Symphony No. 40 in G Minor

Mozart’s motivation for composing his last three symphonies (Nos. 39-41) remains a mystery. He probably had in mind a series of public concerts, but whether they had actually been booked, or he was just composing speculatively, is unclear. The second of the works composed in that glorious summer of 1788 was the Symphony No. 40 in G minor which Mozart finished on 25 July, just four weeks after its predecessor. While No. 39 gradually warms up emotionally, by contrast No. 40 is relentlessly serious, marked by the choice of G minor—a key long associated with emotional turmoil. The first movement (“Molto allegro”) opens with a nagging, repeated figure, which—although ultimately melodious—becomes an agent of gloom and unrest. The long, slow “Andante” may be the only movement to avoid G minor, but it can’t quite escape a feeling of underlying anxiety. The “Menuetto” too is tense and ruggedly scored, only relaxing a little during the central “Trio”. The traditional cheerful finale is replaced with one of Mozart’s fiercest symphonic movements (“Allegro assai”), whose stormy development of material is introduced by perhaps his most original and dramatic orchestral gesture. Given that Mozart’s musical language was more complex than that of his contemporaries, it is hardly surprising that during the 1790s and 1800s this symphony was regarded as a difficult work—both to play and understand.