed in some recordings.

Web links, notes

• Symphony in D KV 19 : Score and critical report in the New Mozart Edition
• 4th Symphony : Sheet music and audio files in the International Music Score Library Project
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Sinfonia in Re, K. 19. PR 780, Ricordi-Verlag, Milan 1955 (pocket score).

See also

• List of symphonies by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart