Symphony KV Anh. 221 (Mozart)

The Symphony in G major Köchelverzeichnis Appendix 221 was composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in The Hague in 1766. The work is also sometimes referred to as the “Old Lambacher” symphony.

General

Lambach Abbey and community. Colored copper engraving by Matthäus Merian (1649)

Lambach Abbey : west wing with gate tower and main portal

At the beginning of January 1769, the Mozart family on their travels between Salzburg and Vienna a . a. in the Upper Austrian Benedictine monastery Lambach Rast. As was common for many Bavarian and Austrian monasteries at that time, the Lambach monastery also offered rooms and meals for travelers and had a small chapel for the liturgy and entertainment. This stay is not mentioned separately in the Mozart's family correspondence, so that the stay is only known from notes in two symphony manuscripts.

These manuscripts were found as copies in the archive of the Lambach monastery at the beginning of the 20th century and probably represent a gift from the Mozart in recognition of hospitality. One was entitled “Del Sigre: Wolfgango Mozart. Dono Authoris 4.ta Jan. 769 " (colloquially " Alte Lambacher " ), the other the name " Leopoldo " with the same date (colloquially " Neue Lambacher " ). Alfred Einstein assumed that the work attributed to Wolfgang was composed during his stay in Vienna in 1767/68, included it in the chronology of authentic works according to the date of the Lambach manuscript and gave it the number in the third edition of the Köchel Directory (KV) 45a, which indicates early 1768. This information was retained in further editions of the Köchel directory.

In 1964 Anna Amalie Abert published a new hypothesis, according to which the two Lambach symphonies were accidentally reversed. Their theory is based on an extensive study of both works as well as comparisons between these and other symphonies that are believed to have been composed by Leopold Mozart and Wolfgang at the same time. As a result, Abert came to the conclusion that KV 45a was more archaic in style and less successful from an aesthetic point of view than the symphony ascribed to Leopold, which is why Leopold must have composed KV 45a as the older, more conservative and also less talented. In addition, the comparison of formal and stylistic characteristics showed similarities between the first movements of KV 45a and other symphonies by Leopold as well as the first movements of the New Lambacher and other symphonies by Wolfgang. Furthermore, the monothematic of the first movement (i.e. the use of only one instead of two themes) of KV 45a, certain structural features (frequent combination of two-measure phrases, heavy use of sequences) should point to Leopold, while the more extravagant and varied melodic ideas more to Wolfgang Clues.

The previously unpublished “Neue Lambacher” symphony was then published as a work by Mozart and was also part of a number of complete recordings ( Berlin Philharmonic with Karl Böhm , Academy of Ancient Music with Jaap Schröder).

However, Neal Zaslaw thinks that the original assignment was correct for the following reasons:

• The use of the New Lambacher spinning type is more a characteristic of the late Baroque, while the structure of two-bar phrases indicates the more modern, gallant style.
• The two manuscripts were made by the Salzburg copyist Estlinger. This means that they must have been copied in Salzburg before leaving for Vienna in September 1767. The earlier, however, KV 45a is dated, the more understandable Wolfgang's “archaic” style becomes.
• As he absorbed a large amount of musical impressions on his travels, Wolfgang claimed (rightly) that he could compose in any style.
• Underestimation of Leopold Mozart.
• Since KV 45a, like the symphonies composed in London and the Netherlands, has only three movements and not the four movements preferred in Vienna (such as KV 43 , KV 45 , KV 48 ), Vienna seems dubious as the place of origin.
• It is unlikely that the Mozarts accepted two manuscripts from a copyist friend, carried them with them for more than a year, used them at concerts and finally donated them to the Lambach monastery (where a Lambach monk could subsequently have entered the date of 1769) without that the otherwise pedantic Leopold would have corrected the mistake in the names.
• In 1767 Leopold had six early symphonies copied by Wolfgang and sent to Prince Wenzel in Donaueschingen. Among them was probably KV 45a.

In February 1982 the original orchestral parts of KV 45a with manuscripts by Leopold, Wolfgang's sister Nannerl and a copyist were discovered in the Bavarian State Library in Munich . In addition to Wolfgang's name, Leopold also wrote “à la Haye 1766” on the front page . Accordingly, KV 45a was composed by Wolfgang during his stay in The Hague - possibly for the inauguration of Prince Wilhelm of Orange on March 11, 1766. The Mozarts then took the work with them on their travels, with some changes being made, especially in the middle parts.

To the music

Instrumentation: two oboes , two horns in G, 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 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 maestoso

G major, 4/4 time, 84 bars

The movement begins in the forte with the first theme (main theme), the bass melody of which is accompanied by a flat tremolo of the violins / viola and sustained chords by the wind instruments with dotted rhythm and trills .

