Thank you! Strauss reveals both the dramatic power and meticulous structure of the work, and he does it very fluently. Most musicians do not see the "elegant brutality" of this symphony, but Strauss captures this tone very well. Contrary to what many people believe, this was not one of the standard salon works of the 18th century, no one would have dared to do things like 18:46 at that time! Charles Rosen: "No composer has ever combined the extremes of power and grace with the success of Mozart. It seems to me that the major fault of most performances of his work is that musicians attempt only too obviously to restrain the dramatic force so often called for by the music in order to realize its extraordinary grace . . . the detestable but widespread habit of playing..." Yehudi Menuhin: "Enescu always said - and I think it’s one of the truest things he said of Mozart - that Mozart was like the gentle vineyard growing on the slopes of Vesuvius. Actually there was a volcano behind it, and of course the G minor symphony is just that. . . There can be no question that he’s one of the pinnacles. And he is elusive; every note stands for a gesture."
Again enormous comment, thanks for this! That symphony is so interesting indeed. Especially i agree on about Strauss in your words. Strauss knows how to conduct Mozart. Im glad you loved it :))
MOVEMENT I: Molto allegro, *Sonata form* *Exposition:* 0:07 Theme I in G minor 0:38 Transition for theme I to the next theme, moving to Bb major 0:55 Theme II in Relative major (Bb major) 1:20 Codetta or Closing Material which is including echo of Theme I's fragments *Development:* 1:57 Fragments of Theme I 2:12 A fughetta, Mozart echoes Bach's inventions with answering phrases and changing same phrase from instrumentation 2:37 Answering section with string and woodwind 3:02 Closing of Development *Recapitulation* 3:07 Back of the Theme I, but a bit different than exposition cause of modulation 3:35 Transition but it is in G minor now. Also more long phrases on between strings. Pulsing the rhythm, more agressive stressful for making dramatic* 4:12 Theme II in remains G minor more 4:34 Dramatic come back before the closing material 4:43 Closing material is in G minor now and more dramatic 5:12 Codetta 5:19 Coda MOVEMENT II: Andante, *Sonata form* or *ABA* A* 5:38 Theme I in Eb major, phrase I 6:02 an operatic mimic motif rhythm 6:09 Theme I, phrase II 6:49 Modulation Bb major 7:20 Turning modulation Db major to Bb major 7:47 Theme II in Bb major 8:11 Chromatic Modulating 8:22 Closing Sequence or Cadence B* 8:45 Development of Theme I, fragments of theme I in various keys 9:22 Cadence opera mimics, remains G major more in an uncertain chromatic 9:31 Retransition to the home key A* 9:56 Theme I, phrase I 10:25 Theme I, phrase II but a bit different previous one 11:30 Modulation Gb major to Eb major 11:58 Theme II in Eb major 12:23 Chromatic modulation to the home key again 12:33 Coda MOVEMENT III: Menuetto and Trio *Menuetto:* 13:02 Minuet in G minor, quite interesting minuet which is actually not sounds dance mood. Instead of that, it is dramatic and serious with Mozart's minor key writing style. 13:33 Minuet's contrpunctal phrase. Especially 13:45 *Trio:* 14:29 Trio section in G major 15:09 Trio phrase II *Menuetto repeat* 16:01 Minuet repeat MOVEMENT IV: Allegro Assai *Sonata form* *Exposition:* 16:47 Theme I in G minor 17:17 Bridge sequence, modulating to Bb major 17:52 Theme II in Relative major (Bb major) 18:24 Cadence Material or Closing Material in Bb major *Development:* *18:46** All 11 notes in a row (except G because already key is G). One of first atonal moment in music history.* 18:54 Fragments of Theme I, answering phrases between strings and woodwinds 19:07 A fugato: Polyphonic writing, unstable tonality phrases 19:32 Fragments of Theme I, going to Recapitulation and preparing cadence g minor 19:43 Illusory Cadence in g minor 19:47 Retransition toward g minor, repeats fragment of theme I in various keys *Recapitualtion:* 20:00 Theme I 20:15 Bridge sequence, but this time in g minor more and detailed compare previous one, added more phrases 20:37 Theme II in G minor, Compare previous one it has more pathetique mode with woodwind sequences 21:08 Preparing Coda 21:20 Coda
Thank you!
