Symphony No. 16 (Mozart)
Encyclopedia
Symphony No. 16 in C major, K.
128, was the first of three symphonies
composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
in May, 1772, when Mozart was sixteen years old. This symphony is one of many written during the period in which Mozart stayed in Salzburg
, between two trips to Italy
. The autograph of the score is preserved in the Staatsbibliothek Preußischer Kulturbesitz in Berlin
.
s, two horns
, and strings
.
The form is that of a standard three-movement Italian overture:
The first movement, which a C major essay in sonata-allegro form, sounds at first to be in 9/8 due to the presence of triplets. However, as it enters the second half of the exposition section it becomes clear that the meter of this movement is actually 3/4. The development section is short, but filled with dense modulations. Some of this developmental spirit carries over into recapitulation, which turns out not to be perfectly literal.
The oboes and horns drop out of the second movement, which is another essay in sonata-allegro form, written for the strings alone. They return, however, for the third movement, in C major, which is a cheerful dance cast in an altered rondo form, with a coda.
Köchel-Verzeichnis
The Köchel-Verzeichnis is a complete, chronological catalogue of compositions by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart which was originally created by Ludwig von Köchel. It is abbreviated K or KV. For example, Mozart's Requiem in D minor was, according to Köchel's counting, the 626th piece Mozart composed....
128, was the first of three symphonies
Symphony
A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, scored almost always for orchestra. A symphony usually contains at least one movement or episode composed according to the sonata principle...
composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
in May, 1772, when Mozart was sixteen years old. This symphony is one of many written during the period in which Mozart stayed in Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
, between two trips to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. The autograph of the score is preserved in the Staatsbibliothek Preußischer Kulturbesitz in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
.
Structure
The symphony has the basic scoring of two oboeOboe
The oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...
s, two horns
Horn (instrument)
The horn is a brass instrument consisting of about of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. A musician who plays the horn is called a horn player ....
, and strings
String section
The string section is the largest body of the standard orchestra and consists of bowed string instruments of the violin family.It normally comprises five sections: the first violins, the second violins, the violas, the cellos, and the double basses...
.
The form is that of a standard three-movement Italian overture:
- Allegro maestoso, 3/4
- Andante grazioso, 2/4
- Allegro, 6/8
The first movement, which a C major essay in sonata-allegro form, sounds at first to be in 9/8 due to the presence of triplets. However, as it enters the second half of the exposition section it becomes clear that the meter of this movement is actually 3/4. The development section is short, but filled with dense modulations. Some of this developmental spirit carries over into recapitulation, which turns out not to be perfectly literal.
The oboes and horns drop out of the second movement, which is another essay in sonata-allegro form, written for the strings alone. They return, however, for the third movement, in C major, which is a cheerful dance cast in an altered rondo form, with a coda.