Symphony No. 32 (Mozart)
Encyclopedia
The Symphony
No. 32 in G major, K.
318, was written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
in 1779, after his return from Paris
.
The symphony is in the form of an Italian overture, consisting of three brief movements that follow one another without break:
The form is not a true italian overture
or a da capo
overture. The first movement unfolds as if in sonata form
, with no expositional repeat. The two theme groups are stated amidst transitional material. Still in the first movement, a development begins that leads to the first theme of the exposition being worked in a number of keys. At the point where the music is in the dominant and seemingly ready to drop move the tonic for a recapitulation, the music segues to the slow movement. The slow movement is rondo
form (ABACAB). Again, right when the listener is expecting the rondo refrain to return, the music segues to third movement, which continues the development of the first theme from the first movement before a "reverse recapitulation" is performed where the two themes of the first movement are recapitulated in opposite order.
The work was earlier considered as an overture to Mozart's operas Thamos, King of Egypt or Zaide
, but this is unlikely because the dates of those works do not coincide with the autograph manuscript and also because the overture was generally the last piece to be composed for a stage work. In 1785 Mozart used the symphony as an overture for Vienna
performance of Francesco Bianchi's opera La villanella rapita
.
The autograph score is today located in the New York Public Library
.
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...
No. 32 in G major, K.
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....
318, was written 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 1779, after his return from Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
The symphony is in the form of an Italian overture, consisting of three brief movements that follow one another without break:
- Allegro spiritoso, 4/4
- Andante, 3/8
- Primo Tempo, 4/4
The form is not a true italian overture
Italian overture
The Italian overture is a piece of orchestral music with which in the late 17th and early 18th centuries several operas, oratorios and other large-scale works opened....
or a da capo
Da capo
Da Capo is a musical term in Italian, meaning from the beginning . It is often abbreviated D.C. It is a composer or publisher's directive to repeat the previous part of music, often used to save space. In small pieces this might be the same thing as a repeat, but in larger works D.C...
overture. The first movement unfolds as if in sonata form
Sonata form
Sonata form is a large-scale musical structure used widely since the middle of the 18th century . While it is typically used in the first movement of multi-movement pieces, it is sometimes used in subsequent movements as well—particularly the final movement...
, with no expositional repeat. The two theme groups are stated amidst transitional material. Still in the first movement, a development begins that leads to the first theme of the exposition being worked in a number of keys. At the point where the music is in the dominant and seemingly ready to drop move the tonic for a recapitulation, the music segues to the slow movement. The slow movement is rondo
Rondo
Rondo, and its French equivalent rondeau, is a word that has been used in music in a number of ways, most often in reference to a musical form, but also to a character-type that is distinct from the form...
form (ABACAB). Again, right when the listener is expecting the rondo refrain to return, the music segues to third movement, which continues the development of the first theme from the first movement before a "reverse recapitulation" is performed where the two themes of the first movement are recapitulated in opposite order.
The work was earlier considered as an overture to Mozart's operas Thamos, King of Egypt or Zaide
Zaide
Zaide is an unfinished opera, K. 344, written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1780. Emperor Joseph II, in 1778, was in the process of setting up an opera company for the purpose of performing German opera. One condition required of the composer to join this company was that he should write a...
, but this is unlikely because the dates of those works do not coincide with the autograph manuscript and also because the overture was generally the last piece to be composed for a stage work. In 1785 Mozart used the symphony as an overture for Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
performance of Francesco Bianchi's opera La villanella rapita
La villanella rapita
La villanella rapita is an opera giocosa in two acts by Francesco Bianchi. The libretto was by Giovanni Bertati.-Performance history:...
.
The autograph score is today located in the New York Public Library
New York Public Library
The New York Public Library is the largest public library in North America and is one of the United States' most significant research libraries...
.