Area of Study 1 - Mozart - Symphony no. 40 in G minor

Mozart – Symphony no. 40 in G minor

“Symphony no. 40 in G Minor, 1^st movement”, by Mozart was composed in 1788, in Vienna. It was written for a concert, one movement of four. However, it is still uncertain if it was played before he died in 1791. He was an influential composer in the Classical Era.

The movement is written in 4/4 time, which is simple quadruple, and it stays the same throughout. Also staying the same throughout is the tempo, which is ‘molto allegro’, or very lively.

The movement is in sonata form. This means it has three main sections, an exposition, a development and a recapitulation. In the exposition, two main musical themes are introduced. The first subject here is in G minor.  It consists largely of quavers and crotchets, starting with three very repetitive notes Eb-D-D, which is repeated three times. It then raises a minor 6^th. There is “breathless” articulation played on the notes, giving the subject a hurried feel. The subject is played…