Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

SYMPHONY
V73
the typical characteristics which his inspiration
led him to adopt in developing his ideas. It
must not, however, be supposed that this
principle is to be found for the iirst time in
tliese works. They find their counterparts in
works of Haydn's of a much earlier date ; only,
inasmuch as the art-form was then less mature,
the element of formalism is too strong to admit
of the musical or poetical intention being so
clearly realised. It is of course impossible to
put into words with certainty the inherent
characteristics of these or any other later works
on the same lines ; but that they are felt to
have such characteristics is indisputable, and
their perfection as works of art, which is so
commonly insisted on, could not exist if it
were not so. Among the many writers who
have tried in some way to describe them,
probably the best and most responsible is Otto
Jahn. Of the first of the group (that in El>),
he says, 'We find the expression of perfect
happiness in the charm of euphony ' which is
one of the marked external characteristics of
the whole work.
'
The feeling of pride in the
consciousness of power shines through the magnificent
introduction, while the Allegro expresses
the purest pleasure, now in frolicsome joy, now
in active excitement, and now in noble and
dignified composure. Some shadows appear, it
is true, in the Andante, but they only serve to
throw into stronger relief the mild serenity of
a mind communing with itself and rejoicing
in the peace which fills it. This is the true
source of the cheerful transport which rules the
last movement, rejoicing in its own strength
and in the joy of being.' Whether this is all
perfectly true or not is of less consequence than
the fact that a consistent and uniform style
and object can be discerned through the whole
work, and that it admits of an approximate
description in words, without either straining
or violating familiar impressions.
The second of the gi-eat symphonic trilogy—
that in G minor—has a still clearer meaning.
The contrast with the El> is strong, for in no
symphony of Mozart's is there so much sadness
and regretfulness. This element also accounts
for the fact that it is the most modern of his
symphonies, and shows most human nature.
E. T. A. Hoffmann (writing in a spirit very
different from that of Jahn) says of it, Love
'
and melancholy breathe forth in purest spirit
tones ; we feel ourselves drawn with inexpressible
longing towards the forms which beckon
us to join them in their flight through the
clouds to another sphere.' Jahn agrees m
attributing to it a character of sorrow and
complaining ; and there can hardly be a doubt
that the tonality as well as the style, and such
characteristic features as occur incidentally,
would all favour the idea that Mozart's inspiration
took a sad cast, and maintained it so far
throughout; so that, notwithstandingthe formal
passages which occasionally make their appearance
at the closes, the whole work may without
violation of probability receive a consistent
psychological explanation. Even the orchestration
seems appropriate from this point of view,
since the prevailing effect is far less soft and
smooth than that of the previous symphony.
A detail of historical interest in connection
with this work is the fact that Mozart originally
wrote it without clarinets, and added them
afterwards for a performance at which it may
be presumed they happened to be specially
available. He did this by taking a separate
piece of paper and rearranging the oboe parts,
sometimes combining the instruments and sometimes
distributing the parts between the two,
with due regard to their characteristic styles of
utterance.
The last of Mozart's symphonies has so
obvious and distinctive a character throughout,
that popular estimation has accepted the definite
name 'Jupiter' as conveying the prevalent
In this there is far less human
feeling about it.
sentiment than in the G minor. In fact,
Mozart appears to have aimed at something lofty
and self-contained, and therefore precluding
the shade of sadness which is an element almost
indispensable to strong human sympathy. When
he descends from this distant height, he assumes
a cheerful and sometimes playful vein, as in the
second principal subject of the first movement,
and in the subsidiary or cadence subject that
follows it. This may not be altogether in
accordance with what is popularly meant by
the name 'Jupiter,' though that deity appears
to have been capable of a good deal of levity in
his time ;
but it hag the virtue of supplying
admirable contrast to the main subjects of the
section ; and it is so far in consonance with
them that there is no actual reversal of feeling
in passing from one to the other. The slow
movement has an appropriate dignity which
keeps it in character, and reaches, in parts, a
considerable degi'ee of passion, which brings it
nearer to human sympathy than the other
movements. The Minuet and the Ti-io again
show cheerful serenity, and the last movement,
with its elaborate fugal treatment, has a vigorous
austerity, which is an excellent balance to the
character of the first movement. The scoring,
especially in the first and last movements, is
fuller than is usual with Mozart, and produces
effects of strong and clear sound ; and it is
also admirably in character with the spirit of
dignity and loftiness which seems to be aimed
at in the greater portion of the musical subjects
and figures. In these later symphonies Mozart
certainly reached a far higher pitch of art in
the department of instnimental music than any
hitherto anived at. The characteristics of his
attainments may be described as a freedom of
style in the ideas, freedom in the treatment of
the various parts of the score, and independence