# It's Haffner Time



## itywltmt

En français
Mozart ...and Much More!

September is _Mozart and Much More_ month on PTB and on my Friday Blog and Podcast. All month, my music selections will be either by or inspired by Mozart, and will include some complimentary works to round-off the selections if need-be.

To get things going here on PTB, my first of three posts is dedicated to a pair of works that were commissioned from Mozart by a prominent Salzburg fannily, the _Haffners_.








In the old town of Salzburg, along the left bank of the Salzach between the Franciscan Church and City Hall you wil find the *Sigmund Haffner Gasse*. It was named after Sigmund Haffner _the Elder_, mayor of Salzburg from 1768 to 1772.

Twice married, his son from his second wife Sigmund _the Younger_ was a merchant, philanthropist and a benefactor and friend of Mozart. His daughter from the first marriage, Marie Therese was married to the merchant Franz Xaver Andreas Athanasius Weiser, eldest son of Ignatz Anton Weiser (librettist of Mozart's Singspiel "The Obligation of the First Commandment" and Haffner's successor as mayor of Salzburg).

The Haffner _Serenade_

The "Haffner Serenade" KV 250 , written in 1776 was specially comissioned for wedding of Sigmund's sister "Liserl" Mary Elizabeth with the trade factor Franz Xaver Anton Späth.

The Haffner serenade is noteworthy on many counts, not the least of which by its hidden secret - the second, third and fourth movements represent an _additional _Mozart violin concerto (let's call it a violin _concertino_).

The Haffner _Symphony_

Mozart aficionados will agree to disagree on when Mozart's symphoniuc output transitions from the nave "overture" style, to the classical and finally to a neo-classical/pre-romantic style that foreshadowed the great symphonies of Beethoven and Schubert. Hoewever, few disagree that the Haffner symphony is part of the latter set of works, and is often listed (with the accepted custom of ignoring the 37th symophony as it was jointly penned by Mozart and Michaeel Haydn) as part of the "last six" which are often viewed as his greatest.

On the 9th July 1782 , Emperor Joseph II bestowed onto Sigmund a knighthood and the title "Edler von Innbachhausen". The Symphony was composed to celebrate this event.

Happy Listening!

*DETAILS​*
*Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791)*

Serenade for orchestra in D major, K. 250 ("Haffner" Serenade)
Uncredited Performers
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL86077C2A56669F2C

Symphony No. 35 in D major, K. 385 ("Haffner" Symphony)
Mito Chanber Orchestra under Seiji Ozawa
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE45A22B7AFAC9EEA&feature=view_all

*September 7th, 2012, "I Think You Will Love This Music Too" will feature a new podcast "Hommage à Mozart" at its Pod-O-Matic Channel. Read more September 7 on the ITYWLTMT Blogspot blog.*


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