Favorite Moments in a Mozart Symphony

[paulb]

I have none.
I love the entire last 6 syms  from first note to last, all is glorious.

Well, if the waterboarding method of confession was applied

Then I'd have to say the finale to the 41st.. 

_{that section of the 41st, is only matched/equaled, or perhaps some might say surpassed by the finale in the 25th piano concerto.}

[hornteacher]

Symphony 40 - 1st movement towards the end of the exposition where the soft call/response of the opening motif leads to a sudden high octave violin charge to a cadence.  Nice.  Also the transition passage in the fourth movement between the 1st and 2nd themes.

Symphony 36 - Closing of the exposition when the strings play 8th notes at forte, then the same 8th notes suddenly piano, then the same notes but as 16ths suddenly loud again.

[Keemun]

Favorite moment in a Mozart symphony?  The end.   

[Mozart]

Favorite moment in a Mozart symphony?  The end.   

I agree, the feeling of satisfaction and fruition you get is far greater in Mozart than in any other composer. You need a good 5 minute pause to come back to earth from the utopia you just visited.

[Bogey]

#39 start to finish.

[Keemun]

I agree, the feeling of satisfaction and fruition you get is far greater in Mozart than in any other composer. You need a good 5 minute pause to come back to earth from the utopia you just visited.

No, I was referring to the relief felt when the torture ends.  (I'm only being half serious, of course.)    Mozart's symphonies are on my ever-growing list of classical music I hope to one day appreciate.   

[Morigan]

No, I was referring to the relief felt when the torture ends.  (I'm only being half serious, of course.)    Mozart's symphonies are on my ever-growing list of classical music I hope to one day appreciate.   

You should refer to Teresa's list for things you might like...


... Haha, just teasing you

[Iago]

No, I was referring to the relief felt when the torture ends.  (I'm only being half serious, of course.)    Mozart's symphonies are on my ever-growing list of classical music I hope to one day appreciate.   

Well, I'm TOTALLY serious.
Mozart symphonies are boring, in the extreme.
When any of them is performed at a concert I might attend, I hope they're the last items on the program so that I can leave before I hear a note of that drudgery while missing nothing else.
But their are things that are worse than any Mozart symphony. And that is ANY Mozart opera.

[val]

I love the 6 last Symphonies (and also others, such as the 25, 29 and 34), but there is a moment that I put above the rest: the sublime Andante Cantabile of the 41.

[lisa needs braces]

First movement of his 38th symphony,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNQz417bDTQ&feature=related

1:35-2:57

[ChamberNut]

The entire Symphony No. 40, but the 1st movement especially. 

[Gustav]

I used to find Mozart symphonies "boring", but not anymore. After i got a copy of Bruno Walter's Mozart's last six symphonies, it completely blew me away, i think it's safe to say that you have not heard Mozart until you have heard Walter's interpretation.

the opening of the 35th

the opening of the 36th

the last movement of the 40th, where the development starts.

[BachQ]

Beyond the Jupiter finale, which is one of the most sublime accomplishments in all of art, I opt for:

1. The anguished, pulsating minor-key theme in the 2d mvt of Sym no. 39;  0:)
2. The joyous finale to Sym no. 39;  0:)
3. First movement of Sym no. 21.  0:)

[paulb]

I used to find Mozart symphonies "boring", but not anymore. After i got a copy of Bruno Walter's Mozart's last six symphonies, it completely blew me away, i think it's safe to say that you have not heard Mozart until you have heard Walter's interpretation.

This set on LP was one of my first CM purchases. Played it quite often. It was this recording that gave me the desire to compare others, and start as a critic of sorts in all recordings.
The Walter/Columbia was released on cd once or twice and then Sony bought out the old Columbia recordings in the mid 90's and never re-released those recordings.
They madea  set with only one Columbia SO and the others were with the NY Phil, as part of the *Last 6*.
I had to find the set on amazon/Germany 4 yrs ago.
I think Arkiv has made the good effort to release their own release of the Columbia set.
Now there is another set that I have found to match equally the Walter/Columbia.
that is the Bohm/Berlin. Both conductors take the tempos/phrasing almost identical.
Someone malied  me yrs ago about that Bohm/berlin and asked if i thought it was too *klappermiester* in approach. Whatever that might mean
I find nothing of the sort.

Both recordings may seem a  tad too *heavy* for some preferences, those wanting more chamberistic sound, like say the Mackerras/Prague.
I had the Mackerras set.

[Ephemerid]

The entire Symphony No. 40, but the 1st movement especially. 

The entire Symphony No. 40, but the 2nd movement especially.   

[karlhenning]

I like when that upper-neighbor figure which opens the first theme of the first movement of the K.550, comes back as closing material at the end of the Expo.

[Gustav]

that is the Bohm/Berlin. Both conductors take the tempos/phrasing almost identical.
Someone malied  me yrs ago about that Bohm/berlin and asked if i thought it was too *klappermiester* in approach. Whatever that might mean
I find nothing of the sort.

That might not be a coincidence, In Karl Böhm's autobiography he admitted that Bruno Walter made him "to love Mozart more".

[karlhenning]

Another beloved moment, though in the K.551, is in the Andante cantabile, which is in three, when the passages briefly establish a two-beat pattern 'against' the notated triple meter.

[paulb]

That might not be a coincidence, In Karl Böhm's autobiography he admitted that Bruno Walter made him "to love Mozart more".

Interesting.
I wonder if Bohm had the Walter LP set in his collection.
I sat down one day and dida   compare, and gave up after some futile efforts. It was pointless, they were that close, yet  the yrs  later recorded Bohm set has its individual unique stamp.
Its the only 2 recordings of the late syms that I kept in my collection.
yes i had the Klemperer/Philharmonia early mono/Testament. Good, but sound recording and some phrasing made it un-necessary to keep.

[Gustav]

Interesting.
I wonder if Bohm had the Walter LP set in his collection.
I sat down one day and dida   compare, and gave up after some futile efforts. It was pointless, they were that close, yet  the yrs  later recorded Bohm set has its individual unique stamp.
Its the only 2 recordings of the late syms that I kept in my collection.
yes i had the Klemperer/Philharmonia early mono/Testament. Good, but sound recording and some phrasing made it un-necessary to keep.

uhh, Böhm actually WORKED with Bruno Walter, and in fact, it was Bruno Walter who gave him his first big break.