Early symphonies

Abstract

Mozart's first symphony was written in 1764, his last in 1788; in the former year Rameau died, in the latter Beethoven turned 18. During this quarter-century significant changes in musical style oc¬curred, which can be observed in Mozart's more-than-60 symphonies as well as in the symphonies of his contemporaries. Many writers about Mozart's symphonies have made the mistake of confusing thcgeneral change in symphonic style during his lifetime with his per¬sonal development as a composer. These style changes were closely related to a gradual shift in the function and valuation of symphonies, from works intended to provide entertaining but conventional introductions to plays, operas, ballets, concerts, serenades and a variety of other social, religious or civic events, to works viewed as art for art's sake and the principal attractions of formal concerts. Examination of Mozart's symphonies of the late 1770's and early 1780's reveals the emergence of essential elements of the new style. A key technical and stylistic change was the dissolution of the com¬posite bass-line of the early symphonies into inde¬pendent parts for cello, double-bass and bassoon. The last symphony in which bassoons are not obbli-gato is K. 102 (213c), of 1775, and the first in which the cellos and double-basses are systematically written for separately is K. 319 of 1779. Another noteworthy development was the defini¬tive separation of the overture-sinfonia and the concert sinfonia. These two genres were intertwined for most of the eighteenth century, not only in their forms and functions but in the interchangeability of the labels "overture" and "sinfonia." The last opera overture refurbished by Mozart as a sym¬phony was "II repastore," K. 102 (213c), of 1775. The last concert symphony used as an overture with his consent was K. 318 of 1779. The first overture that Mozart did not recycle as a concert symphony was that for "Idomeneo" (1780).