Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K.

550

Compositor: Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus

Obra: Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K. 550

Ano da Composição:  1788

Instrumentação:  1 2 2 2 - 2 0 0 0, str

Publishers: Universal Edition

Kalmus Music & Co., Inc.
C.F. Peters Frankfurt
Barenreiter Verlag
Chester Music and Novello & Company
Edition Eulenburg
The Edwin A. Fleisher Music Collection
Breitkopf & Hartel
Universal Edition, Vienna

Duração:  00:37:00

Período:  Classical (1750-1830)

Categoria:  Orquestral
Informação da Obra
 

Análise do trabalho
 

Gravação(ões) Disponível(eis)
Analysis b
y:Simon Rushby
Reference:8.550299 tracks 1-4
Note : It would be a good idea to consult the chapters on ‘Music of the Classical Period’ and ‘Sonata
Form’ in the Study Area before studying this analysis.
Background and Overview

Mozart composed his last three symphonies – Nos. 39 in Eb, 40 in G minor and 41 in C (known as the Jupiter) –
in the summer of 1788. He had not enjoyed the success in 1788 that he had found in the two previous years,
having to cancel public appearances and finding difficulty publishing some of his works. Financially he fell on
harder times and his health deteriorated. He composed these three symphonies without a commission, probably
for a concert series in Vienna which never got off the ground.

It is perhaps understandable, then, that the opening theme of the first movement has an unsettled and dark air
which permeates the entire symphony. The music is in a minor key, there is no introduction, and the theme is
underpinned with a restless string accompaniment. Moreover, it is presented in short phrases which rise and fall:

Throughout the symphony there are many sudden contrasts between quiet and loud dynamics, and in many of
the themes Mozart avoids smooth, conjunct melodies.

The second, slow movement is particularly strings-dominated, often at a quiet dynamic, but punctuated
by szforzandi from the double basses. The movement contrasts with its predecessor not only in tempo, but also
in metre (it is in compound time), key (the relative major of the subdominant - Eb major), and in the smoother,
conjunct melodic lines.
The third movement is a minuet and trio and the sections contrast in key and dynamics. The melodies are
angular and disjunct, and the movement contains much character and atmosphere. The final movement
continues this mood, with jumpy melodies, varied dynamics and big contrasts.
Analysis

First movement: Molto allegro

Exposition First Subject 0.00 to 0.29 G minor

  Transition 0.30 to 0.47 Moves to Bb
  Second Subject 0.48 to 1.13 Bb (brief passage in Ab)
  Codetta 1.14 to 1.51 Bb
(Repeated)      
       
Development Mainly First 3.43 to 4.53 Modulating
  Subject material    
Recapitulation First Subject 4.54 to 5.22 G minor
  Transition 5.23 to 6.02 Eb, through F minor to G minor
  Second Subject 6.03 to 6.32 G minor (brief passage in Eb)
       
Coda   6.33 to end G minor
This movement is in sonata form and the exposition starts in G minor with the first subject over divided violas
and lower strings. This theme is at first arranged into short, two-bar question and answer phrases (see Ex. 1,
above). The second half of the theme (0.10 to 0.21) has a longer final phrase which leads to a woodwind
answer, followed by a repeated imperfect cadence (consisting of a diminished 7th chord moving to a dominant
chord) at 0.17.
The tonality moves to the relative major of Bb and at 0.30 a new, transition theme begins.

This theme seems more optimistic, with its triadic fanfare-like calls, and the music settles in Bb major. The
transition ends with a long passage in the dominant (F major) at 0.41.

At 0.48 the second subject begins, in Bb major, and this melody is smoother, more conjunct, and shared
between the violins and the clarinet and bassoon:

It is arranged into two four-bar phrases and played twice, the second time with wind and strings roles reversed
and moving to a brief section in Ab major (1.04), returning to Bb for a codetta at 1.14. In this codetta one can
hear call-and-response snippets of the first subject, and exciting runs played by the whole orchestra, followed by
repeated V7-I perfect cadences.
The development section begins at 3.43 with a short wind passage which shifts the tonality unexpectedly into
F# minor. The first subject is heard (3.47), cleverly overlapping with the wind passage and heralding the start of
a long section based on this theme. The end of each answering phrase is altered chromatically:

as we move to E minor (3.58). The theme moves from upper to lower strings and back again, through the keys
of C major (4.08), F major (4.11), and Bb major (4.13). Then we hear a sequence, finally arriving on the
dominant pedal of D minor (the dominant key) at 4.20.

The passage from 4.24 to 4.40 consists of a number of sequences played by first violins and answered by the
wind, often using diminished chords. At 4.40 it is clear that the music is moving (often chromatically) towards
the recapitulation, which we hear at 4.54.

