13126 Mozart - The Milan Period

As we near the end of the Mozart’s tour of Italy, we find the Mozart family concluding their tour in Milan Italy. Here the 15-year-old Mozart would compose his last symphonies in the city of Milan and also, one of his most emotional symphonies, which we will play in next week’s broadcast. However, now we will play Symphony in C Major or Symphony 46. This 4-movement symphony is scored for 2 oboes, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani and strings. Bassoons and a harpsichord could also be used, if available, to reinforce the bass line and to act as a continuo. The authenticity of the symphony is uncertain as the autograph page was destroyed in World War 2. Symphony 13 in F Major is also in 4 movements. The 2nd movement is scored for strings alone. The 3rd movement is a minuet and may have been composed earlier and inserted into the symphony. It is noteworthy that the minuet is entirely in Leopold’s hand. Symphony 13 is the last conventional symphony written by Wolfgang. Beginning with Symphony 14, which we will cover next week, Wolfgang begins to leave the traditional classical period style behind and begins to evolve music into the very early romantic era, a truly astounding feat for a young teenager of 15. This symphony is scored for strings, 2 oboes, 2 horns, bassoon and continuo. Divertimento 1, while the title is in the hand of Leopold, this previously considered lost work, is scored for 2 clarinets, 2 horns or wind ensemble and strings and is widely considered to be a work composed exclusively by Wolfgang. In this work, we find one of the earliest uses of the clarinet by Wolfgang. The clarinet was not a standard instrument in the classical period orchestra, however, from this point on, Wolfgang would employ the use of clarinets whenever they were available. Thank you for listening to these closing works of Mozart’s Milan period. These works are performed by the CMD Philharmonic of Paris under the direction of Dominique Beaulieu. This recording is available now in our online store ClassicalRecordings.co Order this CD at: http://www.classicalsavings.com/store/p357/Mozart_-_The_Milan_Period.html