The main idea is four measures, but it is followed by a three-measure extension, so that the main theme is unusually seven instead of the usual eight measures.

After the piano passage (bars 8-10) with a floating character, a longer forte section follows, which takes up the idea of ​​the main theme and continues. The theme occurs both in the violins and in the bass. The following motif (bars 23-26) can be derived from the main theme through its dotted rhythm (interpreted as a second theme by Zaslaw). The final group (bars 27–36) is characterized by simple cadence melodies and downward running figures.

The second section of the movement begins with the main theme in the dominant D major (bars 37–43). In the further course smaller, mostly repeated motifs with a transition-like character follow. The “recapitulation” (bars 59 ff.) Begins with the main theme in the violins (not in the bass) and is otherwise structured in a similar way to the exposition. Both main sections of the sentence are repeated.

Second movement: Andante

C major, 2/4 time, 84 bars, strings with mutes

The exposition essentially consists of three successive sections that could be interpreted in the sense of the sonata form (not yet typically developed at the time) as a first theme, second theme and final group. The "themes", however, are more motif-like:

• The first theme (bars 1–10) is based on a two-bar thought in the 1st violin, accompanied by the "mumbling" sixteenth note movement of the 2nd violin / viola and pizzicato basses (no pizzicato in the 1st version from The Hague yet , see below).

• The second theme (bars 11-22) also has a two-bar basic structure with the same accompaniment form, but its rhythm is characterized by triplets . The six-bar theme is repeated.
• The final group (bars 22-30) begins as a two-bar motif of the horns in the forte and is answered by a two-bar string motif in the piano. Both motifs are repeated together.

The second part of the sentence begins with the main theme in the dominant G major. From bar 39 the theme is moved to the dominant parallel in E minor, in which from bar 43 a new motif appears with an offset insert between 1st violin and bass. This four-bar motif is then repeated in G major. A short transition leads to the recapitulation (from bar 57), which is structured similar to the exposition. In the final group, however, the horns are no longer part of the voice. Both parts of the sentence are repeated.

The Andante in the Lambach version uses a sound effect that Mozart preferred to use in the slow movements of later symphonies: the woodwinds are silent or are used cautiously, the violins play with mutes, cellos and double basses pizzicato. However, the Hague version does not prescribe steamer and pizzicato; some slurs in the bass part even indicate that ten-year-old Wolfgang explicitly did not want pizzicato at the time.

Third movement: Presto

G major, 3/8 time, 112 bars

As was customary at the time, the last movement of the symphony was laid out according to the “sweep” type. The eight-bar main theme from the beginning of the movement (consisting of two four-bar or four two-bar units) is repeated.

Another motif follows seamlessly, the melody of which can be interpreted as a continuation of the previously presented thought. Sixteenth-note runs and chords lead to the final group (bars 33–43), whose four-bar motif is also repeated.

The second part of the sentence begins as a transition section from two motifs: Motif 1 (bars 44-62) with chromatic line downwards and unison phrase upwards, Motif 2 (bars 62-70) with downward sequencing and staggered use between the violins and bass. The “recapitulation” (bars 70 ff.) Is structured similarly to the exposition. The final group, however, is repeated an octave lower. Both parts of the sentence are repeated.

See also

• List of symphonies by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Web links, notes

• Symphony KV Anh. 221 (45a) : Score and critical report in the New Mozart Edition
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Sinfonia in Sol, K. 45a. PR 811, Ricordi-Verlag, Milan 1955 (pocket score).

Individual references, comments

1. ↑ ^{a b c d e} Neal Zaslaw: Symphony in G major KV 45a (“Alte Lambach”). 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.
2. ↑ in the following from Zaslaw (1988), unless otherwise noted.
3. ↑ ^{a b} Volker Scherliess : The symphonies. In: Silke Leopold (Ed.): Mozart-Handbuch. Bärenreiter-Verlag, Kassel 2005, ISBN 3-7618-2021-6 , pp. 277-278.
4. ^ Alfred Einstein: Chronological-thematic directory of all of Wolfgang Amade Mozart's music works. In addition to the information about the lost, started, transferred, dubious and superseded compositions by Dr. Ludwig Ritter von Köchel. Third edition, edited by Alfred Einstein. Breitkopf & Härtel-Verlag, Leipzig 1937, 984 pp.
5. ↑ Examples of the structure from small units can be found, for example, in the first movement in bar 8 ff., Bar 23 ff. And bar 29 ff.
6. ↑ ^{a b c} The repetitions of the parts of the sentence are not kept in some recordings.