The recapitulation begins in the same way as the exposition, but the transition avoids the move to Bb major,
settling in Eb major (5.23). Mozart extends this section by repeating the fanfare-like theme in the lower
instruments in the key of F minor (5.31). A cycle of fifths (5.37 to 5.44) returns us to familiar ground, as the
transition moves into the second subject at 6.03 (this time in the tonic, as is common in sonata form). As the
coda approaches, Mozart has to be inventive to avoid modulating away from the tonic, and at 6.25 we hear a
sequential passage before arriving back at the tonic (6.33). The coda then plays out in much the same way as
the codetta did, but in the darker and more chromatic minor key. At 7.08 there is a brief, haunting imitative
passage over a tonic pedal, based on the first subject, before the movement comes to an end with three
declamatory tonic chords.
Melody and rhythm

Much of the melodic material in this movement is derived from the first subject, and often the three-note motif
that is heard three times at the start. Another motif used commonly by Mozart in this movement is the fall of one
semitone, like a sigh, which is first heard in the strings at 1.04, repeated four times and each time answered by a
rising semitone in the woodwind (really, a succession of perfect cadences). It is fitting that we first hear this motif
as part of the second subject, the theme of which is characterised by falling semitones.

Mozart is aware of the dark and expressive nature of these themes, and is keen to infuse them with a sense of
drama and urgency. He does this by underpinning each theme with a driving, rhythmically exciting
accompaniment. The first subject is accompanied by incessant quavers in the violas, and the transition by mad,
oscillating thirds in the bassoons, ‘cellos and basses. The second subject starts more sedately, but soon is
driven forward by repeated quavers at 1.08, which are also a feature of the codetta. These rhythmically driving
figures can also be seen throughout the development.

Harmony and tonality

Mozart’s choice of G minor for this symphony would not have been lightly taken. He was aware of the
connotations of such a key in the works of his contemporaries.

Chromaticism, or the use of chords and notes which do not belong to the key, is an important feature in this
movement. The first forte entry of the full orchestra, at 0.18, is a diminished chord, repeated five times in quick
succession and each time resolved to a dominant chord:
Second movement: Andante
Exposition First Subject 0.00 to 1.17 Eb major
  Second Subject 1.18 to 1.49 Bb major
First Subject
  1.50 to 2.19 Db major
return
  Codetta 2.20 to 3.19 Bb major
Development   3.19 to 4.35 Modulating
       
Recapitulation First Subject 4.36 to 5.19 Eb major
  Second Subject 5.20 to 6.11 F minor to Eb major
First Subject
  6.12 to 6.40 Gb major
return
Coda   6.41 to end Eb major
This movement is also in sonata form and the exposition starts in Eb major. The first subject is presented
imitatively, its repeated quavers beginning first in the violas, and then answered in the second violins, followed
by the 1st violins, before resolving on a perfect cadence. These repeated quavers, coupled with the chromatic
bass line in the second bar, characterise the first phrase of this theme. The second phrase, also four bars,
consists of two rising chromatic appoggiaturas (note the repeated quavers still present in the horns) followed by
a repeated rhythmic idea marked as x in Ex. 6 below. This pair of demisemiquavers becomes a major feature of
the movement.

The first subject is repeated at 0.32 with a lyrical violin countermelody, followed by the first instance of some
development of the x idea, underneath a short woodwind theme.

At 1.18 we move abruptly into Bb major (the dominant), and with no obvious transition passage, for the second
subject, which again combines lyrical themes with the jerky x idea. Unusually we then hear the first subject
theme again, in Db major at 1.50, with wind continuing the x idea. This takes us through a sequence which
finally finishes back in Bb major at 2.20 for the codetta, with the x idea never far away. Mozart completes the
exposition with an extended cadence (3.01) in the expected dominant key.

The development starts at 3.19 with the focus on the repeated quavers and x idea from the first subject. A
lengthy sequence starts at 3.35 where the wind and strings swap these two ideas, moving through various keys
finishing at 4.00 in the dominant of C major. The bassoon then starts a variation of the first subject (4.17) which
becomes another sequence. The strings keep to the repeated quavers and x motives, and the wind develop the
chromatic idea that we first heard in the basses in bar two.

This sequence takes us back to Eb major, and the recapitulation at 4.36. The end of the first subject modulates
this time into F minor for the second subject (5.20) (with the ‘surprise’ return of the first subject in Gb major),
followed by a move to Eb major, which allows the coda at 6.41 to be in the tonic key.

Third movement: Menuetto and Trio – Allegretto

Note : It would be a good idea to consult the chapter on ‘Binary and Ternary Form’ in the Study Area
before studying this analysis.
(All sections in the first minuet and trio are repeated)
Minuet A 0.00 to 0.33 G minor moving to D minor
  B 0.34 to 1.41 Bb major moving to G minor
Trio A 1.42 to 2.33 G major moving to D major
  B 2.34 to 3.42 D major moving to G major
Minuet A 3.43 to 3.59 G minor moving to D minor
  B 4.00 to 4.34 Bb major moving to G minor
The popular Minuet and Trio presents a lighter contrast to the preceding slow movement, though Mozart returns
to the Symphony’s tonic key, G minor. The Minuet, like most minuets, is in binary form, with each half repeated.
The A section melody is triadic and rhythmically insecure, with three-bar phrases and ties over the barline which
mask the three-in-a-bar feel.

Mozart retains some normality though, particularly in his modulation to the dominant of D minor at the halfway
point.

