THURSDAY, September 10, 2020 – 11:50 PM
Mozart Symphony No. 36, (LINZ), 1783
In spite of the nickname – which generally means a very famous symphony – I have not heard this symphony as often, and I don’t immediately recognize any of the movements as belonging to this symphony.
- 0:11 – Adagio, – Allegro spiritoso, C major: It starts with a slow, minor intro, which is usually a sign that Mozart is about to show his best work. From there is just unfolds in a typical way for Mozart
- 11:00 – Andante, F major: This has a sound of siciliano, a slow dance in 6/8 or 12/8 time. He used it in the Paris, Prague and Great G Minor symphonies. Although the movement is technically in F major, it wanders into minor several times. The very full orchestration makes it unusually serious and somber.
- 18:24 – Menuetto, C major: The Minuetto is simple emotional relief providing a contrast to the serious 2nd movement and the very energetic last movement.
- 22:17 – Finale (Presto), C major: The last movement alternates between very light and strongly accented. Rather than using a rondo form this is sonata form.
Instrumentation:
The symphony is scored for 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani and strings.
1783….
It was written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart during a stopover in the Austrian town of Linz on his and his wife’s way back home to Vienna from Salzburg in late 1783.
Written in only four days…
Supposedly the entire symphony was written in four days to accommodate the local count’s announcement, upon hearing of the Mozarts’ arrival in Linz, of a concert.
About the big intro: I read that when the first public performances moved from the chambers of the aristocrats, the halls were not like they are now, where everyone sits “quietly attentive”. There were conversations, card playing, and orange sellers calling out their wares. Then the music started with loud fanfare to signal to everyone, “Hush, it’s started!” Apparently that tradition stayed for a bit.:)
When I think of Mozart as a composer a lot of rumors and fun little facts pop into my head like how people say that he could play a song after hearing it just once and I always had to speculate between them actually being real or fake and his whole songwriting legacy to me is probably one of the most interesting. Most people can probably only name one or two songs by him and more from other composers yet he tends to come out on top in popularity. While pieces like Rondo Alla Turka are great pieces i feel like if you really like piano or Mozart you should maybe dive a little deeper into the careers of some of the other composers from his time and really see the beauty in that kind of music
Me being a beginner violinist, I don’t get how they’re able to understand the conductor doing all those different motions, mine just does the same motions every 4 beats.
I don’t know why but almost all of the music that I see from a long time ago always has a really big intro and then a quiet section that slowly builds to another loud section.