Leinsdorf and the RPO play with fast tempos in Allegro movements especially, and the sound, though clear and up front, is rather dry. Sometimes the woodwinds may seem a bit sloppy in articulation – the bassoon solo in Symphony 3: III, is one prime example, but the overall result is very musical, graceful, and well: Mozartean. Repeats are almost never taken, even in 1st movement Allegros which are in Sonata-Allegro form: the custom of the mid-late 1950s when these recordings were made in London. Central Europe in the mid-18th century was going through a period of transition. The remnants of the Holy Roman Empire had divided into small semi-self-governing principalities. The result was competing rivalries between these municipalities for identity and recognition. Political leadership of small city-states like Salzburg, Vienna, and Prague was in the hands of the aristocracy and their wealth would commission artists and musicians to amuse, inspire, and entertain. The music of the Renaissance and Baroque periods was transitioning toward more full-bodied compositions with complex instrumentation. The small city-state of Salzburg would be the birthplace of one of the most talented and prodigious musical composers of all time. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time. He wrote over 600 pieces of music, including symphonies, concertos, operas, and chamber music. Many of his works are still popular today and are performed regularly by orchestras around the world. So how many symphonies did Mozart actually write? The answer is 41. Mozart composed his first symphony when he was just eight years old. His last symphony, Symphony No. 41 in C major (“Jupiter”), was completed just weeks before his death in 1791. In between, he wrote a total of 40 symphonies. Interestingly, Mozart did not write symphonies for public performance until he was in his twenties. His early symphonies were written for private concerts at the court of Prince-Archbishop Hieronymus Colloredo of Salzburg. It was not until Mozart moved to Vienna in 1781 that he began writing symphonies for public concerts. Mozart’s symphonies are divided into three main periods: early, middle, and late. The early symphonies (Nos. 1-10) are mostly in the style of Johann Christian Bach and other contemporary composers. They are shorter in length and not as complex as Mozart’s later works. The middle symphonies (Nos. 11-20) show the influence of Joseph Haydn, with whom Mozart had a close working relationship. These symphonies are more innovative in form and harmony, and are longer than the early symphonies. The late symphonies (Nos. 21-41) are the most progressive and mature of Mozart’s works. They are characterized by bolder harmonic progressions, more complex textures, and larger orchestrations. The last three symphonies (Nos. 39-41) are particularly noteworthy, as they are among the greatest works of the Classical era. Mozart’s symphonies continue to be popular with audiences and performers alike. They are regularly performed and recorded by orchestras all over the world. And new generations of music lovers are discovering the joys of Mozart’s symphonies every day. Concert chamber music has grown in popularity in recent years, despite the fact that symphonies were originally composed for large orchestras. The reasons for this are simple: orchestral music is louder, and listeners are more easily able to identify individual instruments. The chamber music, on the other hand, is frequently subtler and allows the performer to fine-tune their technique. Recording by Leonard Bernstein conducting the Vienna Philharmonic. A little slow for my taste but one of the best available on Youtube.

Favorite Moment:The driving string theme in the first movement. The development section soon after. The tutti sforzandos in the second movement. The entire fourth movement is unmissable. Leinsdorf SERVES Mozart here. If you are a fan of Toscanini or George Szell, and their Mozart, wishing for an integral recording of the Symphonies by then, this is as close as you will be able to get.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart raised the symphony to heights that in many respects remain unsurpassed. Of his 50-odd symphonies, produced between 1764 and 1788, the earliest ones are conventional but precocious, reflecting influences of Johann Christian Bach, Giovanni Battista Sammartini, and Joseph Haydn. An invigorating first movement predominates, followed by a light cantabile movement and a fast finale or minuet (minuets in his symphonies date mostly after 1767). The Symphony in B-flat Major, K 22 (1765; “K” or “Köchel” numbers—named for Ludwig, Ritter (knight) von Köchel, the scholar who catalogued Mozart’s musical corpus—are the standard way of identifying Mozart’s works) contains a lovely chromatic slow movement in the key of G minor. Mozart worked in Salzburg from 1767 until his move to Vienna in 1781. During this time, he worked as a court musician for the Archbishop of Salzburg. He composed many of his most famous works during this period, including his operas The Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni, and his Requiem. Mozart’s dislike of Salzburg can be seen in his letters and in his music. It appears that he only accepted the position there because of the town’s lucrative income, and that he never mentioned it to anyone favorable. Mozart frequently voiced his dissatisfaction with the restrictions placed on him as a result of the restrictions imposed by the Archbishop. His full name is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, born on January 27, 1756, in Salzburg, Austria, and baptized as Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, archbishopric of Salzburg [Austria], who died on December 5, 1791, in Vienna, Austria, making him one of the

