Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart completed his Symphony No. 41 in C major, K. 551, on 10 August 1788. The longest and last symphony that he composed, it is regarded by many critics as among the greatest symphonies in classical music. The work is nicknamed the Jupiter Symphony, probably coined by the impresario Johann Peter Salomon.

The autograph manuscript of the symphony is preserved in the Berlin State Library.

Instrumentation

  • Woodwinds: flute, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons
  • Brass: 2 horns in C (and in F in the Andante), 2 trumpets in C
  • Percussion: timpani
  • Strings: first and second violins, violas, cellos, double basses

History

The work is the final of a set of three symphonies Mozart composed in rapid succession during the summer of 1788: no. 39 was completed on 26 June and no. 40 on 25 July.

Around the same time as he composed the three symphonies, Mozart was writing his piano trios in E major (K. 542) and C major (K. 548), his piano sonata No. 16 in C (K. 545)—the so-called Sonata facile, and a violin sonatina (K. 547).

It is not known for certain whether the symphony was ever performed in the composer's lifetime. According to Otto Erich Deutsch, Mozart was preparing to hold a series of "Concerts in the Casino" around this time in a new casino in the Spiegelgasse owned by Philipp Otto. Mozart even sent a pair of tickets for this series to his friend Michael Puchberg. Historians have not determined whether the concert series was held or was cancelled for lack of interest.

Movements

The four movements are arranged in the traditional symphonic form of the Classical era:

The symphony typically has a duration of about 33 minutes.

I. Allegro vivace

The opening movement is in sonata form. Its main theme begins with contrasting motifs: a threefold tutti outburst on the fundamental tone (respectively, by an ascending motion leading in a triplet from the dominant tone underneath to the fundamental one), followed by a more lyrical response.

:<score sound>

<<

\new Staff \with { instrumentName = #"Fl."} \relative c {

\key c \major

\set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t

\tempo "Allegro vivace" 4 = 140

\time 4/4

\set Staff.midiInstrument = "flute"

c'4\f r8 \times 2/3 { g16( a b } c4) r8 \times 2/3 { g16( a b } |

c4) r r2 | R1 | R1 |

g4\f r8 \times 2/3 { d16( e fis } g4) r8 \times 2/3 { d16( e fis } |

g4) r4 r2 | R1 | R1 |

c4 c8. c16 c4 c |

a4 a8. a16 a4 a |

b4 b8. b16 b4 b |

}

\new Staff \with { instrumentName = #"Vl. 1 "} \relative c {

\key c \major

\time 4/4

\set Staff.midiInstrument = "violin"

c,4\f r8 \times 2/3 { g16( a b } c4) r8 \times 2/3 { g16( a b } |

c4) r r r8 c'-.\p |

c4.( b8 d4. c8) |

g'2( f4) r |

<g, g,>4\f r8 \times 2/3 { d16( e fis } g4) r8 \times 2/3 { d16( e fis } |

g4) r r r8 d'-.\p |

d4.( c8 g'4. f!8) |

a2( g4) r |

<g, e' c'>\f r8 g32^"Vl. 2"( f e d c4) <g' e' c' > |

<f c' a'> r8 c'32^"Vl. 2"( bes a g f4) <a f'> |

<b, g' d'> r8 d32^"Vl. 2"( c b! a g4) <d b' g'> |

}

>>

</score>

This exchange is heard twice and then followed by an extended series of fanfares. What follows is a transitional passage where the two contrasting motifs are expanded and developed. From there, the second theme group begins with a lyrical section in G major which ends suspended on a seventh chord and is followed by a stormy section in C minor. Following a full stop, the expositional coda begins which quotes Mozart's insertion aria "Un bacio di mano", K.&nbsp;541 and then ends the exposition on a series of fanfares.

The development begins with a modulation from G major to E major where the insertion-aria theme is then repeated and extensively developed. A false recapitulation then occurs where the movement's opening theme returns but softly and in F major. The first theme group's final flourishes then are extensively developed against a chromatically falling bass followed by a restatement of the end of the insertion aria then leading to C major for the true recapitulation. Mozart often used it; it makes a brief appearance as early as his Symphony No.&nbsp;1 in 1764. Later, he used it in the Credo of an early Missa Brevis in F major, the first movement of his Symphony No.&nbsp;33 and trio of the minuet of this symphony. It also appears at bar 105 in the first movement of the Violin Sonata No. 33 where it is used as the fresh thematic material that forms the basis for the development section, making a final appearance in the movement's coda.

Scholars are certain Mozart studied Michael Haydn's Symphony No.&nbsp;28 in C major, which also has a fugato in its finale and whose coda he very closely paraphrases for his own coda. Charles Sherman speculates that Mozart also studied Michael Haydn's Symphony No.&nbsp;23 in D major because he "often requested his father Leopold to send him the latest fugue that Haydn had written". The Michael Haydn Symphony No. 39, written only a few weeks before Mozart's, also has a fugato in the finale, the theme of which begins with two whole notes. Sherman has pointed out other similarities between the two almost perfectly contemporaneous works. The four-note motif is also the main theme of the contrapuntal finale of Michael's elder brother Joseph's Symphony No.&nbsp;13 in D major (1764).

Origin of the nickname

According to the composer's younger son Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart, the symphony was given the name Jupiter by Johann Peter Salomon, who had settled in London in around 1781. The name has also been attributed to Johann Baptist Cramer, an English music publisher. Reportedly, from the first chords, Mozart's Symphony No. 41 reminded Cramer of Jupiter and his thunderbolts.

The record labels list the Victor Concert Orchestra as the performers; they omit the conductor, who according to company ledgers was Walter B. Rogers.

The music was heavily abridged and issued on two records: 10-inch 17707 and 12-inch 35430. Victor published two widely separated takes of each of the first two movements under the same catalogue numbers. The distribution, recording dates, and approximate timings were as follows (data from corresponding matrix pages in the Discography of American Historical Recordings as indicated and physical copies of the records):

  • 1st movement (17707-A, 10"), 5 August 1913 (if take 1) or 27 January 1915 (if take 6), 2:45
  • 2nd movement (35430-A, 12"), 5 August 1913 (if take 1) or 18 January 1915 (if take 7), 3:32
  • 3rd movement (17707-B, 10"), 22 December 1914, 2:40
  • 4th movement (35430-B, 12"), 22 December 1914, 3:41

References

Sources

Further reading

  • Symphony in C major, K. 551. Mozart's autograph, Berlin State Library
  • , by Richard Atkinson