Strauss reveals both the dramatic power and meticulous structure of the work, and he does it very fluently. Most musicians do not see the "elegant brutality" of this symphony, but Strauss captures this tone very well. Contrary to what many people believe, this was not one of the standard salon works of the 18th century, no one would have dared to do things like 18:46 at that time!
Charles Rosen: "No composer has ever combined the extremes of power and grace with the success of Mozart. It seems to me that the major fault of most performances of his work is that musicians attempt only too obviously to restrain the dramatic force so often called for by the music in order to realize its extraordinary grace . . . the detestable but widespread habit of playing..."
Yehudi Menuhin: "Enescu always said - and I think it’s one of the truest things he said of Mozart - that Mozart was like the gentle vineyard growing on the slopes of Vesuvius. Actually there was a volcano behind it, and of course the G minor symphony is just that. . . There can be no question that he’s one of the pinnacles. And he is elusive; every note stands for a gesture."
Again enormous comment, thanks for this! That symphony is so interesting indeed. Especially i agree on about Strauss in your words. Strauss knows how to conduct Mozart.
Im glad you loved it :))
This is the best representation of this symphony with words that i could think of: Walking with determination
What a conductor
MOVEMENT I: Molto allegro, *Sonata form*
*Exposition:*
0:07 Theme I in G minor
0:38 Transition for theme I to the next theme, moving to Bb major
0:55 Theme II in Relative major (Bb major)
1:20 Codetta or Closing Material which is including echo of Theme I's fragments
*Development:*
1:57 Fragments of Theme I
2:12 A fughetta, Mozart echoes Bach's inventions with answering phrases and changing same phrase from instrumentation
2:37 Answering section with string and woodwind
3:02 Closing of Development
*Recapitulation*
3:07 Back of the Theme I, but a bit different than exposition cause of modulation
3:35 Transition but it is in G minor now. Also more long phrases on between strings. Pulsing the rhythm, more agressive stressful for making dramatic*
4:12 Theme II in remains G minor more
4:34 Dramatic come back before the closing material
4:43 Closing material is in G minor now and more dramatic
5:12 Codetta
5:19 Coda
MOVEMENT II: Andante, *Sonata form* or *ABA*
A*
5:38 Theme I in Eb major, phrase I
6:02 an operatic mimic motif rhythm
6:09 Theme I, phrase II
6:49 Modulation Bb major
7:20 Turning modulation Db major to Bb major
7:47 Theme II in Bb major
8:11 Chromatic Modulating
8:22 Closing Sequence or Cadence
B*
8:45 Development of Theme I, fragments of theme I in various keys
9:22 Cadence opera mimics, remains G major more in an uncertain chromatic
9:31 Retransition to the home key
A*
9:56 Theme I, phrase I
10:25 Theme I, phrase II but a bit different previous one
11:30 Modulation Gb major to Eb major
11:58 Theme II in Eb major
12:23 Chromatic modulation to the home key again
12:33 Coda
MOVEMENT III: Menuetto and Trio
*Menuetto:*
13:02 Minuet in G minor, quite interesting minuet which is actually not sounds dance mood. Instead of that, it is dramatic and serious with Mozart's minor key writing style.
13:33 Minuet's contrpunctal phrase. Especially 13:45
*Trio:*
14:29 Trio section in G major
15:09 Trio phrase II
*Menuetto repeat*
16:01 Minuet repeat
MOVEMENT IV: Allegro Assai *Sonata form*
*Exposition:*
16:47 Theme I in G minor
17:17 Bridge sequence, modulating to Bb major
17:52 Theme II in Relative major (Bb major)
18:24 Cadence Material or Closing Material in Bb major
*Development:*
*18:46** All 11 notes in a row (except G because already key is G). One of first atonal moment in music history.*
18:54 Fragments of Theme I, answering phrases between strings and woodwinds
19:07 A fugato: Polyphonic writing, unstable tonality phrases
19:32 Fragments of Theme I, going to Recapitulation and preparing cadence g minor
19:43 Illusory Cadence in g minor
19:47 Retransition toward g minor, repeats fragment of theme I in various keys
*Recapitualtion:*
20:00 Theme I
20:15 Bridge sequence, but this time in g minor more and detailed compare previous one, added more phrases
20:37 Theme II in G minor, Compare previous one it has more pathetique mode with woodwind sequences
21:08 Preparing Coda
21:20 Coda