The B section of the minuet begins with the same material in the wind as in the A section, but in the relative
major. This opening phrase is answered by a similar phrase back in the tonic key, then in Eb major, before a
brief sequence brings us back to the dominant at 0.47. It then seems as if we may get a return to the A section,
but Mozart veers off into another chromatic sequence. The minuet ends with a codetta-like section for wind,
where the falling chromatic scale in the bassoon is particularly noticeable (1.00).
Trios got their name due to their reduced orchestration (originally being for just three instruments) and usually
contrast with the preceding minuet. This trio is no exception, being in the tonic major (G major), and for either
strings or wind, but rarely both at the same time, apart from at cadence points. The trio is also in binary form,
with the A section consisting of a more conjunct, equally phrased melody. The B section (2.34) alternates
rising and falling, disjunct and conjunct phrases between strings and wind, allowing the horns to come to the
fore, and this entire, charming little trio is a breath of fresh, untainted air within such a tempestuous symphony.
Fourth movement: Allegro assai

Exposition First Subject 0.00 to 0.30 G minor

  Transition 0.31 to 1.08 Moves to Bb major
  Second Subject 1.09 to 1.39 Bb major
  Codetta 1.39 to 2.02 Bb major
       
Development First Subject 2.02 to 3.19 Modulating
(includes fugue) material    
Recapitulation First Subject 3.20 to 3.35 G minor
Modulating, but returning to G
  Transition 3.35 to 3.58
minor
  Second Subject 3.58 to 4.27 G minor
       
Coda   4.28 to end G minor
Once again this movement is in sonata form. It stands out in many ways, not least in that Mozart again sticks to
the minor key, though this is not to say that the finale is anything but exciting, since it is full of driving rhythms
and sudden contrasts.
We begin with the triadic first subject presented in the strings with loud, declamatory tutti answers every two
bars. The tonic minor key allows Mozart to use a proliferation of diminished chords and other chromatic colour.
This first subject ends with a long passage of tonic-dominant chords, remaining in G minor for quite some time.
At 0.31 we hear the start of the transition section, moving smoothly via a number of sequences into the relative
major, and the second subject begins at 1.09. This theme contrasts with the first subject in a number of ways –
it is more conjunct, it has reduced orchestration, it employs much longer notes and it is more chromatic,
particularly in the second eight-bar phrase. The woodwind take over the theme with some beautiful interplay
between clarinet and bassoon and some interjections from the strings, and we return to the frenetic, arresting
tempo and dynamics of the opening of the movement at 1.39. This is the codetta and it picks up the
tonic/dominant progressions we heard at the end of the first subject to round off this exposition.
The development begins with the first two bars of the first subject, before abruptly changing key. Mozart teases
the listener before launching into an extended passage centred on its dominant (A minor) at 2.12. A two-part
fugue between first violins and violas becomes four-part on the entry of the second violins at 2.29, and then the
entry of the cellos and basses. The fugue becomes busier and more chromatic until at 2.50 the wind alternate
with the lower strings with the first subject material over a dominant pedal in the key of C# minor. Throughout
this passage Mozart never shakes off the sense of minor key. At 3.02 an interrupted cadence in C# minor
precedes a highly chromatic, modulating section which cleverly brings the music back to the tonic key for
the recapitulation.
The transition at 3.35 is longer and moves the music through a variety of tonal centres before arriving back at G
minor for the second subject, which now sounds rather forlorn in a minor key (3.58). Intense chromaticism
through this and the subsequent coda, brings the symphony to a dark and foreboding close.
Style

Despite the all the references to Mozart’s dramatic style, there are many aspects which contribute to this work’s
undoubted ‘classical’ nature, and firmly place it at the heart of the classical period. These aspects include:
 Much ‘melody and accompaniment’ texture – mainly homophonic, with an emphasis on lyrical melodies.
Contrapuntal textures such as the fugue in the final movement are used for effect.
 Balanced phrases – the chief melodies generally have two or four bar ‘question’ and ‘answer’ phrases.
 Functional harmony – harmonic progressions which define keys clearly and help to give the movement a
well-defined structure. There are a number of passages of dominant preparation (e.g. 4.40 in the first
movement) and many common cadential progressions such as cadential second inversions (i.e. chords Ic –
V – I such as at 1.11 in the first movement).
 Three out of the four movements of this symphony use sonata form – a popular classical structure.
 The instrumentation is common in classical symphonies – the strings dominate and have the bulk of the
melody, and the wind instruments provide texture, colour and decoration. Apart from horns, there are no
brass or percussion instruments in this symphony.
 The Sturm und Drang dramatic qualities so beloved of Mozart, Haydn and (later) Beethoven are more
than evident in this work.
Further listening
 Listen to Mozart’s Symphonies Nos. 39 and 41 (‘Jupiter’), which were written during the same summer.
The three symphonies complement each other beautifully, and in them we hear many facets of Mozart’s
forward-looking and dramatic compositional style.
 To further place this work in context, listen to some other major works of the late 1780s, such as
Haydn’s Symphony No.92 in G (Oxford) (8.550387) which was written in 1789.