Post by erik on Apr 9, 2022 12:30:22 GMT -5
A very early symphony by W.A. Mozart (he was only nine years old at the time) is in this week's Classical Works Spotlight.
Mozart: SYMPHONY NO. 4 IN D MAJOR, K. 19
The German term “Wunkerkind” is arguably an overused term, but it certainly applied to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart during his short time on Earth (slightly less than thirty-six years). Using this short lifespan to his greatest advantage, he was to compose some of the most popular and transcendent music in Western history, including twenty-seven piano concertos, and dozens of operas. From a very early age, Mozart also realized the value of composing symphonies. His birth in 1756 coincided with the creation of the early symphonies of Franz Joseph Haydn, whom he would become a very close friend of during the last eleven years of his life. His first four symphonies, all in three movements, were composed during the age of nine in 1765 during his family’s Grand Tour of Europe, at a stopover in London. The Fourth Symphony, in D Major, is a prime example of Mozart’s emerging style, including orchestration that involves only pairs of oboes and French horns along with the usual string compliment. Its first performance, at the Little Haymarket Theatre in London, may not have meant much to English audience, especially as the composer was still very much a child; but the fact that this symphony, whose existence was preserved in the Bavarian State Library in Munich, remains a part of many a chamber ensemble and chamber orchestra is a testament to how impactful Mozart was on Western music.
Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra/JAMES DEPREIST (Delos)
Included:
SYMPHONY NO. 5 IN B FLAT MAJOR, K. 22
SYMPHONY NO. 29 IN A MAJOR, K. 201
Mozart: SYMPHONY NO. 4 IN D MAJOR, K. 19
The German term “Wunkerkind” is arguably an overused term, but it certainly applied to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart during his short time on Earth (slightly less than thirty-six years). Using this short lifespan to his greatest advantage, he was to compose some of the most popular and transcendent music in Western history, including twenty-seven piano concertos, and dozens of operas. From a very early age, Mozart also realized the value of composing symphonies. His birth in 1756 coincided with the creation of the early symphonies of Franz Joseph Haydn, whom he would become a very close friend of during the last eleven years of his life. His first four symphonies, all in three movements, were composed during the age of nine in 1765 during his family’s Grand Tour of Europe, at a stopover in London. The Fourth Symphony, in D Major, is a prime example of Mozart’s emerging style, including orchestration that involves only pairs of oboes and French horns along with the usual string compliment. Its first performance, at the Little Haymarket Theatre in London, may not have meant much to English audience, especially as the composer was still very much a child; but the fact that this symphony, whose existence was preserved in the Bavarian State Library in Munich, remains a part of many a chamber ensemble and chamber orchestra is a testament to how impactful Mozart was on Western music.
Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra/JAMES DEPREIST (Delos)
Included:
SYMPHONY NO. 5 IN B FLAT MAJOR, K. 22
SYMPHONY NO. 29 IN A MAJOR, K. 201