7th Symphony (Mozart)

The symphony in D major Köchelverzeichnis 45 was composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in Vienna in 1768. According to the Old Mozart Edition, the symphony bears the number 7.

General

Mozart in 1770

The autograph of the work bears the inscription “16. Jenner ”by Leopold Mozart ; presumably Wolfgang finished the work on that day. Since nothing is known about a public concert by the Mozarts at that time, the occasion for the composition was probably one of the numerous private appearances; the first opportunity to perform was probably a Lenten concert with the "Russian Ambassador Prince von Gallitzin" (letter from Leopold Mozart). At these concerts it was customary for symphonies to be played at the beginning and at the end.

For the opera La finta semplice Köchelverzeichnis (KV) 51, composed between April and July 1768 , Mozart reworked the symphony into an overture . The minuet was dropped, as were timpani and trumpets, instead he added flutes and (obbligato) bassoons (only flutes in the Andante; in KV 45 the bassoons are optional for bass reinforcement according to the performance practice at the time, see below). The expansion can be explained by the fact that the Vienna orchestra had more options than the smaller private orchestras for which Mozart had previously composed. The elimination of the trumpets and timpani is amazing, however; it may have something to do with the fact that Mozart did not consider it necessary for a comic opera.

Hermann Abert writes about the relationship between KV 45 and the overture KV 51: “The overture shows considerable progress, even compared to the D major symphony of January 16, 1768 (KV 45), with which it covers themes and processing up to has in common with the omitted minuet. But the instrumental garb of the piece has become richer, and what is most important, the added wind instruments are not only used for reinforcement, but sometimes speak a completely independent language and produce sound effects that put the old thoughts in a completely new light (... ). "

The recording with the Academy of Ancient Music offers a comparison between the two versions .

The characteristics of the Viennese symphonies are KV 43 , KV 45, KV 45b , KV 48 and KV 76 in four movements with a minuet as the third movement.

To the music

Instrumentation: two oboes , two horns in D, two trumpets in D, timpani , two violins , viola , cello , double bass . In contemporary orchestras it was also customary to use the bassoon and harpsichord (if available in the orchestra) to reinforce the bass voice , even without separate notation .

Duration: approx. 11 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 can therefore only be transferred to a work composed in 1768 with restrictions. Sentences 1, 2 and 4 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: Molto allegro

D major, 4/4 time, 92 bars

The movement opens forte as a fanfare of three D major chords throughout the orchestra ( tutti ). A clear first topic cannot be identified. After five bars with a continuous eighth note movement (based on a broken D major chord) in the piano, several small motifs, usually repeated once as a variant, with runs, suggested phrases and tremolo are lined up. Volker Scherliess (2005) speaks of a "series of brilliant thematic inventions." The motif from bar 17 in the dominant A major, which is announced by preceding chord strikes on D and a quarter pause and performed by the strings on the piano, is reminiscent of a "Second topic". The section from bars 24 to 27 is characterized by sustained wind chords, tremolo in the strings and a gait-like movement in the bass. Structurally similar passages can also be found in other head movements of early Mozart's symphonies (e.g. KV 16 , KV 19 , KV 19a , KV 22 , KV 43 ; in the "Old Lambacher" Symphony KV 45a even at the beginning of the movement).

The section from bars 35–44, which can be interpreted as the final group of the first part of the sentence, contrasts with the previous event due to its rather calm character with several leads, of which the first is long; only the viola plays a continuous tone repetition in eighth notes on A. Hermann Abert speaks of a "strangely quiet and pensive foreign guest who suddenly sits down at the noisy banquet table in the final group (...)."

The beginning of the second part of the movement (bars 45–55) contains a broken down chord as the main motif with syncopation in the 1st violin, underlaid by chords from the wind instruments and tremolo from the other strings. The alternation between forte and piano, already known from bar 7 ff., Is characteristic. Via B minor, E minor and A major, Mozart changes back to the tonic in D major. In D major, the “recapitulation” begins in measure 56 with a variant of the broken chord melody from the beginning. It is mostly structured similar to the exposure.

Overall, the movement has an overture-like character due to the lack of repetitions, the numerous runs, tremolo passages and its beginning with the three chord strikes. Perhaps that is why it offered itself for an arrangement as the “correct” overture to KV 51 (the transitions between “symphony” and “overture” were fluid at the time).

Second movement: Andante

G major, 2/2 time (alla breve), 24 measures, only strings

The minimalist movement is characterized by its two-bar motif in the 1st violin and the continuous triplet movement in the 2nd violin. It is divided into two parts by a double line at the end of bar 8, each of which is repeated once. The three-part main motif begins as a low, stressed half note, followed by a short upward movement in broken thirds in the piano. The final phrase of the motif changes as the sentence progresses.

