W.A. Mozart: Symphony No. 38 KV 504 (Prager) · Symphony No. 40 KV 550
Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg · Ivor Bolton, conductor
Presenting two of the most popular symphonies
of Mozart – the “Prager” and the Symphony
No. 40 in G minor – the internationally acclaimed
British conductor Ivor Bolton gives his debut on
OehmsClassics as the new chief conductor of the
Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg. Further releases
with the MOS will follow shortly.
Landmarks of the
classical symphony
The Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K. 550
was written in June 1788 as the first of
Mozart’s last three symphonies. As far as
we know, none of these works was commissioned.
This performance is based on
a version in which Mozart added two clarinets,
possibly for a performance in Vienna
in April 1791.
The eternal popularity of this symphony
certainly rests on the first movement’s introductory
measures (Molto allegro). The
simple motive, swinging back and forth
throughout the low strings, still spellbinds
listeners today. It contains the heartbeat
of life, pulsing in joy and sorrow with comforting
persistence, and going directly to
the listener’s emotions. It is ‘only’ a minor
second which grabs our attention, but one
of the most enigmatic minor seconds in the
history of music. How Mozart creates an
entire world full of musical narrative from
this tiny germ cell, how he plays with tonality
and chromatics is still unequalled. The
Andante which follows (E-flat Major) confronts
listeners with constantly changing
accents in 6/8 time. Mozart is reaching far
beyond what he has done before. He creates
exceptionally complex structures and
almost gets into “a-melodic” regions in the
development, into a new world whose intensity
anticipates Beethoven’s expressiveness.
The Minuet now relies on the dance
only for what it can contribute to form. This
movement is characterized by its dissonant,
tension-ridden seconds and stubborn
theme. Only in the Trio does a somewhat
more relaxed atmosphere prevail. The last
movement displays the most experimental
writing in Mozart’s oeuvre. His tendency to
resolve phrases in individual notes amazes.
Of course, Mozart always finds his way
back to the constraints of classical harmony
– but still, a “premonition of the time in
which ugliness and beauty” become equal
partners in music does not remain hidden
from the attentive listener. The music remains
inexorably in minor.
Mozart wrote his Symphony No. 38 in D Major,
K. 504 in Vienna during December 1786.
Its successful premiere took place on January
19, 1787 in Prague. This work, known as
the ‘Prague Symphony,’ is the composer’s
last symphony before his final trilogy, and is
thoroughly equal to it in all ways.
The first movement, a perfectly proportioned
sonata form, begins with a powerful,
dark Adagio which hints at the Magic Flute
overture and becomes the main musical
material for the following Allegro. The entire
first movement is dominated by dramatic
tension far removed from any sentimentality.
We already hear forebodings of the
chiaroscuro musical world of Don Giovanni,
whose premiere in October 1787 in Prague
– with whose citizens Mozart had a mutually
appreciative relationship – was one
of the composer’s wildest successes. The
fact that Mozart did not write a minuet for
the Prague Symphony is not a retrospective
glance at the old Italian custom of threemovement
symphonies, but is necessitated
by the structure of the preceding movements.
Many sequences in the reflective
Andante are infused with longing and its
rhythm often approaches that of a minuet.
Rather than dispensing with a third movement,
we see that Mozart has integrated it
into the second. The Presto finale is both a
model of the high art of polyphony as well
as thoroughly gripping music for the senses,
with a rondo-like structure, momentum
and cheerful turbulence which never fail to
excite. The work ends on a note of classical
vitality, shot through and through, however,
by a romantic preoccupation with man’s
fate.
Both symphonies are masterpieces of the
classical form. They open the doors to the
future and skillfully master the balancing
act between accessibility and high art.
Gottfried Franz Kasparek
Übersetzung: Elizabeth Gahbler