In December 1769, Mozart, then age 13, and his father departed from Salzburg for Italy, leaving his mother and sister at home. It seems that by this time Nannerl’s professional music career was over. She was nearing marriageable age and according to the custom of the time, she was no longer permitted to show her artistic talent in public. The Italian outing was longer than the others (1769-1771) as Leopold wanted to display his son’s abilities as a performer and composer to as many new audiences as possible. While in Rome, Mozart heard Gregorio Allegri’s Miserere performed once in the Sistine Chapel. He wrote out the entire score from memory, returning only to correct a few minor errors. During this time Mozart also wrote a new opera, Mitridate, re di Ponto for the court of Milan. Other commissions followed and in subsequent trips to Italy, Mozart wrote two other operas, Ascanio in Alba (1771) and Lucio Silla (1772). Alte Mozart-Ausgabe, the full name of which was the "Wolfgang Amadeus Mozarts Werke: Kritisch durchgesehene Gesamt ausgabe". There are no symphonies "GA 49" and "GA 53". Mozart and his father returned from their last stay in Italy in March 1773. His father’s benefactor, Archbishop von Schrattenbach had died and was succeeded by Hieronymus von Colleredo. Upon their return, the new archbishop appointed young Mozart as assistant concertmaster with a small salary. During this time, young Mozart had the opportunity to work in several different musical genres composing symphonies, string quartets, sonatas and serenades and a few operas. He developed a passion for violin concertos producing what came to be the only five he wrote. In 1776, he turned his efforts toward piano concertos, culminating in the Piano Concerto Number 9 in E flat major in early 1777. Mozart had just turned 21. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a musician capable of playing multiple instruments who started playing in public at the age of 6. Over the years, Mozart aligned himself with a variety of European venues and patrons, composing hundreds of works that included sonatas, symphonies, masses, chamber music, concertos and operas, marked by vivid emotion and sophisticated textures. Early Life Unfortunately, Mozart has written a lot of symphonies that were either destroyed, unfinished, unpublished, or lost but, some are fortunately included in his list of symphonies. It was actually discovered that Mozart had written 52 symphonies.Favorite Moment:I have a couple favorite moments in this symphony, both in the incredible first movement. The first is when after repeating the opening motif many times, Mozart twists it into a series of tensing chord changes. The second is the climactic fake out and race to the finish. Symphonies 1-20 are in stereo; 21-41 are mono. The mono sound is very clear and not congested, and I enjoyed the mono recordings as much as the stereo ones. From 1782 to 1785, Mozart divided his time between self-produced concerts as soloist, presenting three to four new piano concertos in each season. Theater space for rent in Vienna was sometimes hard to come by, so Mozart booked himself in unconventional venues such as large rooms in apartment buildings and ballrooms of expensive restaurants. The year 1784, proved the most prolific in Mozart’s performance life. During one five-week period, he appeared in 22 concerts, including five he produced and performed as the soloist. In a typical concert, he would play a selection of existing and improvisational pieces and his various piano concertos. Other times he would conduct performances of his symphonies. The concerts were very well attended as Mozart enjoyed a unique connection with his audiences who were, in the words of Mozart biographer Maynard Solomon, “given the opportunity of witnessing the transformation and perfection of a major musical genre.” During this time, Mozart also began to keep a catalog of his own music, perhaps indicating an awareness of his place in musical history. Over 600 pieces of orchestral, chamber, opera, and choral music were composed by the German composer. Mozart grew up in the Mozart family‘s musical home of Salzburg. Mozart’s orchestral work spans 24 years from 1764 to 1788. According to the most recent investigations, Mozart wrote up to 68 complete works of this type. Mozart revised some of the symphonies (K.297, 385, and 550) after they had already been written. Piano sonatas and other piano pieces were Mozart’s first attempts at writing music. Mozart wrote 20 piano solo works between 1782 and 1786, including the piano solo classics (sonatas, variations, fantasias, suites, fugues, and rondo); the Horn Concertos are frequently performed by professional horn players. Almost everything he wrote for the piano was intended to be played solo. Mozart created over 100 types of dance for orchestra, such as Minuetto (more than 100), Contredanse, and Allemande. Mozart’s sacred music, which combines Gregorian choral elements with rigorous counterpoint, has a rich stylistic mosaic. All of his sacred music is distinguished by consistent styling and symmetry.

The most notable breakout for orchestration in Mozart’s development. Not only did he include an extended wind section but pushed it to the forefront, even over the strings in many sections. The symphony is in 3 movements, taking inspiration from older examples. The opening movement is a beast, with a lengthy, slow introduction and into endlessly repeating themes. The Andante is tame but clever with terrific melodies sliding across measure lines, between major and minor. The Presto is a wild, staccato movement, juggled between winds and strings. Many people probably think this is ranked too low, and it’s certainly one of the most important, it doesn’t speak to me the way of those ranked higher. Beethoven, who was born in Germany in 1707, is best known for the nine symphonies he composed (often regarded as the greatest of all symphonists) of which the ninth (Choral, 1824) includes a mixed chorus and parts for soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone in its The Two Giants Of Symphonic Composition: Haydn And Beethoven

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The first and second movements together constitute the overture to the opera La finta giardiniera, K. 196. The third movement is listed separately as K. 121/207a. The “Paris” symphony, as it is known, is one of Mozart’s most invigorating and “noisy” as Mozart’s father put it, fitting for the French. The first movement is among his greatest, building tension to an exciting finish. The second movement is usually an Andantino, but there are actually two different second movements for this piece, one in 6/8, one in 3/4. Atypically, it is only three movements, omitting a classical Minuet and moving straight into an Allegro. This is less of a show of Mozart’s melodic prowess and more of a demonstration of his dramatic powers. Favorite Moment:The fourth movement is one of Mozart’s greatest symphonic compositions and on the whole is incredible. My favorite moment is probably the building up to and first appearance of the movement’s shattering fortissimo theme. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart spent the majority of his short life in Salzburg. His life in Vienna is documented in museums after he left Salzburg. One of the exhibits depicts the life of Europeans in the 1700s, as well as a slice of it. Cathedrals built during the Baroque can be found north of the Alps in Salzburg. The best acoustics are found in the pews immediately beneath the dome. Mozart’s second home is the setting for his residence. Mozart’s father, Le, is buried in Salzburg, whereas Mozart is buried in Vienna. Having failed to deliver my promised review of the Sony Bruno Walter – The Complete Columbia Collection (Sony 19075923242,