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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Symphony No. 41 in C Major, "Jupiter"
Composed: 1788
Premiered: Unknown
Duration: 31 minutes

In the summer of 1788, Mozart composed three major symphonies in rapid succession. His reason for doing so is not known. There is no clear evidence that any of them were performed during his lifetime, though performances were certainly planned, because the orchestral parts were copied out, and he revised the woodwind parts of the G-minor Symphony.

Mozart had made a successful career as a virtuoso pianist. His piano concertos were the centerpiece of his concerts, but his audiences were apparently tiring of them. Furthermore, economic conditions in Vienna were deteriorating because of an ongoing war with the Turks, and the opera was threatened with closure. Some of his aristocratic patrons were leaving town. Mozart returned to composing music for the church, and embarked on symphonies on a larger scale and with a more serious purpose than his earlier works, a path soon to be followed by Haydn and Beethoven.

The grandest of these symphonies is the last, in C Major. How it got the name “Jupiter” is not clear; presumably somebody heard the imposing opening of the first movement and was reminded of pictures of the Thunderer. However, this movement is full of contrasting ideas. The last part of the exposition is a quotation from a silly aria from a comic opera, and it becomes an important part of the development.

The final movement is one of Mozart’s most astonishing achievements. He is known to have become acquainted with some of J.S. Bach’s works, and this may have influenced him to compose in a contrapuntal style. Although it is sometimes referred to as a fugue, the form of this movement is actually that of a classical sonata, but using fragments of themes which lend themselves of contrapuntal development. It all comes to an astounding climax towards the end, when for a few moments, all the themes are combined in an elaborate display of counterpoint. The composer seems to be reveling in the sheer intricacy of it all. Mozart’s contemporaries sometimes complained about the excessive complexity of his music. Had they heard this movement, they would surely have been disturbed. More than 200 years later, we still marvel not only at the skill displayed but also at its tuneful freshness.

Program note by the late Dr. C.W. Helleiner

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Symphony No. 41 in C Major, "Jupiter"
Composed: 1788
Premiered: Unknown
Duration: 31 minutes

In the summer of 1788, Mozart composed three major symphonies in rapid succession. His reason for doing so is not known. There is no clear evidence that any of them were performed during his lifetime, though performances were certainly planned, because the orchestral parts were copied out, and he revised the woodwind parts of the G-minor Symphony.

Mozart had made a successful career as a virtuoso pianist. His piano concertos were the centerpiece of his concerts, but his audiences were apparently tiring of them. Furthermore, economic conditions in Vienna were deteriorating because of an ongoing war with the Turks, and the opera was threatened with closure. Some of his aristocratic patrons were leaving town. Mozart returned to composing music for the church, and embarked on symphonies on a larger scale and with a more serious purpose than his earlier works, a path soon to be followed by Haydn and Beethoven.

The grandest of these symphonies is the last, in C Major. How it got the name “Jupiter” is not clear; presumably somebody heard the imposing opening of the first movement and was reminded of pictures of the Thunderer. However, this movement is full of contrasting ideas. The last part of the exposition is a quotation from a silly aria from a comic opera, and it becomes an important part of the development.

The final movement is one of Mozart’s most astonishing achievements. He is known to have become acquainted with some of J.S. Bach’s works, and this may have influenced him to compose in a contrapuntal style. Although it is sometimes referred to as a fugue, the form of this movement is actually that of a classical sonata, but using fragments of themes which lend themselves of contrapuntal development. It all comes to an astounding climax towards the end, when for a few moments, all the themes are combined in an elaborate display of counterpoint. The composer seems to be reveling in the sheer intricacy of it all. Mozart’s contemporaries sometimes complained about the excessive complexity of his music. Had they heard this movement, they would surely have been disturbed. More than 200 years later, we still marvel not only at the skill displayed but also at its tuneful freshness.

Program note by the late Dr. C.W. Helleiner