Mozart
Symphony No 40 in G minor
The essay question - melody
 Well proportioned/balanced melody lines
 Regular 4 bar phrases
 Contrasting melodies in the first and second subject
 Motif of the first subject is developed in the middle
section (the development section)
Essay question –
harmony/tonality
 Harmony is diatonic (of the key)
 First subject is in G minor
 Second subject is in B flat major
 The second subject in the recapitulation is in the tonic
key of G minor
 Perfect cadences used to define the keys
 Diminished 7ths used
Essay question - Texture
 The main texture is homophonic
 Oboes and bassoons provide harmonic filling
 Some parts are doubled
 Some parts are in octaves
 There is dialogue between strings and woodwind
Essay question - Structure
 The piece is in sonata form
 Exposition, development and recapitulation
 There are 2 contrasting themes/subjects
 There is a bridge section between the 1st and 2nd theme
(for modulation)
 Ends with a coda
Essay question - Instruments
 Classical orchestra
 Strings – violins, violas, cellos and double basses
 7 woodwind – 1 flute, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets and 2
bassoons
 Brass – only 2 horns
 No trumpets or timpani
Mozart - Background
 Mozart was a composer from the classical era 1750 1830
 Mozart was born in Austria in 1756
 He died at the age of 35
 A symphony is a large scale work usually in 4
movements
 They can last over an hour
 We are studying the 1st movement Molto Allegro (very
fast)
Sonata form
 There are three sections
 1 exposition
 This is where the themes are exposed (subject 1 in
g minor and 2 in B flat major)
 2 development
 This is where the 1st subject gets developed
 Uses lots of key changes and build excitement
 3 recapitulation
 This is were the 1st and second subject come back but both
in g minor
Test
The essay question - melody
 Write 4 comments about melody
Essay question –
harmony/tonality
 Comment on the tonality/harmony used in this piece
Essay question - Texture
 Comment on the texture of this piece
Essay question - Structure
 Comment on the structure of this piece
Essay question - Instruments
 Comment on the instrumentation of this piece
Mozart - Background
 Mozart was a composer from which era? What were
the dates?
 When and where was Mozart born?
 What is symphony?
 They can last over an hour
 What does molto allegro mean?
Sonata form
 What are the 3 sections and what happens in each
one?