Mozart: Symphony No. 40 | Nikolaus Harnoncourt & Concentus Musicus

Despite its melancholy tone, it’s one of Mozart's most popular and frequently performed symphonies: the Symphony No. 40 in G minor K. 550. In this video of a 2014 performance at the Stefaniensaal in Graz, Concentus Musicus plays the Mozart classic partly on period instruments. The ensemble is under the direction of Nikolaus Harnoncourt.

(00:00) I. Molto allegro
(07:50) II. Andante
(20:29) III. Menuetto. Allegretto – Trio
(25:04) IV. Allegro assai

Symphony No. 40 (K.550) is sometimes referred to as the “Great G minor Symphony” to avoid confusion with another symphony in the same key, the “Little G minor Symphony” No. 25 (K.183), which Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791) composed when he was young. Mozart wrote his 40th Symphony in Vienna in July 1788. The premiere took place at the home of Baron Gottfried van Swieten, considered Mozart's patron. Van Swieten also supported the other two great composers of the Classical era, Haydn and Beethoven. It is said that the premiere of the Symphony in G minor went so poorly that Mozart left the hall early.

Overall, Symphony No. 40 conveys a somewhat gloomy mood, but it always radiates elegance. Mozart starts the now famous theme in G minor without any introduction. The first movement is characterized by dark tension – and yet flows along buoyantly. The second movement is also characterized by contrast: a gloomy, pensive theme that is also graceful, sometimes even light. The third movement, the minuet, does not have a typical dance cadence, but is instead characterized by polyphony and rich dissonances. The fourth movement releases a veritable flood of strength and energy. Its unusually changeable rhythm seems to give rise to a mysterious kind of drama.

Mozart was well aware that the 40th Symphony must have seemed positively modern to his contemporaries. Nevertheless, it soon became a popular orchestral piece. As early as 1800, numerous arrangements were in circulation.

The Austrian Nikolaus Harnoncourt (1929 – 2016) was one of the most influential conductors of the 20th and early 21st centuries. For over 60 years, he had a formative influence on the world of classical music. In 1953, he and his wife, the violinist Alice Hoffelner, founded the Concentus Musicus Wien, a groundbreaking historical music ensemble specializing in the performance of early music. Its influence spanned the globe and many historical music ensembles were formed following its example.

© 2014 Unitel

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