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Mozart Symphony 40 Essay

Decent Essays

Pavithraa Sreekumar
W.A. Mozart: Symphony No. 40
Who is the composer (full name and dates)? List three points about his life and environment.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is the composer of Symphony No. 40 in G minor. This piece was composed in 1788. Mozart overshadowed and took after his father, Leopold, who was a talented composer of the time. After his father passed, young Mozart had the opportunity to work in several different musical genres composing symphonies, string quartets, sonatas and serenades and a few operas. He developed a passion for violin concertos producing what came to be the only five he wrote.
In what period was the work composed? List three aspects of the musical style of this period that apply to this work.
This work was composed during the Classical period, 1750- 1820. One aspect of the classical music style beign applied to this work includes the reoccurance of two or more contrasting themes. Another is the use of short and clearly defined musical phrases. Lastly, this piece, on a purely musical level, was simply more to hum along to. This type of melody took over the complex polyphony of the Baroque period.
What is the genre? Give a brief description of the genre’s characteristics.
The genre is a symphony, which is a multimovement composition for orchestra lasting about twenty-five minutes in the Classical perido to nearly an hour in the Romantic era. It has …show more content…

"Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K. 550." All Music. All Media Network, LLC, 2015. Web. 23 Nov. 2015.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: A Concise Biography. Films On Demand. Films Media Group, 2007. Web. 23 Nov. 2015.

“Wolfgang Mozart Biography." Biography.com. A&E Networks Television. Web. 25 Nov. 2015.

Thesis: Wolfgang Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 in G minor has been admired and analyzed numerous times. Although it has been criticized by many, I believe deeply interpreting this piece will aid in a better understanding of the music during the Classical

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