Posted on 07/25/2015 4:32:10 PM PDT by nwrep
On July 25, 1788, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart completed his Symphony No. 40 in G minor, the second to last of his symphonies.
To Robert Schumann in the 19th century, the symphony was a work of "Grecian lightness and grace," while for a later writer, Alfred Einstein, there are passages that "plunge to the abyss of the soul."
Such ambiguity is perhaps apt for one of the greatest works of a composer whose music so frequently defies adequate description. The symphony is cast in the usual four movements; the opening Molto allegro immediately announces something unusual by starting not with characteristic loud "call to attention," but with quietly spoken agitation. The uneasy passion of the main theme leads to conclusions that seem to protest rather than find any consolation. The movement's dominant feeling is urgency: upbeat after upbeat after upbeat occurs. Amid great instability and a questioning aura, we experience a peek into Don Giovanni's abyss. In the finale, the horns intrude with wild swatches of color. There is even an eerie twelve-note insertion after the double bar in the Allegro assai section.
I’ll see if I can find a free recording of it. Can’t make any promises, tho.
Thanks. :)
I like the George Szell / Cleveland Symphony version a little more, but that's what usually happens to me with George Szel and the Cleveland. They got a spell on me. Thank you for the link to that, RushIsMyTeddyBear.
Cordially,
Mozart + Bernstein + that symphony orchestra! What a tribute to the magic of human teamwork, and how the whole exceeds the sum of its parts.
ping
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