Composed: 1782
Premiered: 1783, Vienna
Duration: 18 minutes

The Haffners were a prosperous family of Salzburg, but despite the difference in their social standings, they appear to have been on friendly terms with the Mozarts. In 1776, when Marie Elisabeth, the sister of Sigmund Haffner, was about to be married, Mozart was commissioned to write a festive serenade for the celebration on the evening before the wedding. The result was an easy-going, extended piece in eight movements, including a miniature violin concerto.

A second commission, this time for a symphony, came in 1782, when Sigmund was granted a title of nobility. Since Mozart had moved to Vienna, the discussions had to be conducted with his father by mail. Wolfgang was extremely busy with the premiere of his first German-language opera, The Abduction from the Seraglio. He therefore used four of the movements from his earlier serenade, strengthened the orchestration, made a few corrections, and sent the score to Salzburg in several instalments. The resulting “Haffner Symphony” still retains the festive mood of the original serenade, but is obviously more concise.

Mozart needed a symphony for a Lenten concert in 1783, so he asked his father to return the score of the symphony urgently. In his letter acknowledging that he had received it, he said he had completely forgotten it, and was pleased to see how good it was. He added further woodwind parts, and performed it in Vienna on March 23, 1783. This is the version we have today.

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