Mozart: Symphony No. 40

Mozart: Symphony No. 40

1. Features of classical period

   • Phrases that form questions and answers
     • These are balanced and clear cut
   • More contrasts compared to Baroque period
   • Dynamic changes aren't as sudden as Baroque
     • Crescendos and diminuendos used
   • Simpler textures than Baroque
     • Often homophonic
   • Piano replaces harpsichord
   • Orchestras now include a range of wind instruments

2. Melody

   • Made up of balanced 4 or 8 bar phrases
     • Sound like question and answers
   • Many phrases are scalic
     • Scalic: Based on scales

3. Harmony

   • Diatonic and functional
     • Based around standard major and minor triads
   • Chromatic chords
     • E.g. Diminished 7th and augmented 6th
   • A circle of 5ths progression
   • Pedal notes

4. Rhythm, Metre and Tempo

   • Metre is 4-4 throughout
   • Tempo is molto allegro
     • Molto Allegro: very fast
   • Short rhythmic ideas are repeated
     • To create unity
   • Rhythms are fairly simple

5. Texture

   • Mostly homophonic
   • Counterpoint and imitation in the development
   • Octave doublings
   • Dialogue between woodwind and strings at start of second subject

6. Dynamics

   • In the exposition
     • Apart from a short passage in the middles, the first subject in quiet
     • The transition is loud
     • Second subject begins quietly and gets louder
   • Development has a loud section in the middle but starts and end quietly
   • Recapitulation has similar dynamics to the exposition

7. Instrumentation

   • Mozart uses a chamber orchestra made up of strings, woodwind and horns
   • Strings are busy all the time. They play a variety of material, such as the melody, quick running scales, sustained notes and forceful chords
   • Woodwind don't play quite so much. They tend to have more sustained notes. They share the start of the second subject with the strings
   • The two horns are in different keys, which maximises the number of notes they can play between them. They mostly play held or repeated notes to sustain harmonies

8. Structure

   • Movement is in sonata form, in the key of G minor
     • In three sections
       • 1. Exposition
         • First Subject
           • A melody that is characterised by a falling motif to the repeated rhythm (two quavers and a crotchet)
             • Key of G minor
         • Second subject
           • A melody with descending chromatic patterns, shared between strings and woodwind
             • Key of Bb major
               • Bb major is the relative major of G minor
       • 2. Development
         • Based on first subject which is developed and fragmented
       • 3. Recapitulation
         • First Subject
           • The first subject is repeated with some variation
             • Key of G minor
         • Second Subject
           • The second subject is repeated with some variation
             • Key of G minor
         • Coda
           • Repeated perfect cadances in G minor finish the piece
             • Key of G minor