Mozart - 1st Movement from Symphony No.40 in G Minor

Mozart - 1st Movement from Symphony No.40 in G Minor

1. CONTEXT

   • CLASSICAL PERIOD, 1750-1830, (1788)
   • 1ST MOVEMENT FROM SYMPHONY NO.40
   • A SYMPHONY IS A LARGE SCALE WORK FOR ORCHESTRA IN 3 OR 4 MOVEMENTS
   • STRUCTURES THAT USE SYMMETRY AND BALANCE

2. TEXTURE

   • MELODY DOMINATED HOMOPHONY
   • MAINLY HOMOPHONIC
   • SOME POLYPHONIC PASSAGES WITH DIFFERENT MELODIES AT THE SAME TIME (COUNTER MELODIES)
   • IMITATION - PARTS COPYING EACH OTHER

3. TONALITY

   • HOME KEY = G MINOR (TONIC) - STARTS/FINISHES
   • SOME MODULATIONS (CHANGES KEY TO E/B)

4. HARMONY

   • MAINLY DIATONIC (USES NOTES FROM THE KEY)
   • USES MAINLY PRIMARY CHORDS, I, IV, V-FUNCTIONAL HARMONY
   • CLEAR CADENCES, PERFECT CADENCES THROUGHOUT
   • CHROMATIC HARMONY

5. MELODY

   • REPETITION AND CONTRAST
   • EXPOSITION: 1ST SUBJECT (TONIC KEY)
   • EXPOSITION: 2ND SUBJECT (MODULATES TO RELATIVE MAJOR - Bb MAJOR)
   • WELL BALANCED PHRASES: PERIODIC PHRASING (FOUR BAR PHRASING) QUESTION AND ANSWER PHRASES
   • MELODIC SEQUENCES
   • SCALIC MELODIES
   • SOME CHROMATIC MELODIES

6. TEMPO

   • MOLTO ALLEGRO - VERY FAST

7. RHYTHM AND METRE

   • IN 4/4 TIME
   • 1ST SUBJECT USES SHORTER, CROTCHET AND QUAVER FIGURES
   • 2ND SUBJECT - LONGER NOTES AND A MORE RELAXED FEEL

8. STRUCTURE

   • SONATA FORM: 3 SECTIONS - EXPOSITION, DEVELOPMENT AND RECAPITULATION
   • EXPOSITION: FIRST SUBJECT, BRIDGE PASSAGE, AND SECOND SUBJECT INTRODUCED (IT THEN REPEATS)
   • DEVELOPMENT: DEVELOPS IDEAS FROM THE EXPOSITION. MODULATES THROUGH VARIOUS KEYS - AVOIDING THE TONIC AND DOMINANT.
   • RECAPITULATION: BALANCES THE OPENING EXPOSITION. RECAPS SUBJECT 1 IN THE TONIC KEY. FOLLOWED BY A BRIDGE SECTION AND THE SECOND SUBJECT IN THE TONIC.
   • CODA

9. DYNAMICS

   • MAINLY - P (QUIET) AND F (LOUD)
   • SF - SFORTSANDO
   • SOME CRESCENDOS