# Favorite Early Mozart Symphonies



## neoshredder (Nov 7, 2011)

I really enjoy Mozart's early symphonies. It has a sort of excited feel to them. Like he is just realizing all the talent he has and wants to keep going. I like Symphonies 1, 5, and 7. Anyways out of the first 20 symphonies, what are your favorites?


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## clavichorder (May 2, 2011)

I've always had a soft spot for 1, but frankly do not know the others, interesting that you recommend 5 and 7.


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## neoshredder (Nov 7, 2011)

Yeah the first movement of Symphony 5 is special to me. I also like the last movement of Symphony 7.


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## mmsbls (Mar 6, 2011)

I particularly like No. 6 in F k 43and No. 55 in B flat k 45B. They're obviously rather simple; nevertheless, the music is just lovely. I realize that it's amazing that a 9 or 10 year old could write music like that, but I've always felt that it's more amazing that he would have felt motivated to create anything at that age.


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## mmsbls (Mar 6, 2011)

neoshredder said:


> Yeah the first movement of Symphony 5 is special to me. I also like the last movement of Symphony 7.


I just listened to the first movement of No. 5 and agree that it is wonderful.


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## HarpsichordConcerto (Jan 1, 2010)

They are all delightful in the galante idiom. #9 has an operatic sparkle about it.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

My favourites are No. 7 and K16a in A minor "Odense"


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## itywltmt (May 29, 2011)

My vote goes for #7, which he re-roled as the overture to la finta semplice.

Seems about half of the symphonies and sinfonias attributed to Mozart between 1764 and 1770 are of either fragmentary or lost, of doubtful origin, or adapted from works of others. And, by my count, only about half of these are "numbered" (going to about #11 or so). See http://alambix.uquebec.ca/musique//catal/mozart/mozwa11.html


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## kv466 (May 18, 2011)

I'm kinda with kv22, kv45 and kv73 but I really love all of the early symphonies.


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

I don't care for any of the first twenty. Too much influence from elsewhere, namely Papa Haydn and CPE Bach. Even a little Handel!

For me, it's No. 21, K. 134, that things begin to get interesting (understatement).


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## scarbo (Aug 3, 2011)

None. The Symphony wasn't really Mozart's realm. Only the last 5 or 6 have real value. Mozart excelled in other fields, such as piano concerto, chamber music and opera...


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## HarpsichordConcerto (Jan 1, 2010)

Vaneyes said:


> I don't care for any of the first twenty. Too much influence from elsewhere, namely Papa Haydn and CPE Bach. Even a little Handel!
> 
> For me, it's No. 21, K. 134, that things begin to get interesting (understatement).


Johann Christian Bach was his biggest influence on the early symphonies.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

HarpsichordConcerto said:


> Johann Christian Bach was his biggest influence on the early symphonies.


What about C.F. Abel?


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## ProudSquire (Nov 30, 2011)

I like 5, 7, 12, 13 and 19. :}


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## Kieran (Aug 24, 2010)

I listened to his first few symphs based on reading this thread. They don't sound "infant", do they? Some lovely melodies and very sharp orchestration. Beautiful to hear, actually...


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## itywltmt (May 29, 2011)

scarbo said:


> None. The Symphony wasn't really Mozart's realm. Only the last 5 or 6 have real value. Mozart excelled in other fields, such as piano concerto, chamber music and opera...


I think that's a rather harsh assessment of Mozart's Symphonic output...

Clearly, the symphonies that follow, say, from the Haffner onwards are at a different level, and I would argue sound more "early romantic" at times than late-classical, but to denigrate the other 34...

If you accept that, taking *Vaneyes*' argument, that Mozart used the first 20 symphonies to "figure it out" (not unlike the way he used the first five or six piano concerti to figure that genre out), then the "middle" symphonies that include his little symphony in G and the Paris symphony have as much to say then, say, some of the 30 or so symphonies Haydn wrote that you only hear in the context of "complete cycles".

Unless, of course, you think Haydn did more for the String Quartet than for the Symphony???

Just saying


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## MozartEarlySymphonies (Nov 29, 2013)

My favorites of Mozart's Earlier Symphonies would be 1,4,5,9,11,15,19 and 20. Plus I'll add 21-24, 29, 30 and 33 along as well. I love all of Mozart's Symphonies. They are some of my favorite works in all of music. My username for this website is even named after them.


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## starry (Jun 2, 2009)

Of those before 20

KV App 223-19a (not numbered)

8 K. 48 1768 Vienna, age 12

18 K. 130 (music theorist Alfred Einstein said it was his first great symphony, though I think he did good earlier) 1772 Saltzburg, age 16

I think all of these are strong throughout with good melody.



MozartEarlySymphonies said:


> My favorites of Mozart's Earlier Symphonies would be 1,4,5,9,11,15,19 and 20. Plus I'll add 21-24, 29, 30 and 33 along as well. I love all of Mozart's Symphonies. They are some of my favorite works in all of music. My username for this website is even named after them.


I disagree with you a lot.  I think 26 -8 are very nice works for instance. Though you do say you love all of them I suppose.


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## Ondine (Aug 24, 2012)

All of them. I can hear them again and again but if I am forced to chose I will go with no. 1, 4, 5, 16, 20.


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## neoshredder (Nov 7, 2011)

MozartEarlySymphonies said:


> My favorites of Mozart's Earlier Symphonies would be 1,4,5,9,11,15,19 and 20. Plus I'll add 21-24, 29, 30 and 33 along as well. I love all of Mozart's Symphonies. They are some of my favorite works in all of music. My username for this website is even named after them.


Yeah I find them very fun and tuneful. Not so serious music. Great to relax to.


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## presto (Jun 17, 2011)

They are all really good, I know them well as I have Christopher Hogwood's complete recording. 
But I would say as good as these early symphonies are there are hundreds of just as good ones by countless less well know 18th century composers.


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## starry (Jun 2, 2009)

presto said:


> They are all really good, I know them well as I have Christopher Hogwood's complete recording.
> But I would say as good as these early symphonies are there are hundreds of just as good ones by countless less well know 18th century composers.


You've heard those hundreds? I think Mozart at his best early on is as good as other people. If you want to judge him as weak as he did some lessser ones you could do just the same with Haydn or others.



itywltmt said:


> Clearly, the symphonies that follow, say, from the Haffner onwards are at a different level, and I would argue sound more "early romantic" at times than late-classical, but to denigrate the other 34...


Clearly? I prefer some earlier ones to 35 and 36. 34 for instance is very strong to me, 28 is highly underrated.


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## neoshredder (Nov 7, 2011)

presto said:


> They are all really good, I know them well as I have Christopher Hogwood's complete recording.
> But I would say as good as these early symphonies are there are hundreds of just as good ones by countless less well know 18th century composers.


I find that hard to believe. Hundreds? Name some equal.


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