In the first section of the movement the main motif is presented in G major, the closing phrase consists of a descending G major triad with dotted rhythm, whereby the first note is emphasized. From the end of the second bar, the 1st violin joins the triplet movement of the 2nd violin. Then the first four bars are repeated slightly differently.

The second part (bar 9 ff.) Begins with the main motif on an accented G sharp, which in the closing phrase dissolves over leads to A minor. The advances to the closing phrase then “become independent” for two bars, before a structure similar to bar 9 follows from bar 13, but now with F sharp as the beginning of the main motif with resolution to G major. From bar 17, the main motif changes between C major ( subdominant ) and G major with a vocal, arc-like quarter movement as the closing phrase.

Since the melody of the main motif predominantly advances in twos above the triplet movement, the question arises for a performance whether the resulting "two-versus-three" should be understood as opposing rhythms or whether the two melody notes follow the triplet flow ("long-short" ) have to adapt. Since in the edited version (KV 51) the melody notes are notated as dotted eighth notes and sixteenth notes, according to Volker Scherliess (2005) it is obvious to assume that an adjustment to the triplet flow is to be made here (similar problem with the triplets and dotted rhythms in the fourth movement of KV 45, bars 41 ff., see below).

Third movement: minuet

D major, 3/4 time, 30 bars (minuet), 20 bars (trio)

The minuet is characterized by its falling, accented fourths and fifths as well as the answering triplet figure. In the second part, syncopation and dotted rhythms provide relaxation.

The trio in G major is designed for strings only. The calm, contemplative melody in the piano with an arc-like quarter movement has several accentuated suspensions.

Fourth movement: Molto Allegro

D major, 2/4 time, 106 bars

The movement consists of several motifs, which are mostly repeated like echoes on the piano. The first motif (or the main melody) consists of a unison figure with dotted rhythm, which is performed forte by the whole orchestra (bars 1–4). The violins respond like a suffix with four bars of a triplet figure in the piano. Both passages (can be interpreted together as the main theme) are then repeated (bars 9-16). This main theme is based on an orally transmitted melody, which is similar to the introduction to Leopold Mozart's “Musical Sleigh Ride” and which became very popular in London around 1800 under the title “Del Caro's Hornpipe”. This is followed by several small motifs with trills, triplets and an accentuated bass figure in dotted rhythm over triplet tremolo (bars 41–51, see also note on the second movement). The first section (“Exposition”) ends in bar 51 in the dominant A major.

The “development” begins with the main theme in A major, which, however, is modulated in B minor on the second run. Bar 68 ff. Change with the bass figure from bar 33 ff. From B major to A major. After a vigorously repeated pendulum movement from triplets, the “recapitulation” begins in bar 80 with the motif from bar 25 ff. The bass figure follows with dotted rhythm analogous to bar 33 ff. “Development” and “recapitulation” are repeated. The version of the opera overture (KV 51), on the other hand, has no repetitions and merges directly into the opera's introductory chorus.

Wolfgang Gersthofer (2007) points out that the movement is similar to the first movement of Johann Christian Bach's Symphony, Op. 3.

See also

• List of symphonies by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Web links, notes

• Regarding KV 45 : Score and critical report in the New Mozart Edition
• Regarding KV 51 : Score and critical report in the New Mozart Edition
• 7th Symphony : Sheet music and audio files in the International Music Score Library Project
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Sinfonia in Do, K. 45. PR 627, Ricordi-Verlag, Milan 1955 (pocket score).

Individual references, comments

1. ↑ ^{a b c} Volker Scherliess : The symphonies. In: Silke Leopold (Ed.): Mozart-Handbuch. Bärenreiter-Verlag, Kassel 2005, ISBN 3-7618-2021-6
2. ↑ ^{a b c d} Neal Zaslaw: Symphony in D major, KV 45 and 46a / 51. Text contribution to: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: The Symphonies Vol. VII , German translation by Decca 1988. Recording by the Academy of Ancient Music ; Concertmaster Jaap Schröder, continuo: Christopher Hogwood. Decca Record, London 1988.
3. ↑ ^{a b} Hermann Abert: WA Mozart. Revised and expanded edition of Otto Jahn's Mozart. First part 1756–1782. 7th expanded edition, VEB Breitkopf & Härtel, Musikverlag Leipzig 1955, 848 pp.
4. ↑ Scherliess (2005) on the 1st sentence: "There are no repetitions of connected groups marked by double lines, but motivic correspondences that are not related to one another in the sense of a formal schema to be fulfilled - for example because a repetition contains the character of a" recapitulation "- but through free variation and spinning. "
5. ↑ ^{a b} The repetitions of the parts of the sentence are not kept in some recordings.
6. ^ Wolfgang Gersthofer: Symphonies KV 16-134. 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. 15-25.