Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Symphony No. 8 in D major (K. 48). The work is dated December 13, 1768 (the composer was 12 years old). It was written in Vienna, at a time when the family were already due to have returned home to Salzburg.
The symphony is in four movements, and is scored for two oboes, two horns, two trumpets, timpani and strings. The inclusion of trumpets and timpani is unusual for Mozart’s early symphonies. It has described as a “ceremonial work”
- Allegro, 3/4 The first movement begins with downward leaps on the violins and follows with scale figures. These sets of figures alternate between strings and winds.
- Andante, 2/4 The second movement is for strings alone and begins with a narrow melodic range which expands toward the end.
- Menuetto and Trio, 3/4 The third movement is a Minuet full of rapid string passages, and includes the trumpets and timpani, but not during the Trio.
- Molto allegro, 12/8 The final movement is a gigue, whose main theme unusually does not end the movement.
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