Symphony No. 40 In G Minor - Mozart Flashcards
Tempo
Molto allegro (very fast)
Time signature
4/4
Written in which year?
1788
What time period
Classical
Written for…
An orchestra
Instruments used
Small orchestra
2 horns, strings, woodwind
NO trumpet or drums because he thought there was enough drama
Typical features of classical music
Balance
An emphasis on simplicity
A bigger orchestra than the Baroque era (woodwind and brass as well as strings.)
No longer rely on a single ‘affectation’ / mood throughout the piece.
Composers liked to create dynamic contrast within sections.
They also had contrasting moods within longer sections.
Use of call and response.
Other classical composers
Beethoven
Haydn
Beethoven
Sonata form: exposition
Themes are heard for the first time
Has 2 contrasting themes
Ends in a different key to what it started in
Sonata form: development
Themes go trough a number of twists and turns exploring different ideas
Keeps piece interesting
Typical to try to avoid tonic and dominant keys
Sonata form: recapitulation
Themes are recapped/played again
Pulls the piece together again
Bits from exposition are used again but changed a bit
Piece ends in G minor so it feels balanced
1st subject
Strings start piece
First violins play melody
Then woodwinds introduced
The key is G minor
At end of subject - bridge where harmony uses scales and pedal notes
Melody - balanced phrasing is used
Dynamics - start out quietly, have sudden contrasts and use lots of crescendo and decrescendo
The first two notes use the interval of a semi-tone
2nd subject
Key - B flat major
Instruments - strings and woodwind
Melody - chromatic notes, balanced phrasing is also used as it was in 1st subject
END: violins, bassoons, flutes play a descending staccato scale
Where would you play this type of music?
Concert hall
How are Bb major and G minor connected?
Bb major is relative major of G minor and vice versa
SECTION B:
Harmony
Exposition: 1st subject - G minor Transition/bridge - used to change to new key 2nd subject - Bb major Codetta : Bb major
Development:
Exploration of lots of different keys - even keys that are only loosely related to G minor. Avoids tonic (1) and dominant (5) keys
Recapitulation: 1st subject - G minor Transition/bridge - G minor 2nd subject - G minor Codetta: G minor
SECTION B: texture
The 2nd subject is more homophonic in texture because orchestra accompany with chords
The horns thicken texture
The development has a busy, polyphonic texture. There is a countermelody in the section
Towards end of the development section the texture is reduced as fewer instruments play and make conversation using first part of 1st subject
Four big, strong, homophonic chords at the very end of the sonata act like 4 big full stops.
SECTION B: Instrumentation
Standard classical orchestra with a few noticeable differences.
Woodwind: flute, oboes, clarinets, bassoons (the job of woodwind was to fill out harmonies)
Brass: 2 horns, one in Bb and one in G. NO TRUMPETS. needed two horns because technology wasn’t advanced enough for the horns to have valves so they could only play a limited number of notes.
Strings: violins, violas, cellos, double basses
NO TIMPANI.
No trumpets or timpani - the work was intense enough without them
Devices used:
Sequence
Imitation
Other movements in symphony are:
- Fast
- Slow
- Minuet
- Fast
