# Is Mozart's 39th Symphony Really That Great?



## Wolfgangus the Great (Jan 4, 2022)

I honestly consider the 39th Symphony to be the black sheep of Mozart's late Symphonies. 

It's a lot more conventional, more predictable, and simpler than the the 38th, 40th, and the 41th.

The slow movement is as repetitive as anything could get, and I honestly could never get impressed by it. The opening to the first movement was great! But the Allegro section, although enjoyable, not something that would make me jump out of my seat. The minuet is very replaceable in the grand scheme of things.

The most well rounded movement is probably the last movement. The most unconventional, most memorable and the most exciting. I like how almost the entirety of the movement is based on the opening theme.

What do you guys think of this?


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

You sound a lot like these guys:


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## Wolfgangus the Great (Jan 4, 2022)

hammeredklavier said:


> You sound a lot like these guys:


lol, I know, I kinda do.


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## Tarneem (Jan 3, 2022)

I ain't big fan of Mozart. yet, his 39th is one of his few compositions that I do tolerate


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## Wolfgangus the Great (Jan 4, 2022)

Tarneem said:


> I ain't big fan of Mozart. yet, his 39th is one of his few compositions that I do tolerate


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## Xisten267 (Sep 2, 2018)

The 39th is one of my favorite Mozart works and I often hear it. I enjoy all it's movements greatly, but particularly the first two. Favorite performance: Levine/WPO.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Love #39....2nd mvt is beautiful....the overlapping woodwind lines are so effective. Minuet is great, too...great clarinet solo...this symphony is fun to play, the back and forth between flute and bassoon in the finale is very clever...


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

I just did listen to it yesterday with 40 and 41 and I think it is great. Always civil and harmonious . Good choice Wolfgangus .


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## ORigel (May 7, 2020)

I love the first and third movements.


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

I think movements 3+4 are more conventional than in 40 and 41 but the first movement is my favorite along with the one of the "Prague", and I think it [#39,i] is more original and "modern" than any other Mozart symphony with the beautiful lyrical beginning of the Allegro (the intro is rather conventional) and the clarinet/woodwind writing. 
Because of the oboe-free woodwind section it has the most characteristic sound of all Mozart symphonies. AFAIK it was the most popular Mozart symphony in the early 19th century, sometimes called "Swansong" and taken as a model by several minor composers with the clearest example being E.T.A. Hoffmann's symphony in the same key.


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## vtpoet (Jan 17, 2019)

Mozart's 37th was his greatest symphony.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

vtpoet said:


> Mozart's 37th was his greatest symphony.


Probably a minority view.


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