Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K. 550
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What is Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K. 550?
Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K. 550 is a symphony by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, composed in the summer of 1788. It is also known as the Great G Minor Symphony. This symphony was completed around the same time as his Symphony No. 39 and Symphony No. 41, which was a remarkably productive period for Mozart.
Symphony No. 40 is one of only two symphonies he composed in minor keys. It shows his interest in the artistic movement called Sturm und Drang (Storm and Stress), which showcased darker and stronger emotions. Mozart revised the piece to include clarinets and made other changes to the instrumentation. This version is often performed today and is considered one of Mozart’s greatest works. The works of Mozart are almost universally identified by the letter “K” (for Köchel) or “KV” (for Köchel and Verzeichnis, “catalog”) and their numerical position in the catalog.
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Who composed Symphony No. 40 and when was it written?
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K. 550, also known as the Great G Minor Symphony, in the summer of 1788. This symphony is one of only two that Mozart wrote in minor keys, reflecting the Sturm und Drang movement's influence, which explored darker, stronger emotions. Mozart later revised the piece to include clarinets and modify the instrumentation.
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What is a symphony and what makes this one special?
A symphony is a musical composition for orchestra, typically in four movements, that rose to prominence during the Classical period.
Mozart's Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K. 550, completed in 1788, stands out for its emotional depth and historical context. It is one of only two symphonies Mozart wrote in a minor key, reflecting the "Sturm und Drang" movement's emphasis on darker, more intense emotions. Despite being composed during a challenging year for Mozart, marked by financial strain and personal loss, the symphony is not entirely sorrowful, showcasing a blend of plaintive melodies, graceful passages, and moments of jubilation. The integration of light and dark elements, along with Mozart's revision to include clarinets, contributes to the symphony's reputation as one of his greatest works.
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How many movements are there in Symphony No. 40 and what are they called?
Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K. 550, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, consists of four movements.
The movements are:
* Molto Allegro
* Andante
* Minuet and Trio
* Allegro assaiThe symphony, also known as the Great G Minor Symphony, was composed in the summer of 1788. It is one of two symphonies that Mozart wrote in minor keys and showcases darker and stronger emotions.
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Why is the key of G Minor important in this symphony?
The key of G minor in Mozart's Symphony No. 40, K. 550, reflects the Sturm und Drang artistic movement, showcasing darker, stronger emotions. This symphony is one of only two that Mozart wrote in minor keys.
During Mozart's time, German and Austrian composers were increasingly drawn to the Sturm und Drang movement, expressing angst through their compositions. Haydn also wrote Sturm und Drang symphonies, frequently in G minor, the same key Mozart uses here.
Harmony organizes into keys and relationships between keys to create musical form. The return to the tonic key is usually reinforced by a restatement of the initial themes.
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How has Symphony No. 40 influenced classical music and later composers?
Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K. 550, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, composed in 1788, reflects the Sturm und Drang movement, showcasing darker, stronger emotions. This symphony, one of only two he wrote in minor keys, demonstrates his ability to evoke both delight and sorrow.
Joseph Haydn's symphonies greatly impacted his followers, displaying an evolution in form and content. The late Paris and London Symphonies reflect Mozart's influence and show Haydn at his peak. Ludwig van Beethoven's Fifth and Ninth symphonies, progressing from storm and stress to triumph, and his Sixth Symphony, influenced composers with a programmatic inclination.
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Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K. 550, symphony by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, sometimes known as the Great G Minor Symphony. Composed in the summer of 1788, it was finished at about the same time as his Symphony No. 39 and Symphony No. 41, marking a period of productivity exceptional even by Mozart’s standards. It is one of only two symphonies he wrote in minor keys and reflects his interest in the artistic movement known as Sturm und Drang (Storm and Stress), in which darker and stronger emotions were showcased. Mozart soon revised the piece to include clarinets and make other changes to the instrumentation, and it is this version that is often performed today—and that is considered one of the greatest of Mozart’s works.
The year 1788 was a dark one for Mozart. Viennese audiences were proving less eager to hear his concerts and recitals, bills were piling up, and his infant daughter Theresia had just died. Letters to friends reveal that he was finding it difficult to look beyond the shadows, and some have suggested that this fact influenced this unusually anxious symphony.
Yet there is more at work here than one man’s daily sorrows. At this time in history, German and Austrian composers were increasingly drawn to the pre-Romantic Sturm und Drang movement, a school of thought that also affected artists and writers such as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Friedrich Schiller. In response, composers began producing works that were the audible expression of angst. Haydn wrote Sturm und Drang symphonies, frequently in the key of G minor that Mozart uses here. So did the London-based Johann Christian Bach, youngest son of the great Johann Sebastian, and this younger Bach had strongly influenced the pre-teen Mozart during that youth’s extended visit to England. In this atmosphere, it is no surprise that Mozart, too, turned, at least occasionally, to minor keys. Symphony No. 40 proves that this man whose music could so easily provoke delight could also spur tears.
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However, it is only one of three symphonies Mozart would write this summer, apparently at the eventually abandoned prospect of a concert tour to London. The other two symphonies—No. 39 in E-flat Major and No. 41 in C Major—are bright and sunny in nature. One might imagine that Mozart loaded his somber feelings into this one work, though even here, all is not sorrow. At no point in his career would this composer allow music to stay long in sober moods.
The first movement, Molto Allegro, makes much of plaintive sighs, though gentle graceful melodies also appear and even occasional bursts of jubilation. The second movement, Andante, is softly elegant, as if of a quiet moonlit evening. Here, Mozart entirely sets aside the shadows of minor keys in favor of brighter major keys.
The third movement, Minuet and Trio, offers darkness as well as light, the dark passages strongly assertive and the light ones sweeter. For the sometimes explosive Allegro assai finale, Mozart returns to a general focus upon more serious moods, often given an urgent and fretful turn. In the middle of the movement, different sections of the orchestra simultaneously concern themselves with different melodic ideas, all blended into an intricate mix. By the last pages, tension everywhere, though never quite fury. A lack of laughter is not the same as the presence of anger.
The debut date of the symphony is not known. A scheduled premier at the Casino in Vienna was canceled, for unknown reasons. It is said that Mozart attended a performance in the private home of a Habsburg noble that was so poor that he walked out; this story is likely apocryphal. The first precisely dated performances in Vienna, using Mozart’s revised score, were on April 16 and 17, 1791, conducted by Antonio Salieri. Symphony No. 40 was the first of Mozart’s symphonies to be recorded, in a performance of 1915 by the Victor Talking Machine Company studio orchestra.
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