The Vancouver Symphony Presents
Tausk Conducts Mozart
Symphonies 39, 41 & 41
Musical Journal IV
Mar. 22nd
Mozart composed three symphonies within three months during the summer of 1788: symphony No.39, No.40, and No.41. These symphonies are his final and greatest masterpieces.
Symphony No.39 is in E Flat Major, filled with energy and power. It starts with an introduction with slow tempo, using brass section. It followed by violin and timpani, and then a graceful and carefree allegro in sonata form. The second movement is also slow, with an overlay of warmth added. Threats presented by the occasional turbulent outbursts prove temporary, evaporating quickly in the general atmosphere of good humour. The third movement has a powerful start, the first part of third movement is repeated 4 times. Then the theme changes, flute and clarinets play the leading melody, and then the violin follows and imitates the leading melody. The flute and clarinets play another leading melody, all the string instruments imitate the melody. The outer sections of the third movement, a minuet, are all ballroom stateliness. The central trio belongs squarely to the countryside. Based on a traditional dance tune from Switzerland, its rustic nature is enhanced by the sound of clarinets. The symphony wraps up with a nimble and witty finale, summoning images of the comic opera world that Mozart understood so fully.
The symphony No.40 in G Minor is sorrowful with soft sound. It reflected Mozart’s own downtrodden feelings at the time when he created it. The first movement is in sonata form. During the development, it uses a lot of imitation and motivic fragmentation. Mozart took out part of theme of exposition and then took small motives out of the large theme to use in the development section. In the theme 2 of recapitulation, everything is dark. The second theme resembles a series of sighs. The coda is in minor key, ends at a dark way with lots of shadows. The symphony’s sole oasis of repose arrives in the placid second movement. Most of the part is played by violin. Viola and cello either follows and imitates the same melody of violin, or set as an accompaniment of violin melody. Sometimes, clarinets and flute set as an accompaniment of violin as well. The third movement is fast and exciting. The first theme is composed of: full orchestra (all instruments play together) in the beginning, then orchestra excluding string instruments, followed by full orchestra, and then orchestra excluding string instruments. In the second theme, only flute and clarinets play the new theme, echo by violin; and then flute, clarinets and horns play the same rhythm in the new theme but in different keys. Later, it comes back to the full orchestra with the same melody in the beginning of the third movement, then the melody of the second theme added. In the fourth movement, there are a lot of repeats; full orchestra in the end.
Symphony No.41 in C Major is also called “Jupiter”. The introduction of the first movement is in slow tempo. It involves horns, trumpets and timpani to play the melody with joyous energy. The full orchestra part is extremely loud. The second movement has a soft start, the melodic lines are added layer by layer. It turns from slow and soft to delight and leaping. In the third movement, the usage of horns and trumpets are interesting – they play the melody as an accompaniment of the violin to form a contrast.