Mozart: Symphony No. 5 [Vienna Philharmonic, Ton Koopman]

Conducted by Ton Koopman, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (Wiener Philharmoniker) plays Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Symphony No. 5 in B-flat major, K. 22. The composer was nine years old when he composed the piece in The Hague in December 1765. He was on his musical tour of Western Europe.

Conducted by Ton Koopman, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (Wiener Philharmoniker) plays Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Symphony No. 5 in B-flat major, K. 22.

Mozart’s Symphony No. 5

Mozart’s Symphony No. 5 in B-flat major, K. 22, composed in December 1765, represents an early work by the young composer, who was only nine years old at the time. While the piece is brief and structurally simple compared to his later symphonies, it provides a fascinating glimpse into Mozart’s prodigious talent.

Written during his family’s stay in The Hague, this symphony reflects the stylistic influences of the Italian overture, common in opera, with its fast-slow-fast movement sequence. The piece exhibits elegance, clarity, and lightness, characteristic of the galant style, a musical approach focusing on accessible, lyrical, and refined melodies.

Though compact, it reveals young Mozart’s grasp of form and orchestration, hinting at his future mastery. Symphony No. 5 also captures Mozart’s early exploration of emotional contrasts, evident in the slight shifts in mood and tone across its movements. Despite its brevity and relatively straightforward design, it offers insight into his developing compositional style and the influences that shaped his early works.

The symphony is scored for two oboes, two horns, and strings. The form is that of a three-movement Italian overture:

  1. Allegro, 4/4
  2. Andante, 2/4
  3. Allegro molto, 3/8

Movements of Symphony No. 5

  1. Allegro, 4/4: The symphony opens with an Allegro in 4/4 time, showcasing Mozart’s early knack for creating energy and momentum. The movement has a lively, rhythmic pulse that maintains a sense of forward motion, driven by the interplay between strings and winds. Despite the straightforward structure, Mozart uses slight thematic variations to build interest, allowing him to explore rhythm and dynamics even within the constraints of a young composer’s skills. This Allegro sets a lighthearted and energetic tone, characteristic of the galant style, with playful and repetitive phrases that immediately engage the listener.
  2. Andante, 2/4: The second movement, marked Andante in 2/4 time, provides a contrasting slow and reflective interlude. Here, Mozart shifts to a more contemplative mood, allowing the strings to lead with a gentle, flowing melody. The 2/4 time signature imparts a graceful, lilting rhythm, which Mozart uses to evoke a sense of calm and poise. This movement reveals his early grasp of lyrical expression, as the music weaves through dynamic variations with a tenderness that softens the overall mood of the symphony.
  3. Allegro molto, 3/8: The symphony concludes with an Allegro molto in 3/8 time, bringing back the exuberance of the first movement with a quick, lively tempo. The rapid 3/8 meter adds a sense of lightness and agility, allowing Mozart to build a playful, almost dance-like atmosphere. This finale’s spirited theme captures a bright optimism, with rhythmic accents and contrasting textures among the instruments that bring the piece to an exhilarating close, highlighting the young Mozart’s intuitive sense of musical form and balance.

All three movements are colored especially prominently by horns. A rousing first movement in the key of B-flat major opens the symphony, followed by a more solemn, mournful movement in the relative key of G minor. A short, boisterous finale closes the work. The opening theme to the finale is borrowed from the finale to the keyboard concerto by Johann Christian Bach whom Mozart had met the previous year in London. The same theme would also appear in a much later, more mature work of Mozart’s: the Act 2 Finale of his 1786 opera buffa, Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), K. 492.

Sources

M. Özgür Nevres
M. Özgür Nevres

I am Özgür Nevres, a software engineer, a former road racing cyclist, and also an amateur musician. I opened andantemoderato.com to share my favorite music. I also take care of stray cats & dogs. This website's all income goes directly to our furry friends. Please consider supporting me on Patreon, so I can help more animals!

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