It’s 7:30 Friday morning, December 11, 2009. I’m in a restaurant called Panera Bread, sitting in a booth with an outlet in the wall under the table, which makes my MacBook Pro very happy. It can feed while I do.
To my right, four guys sit at a table discussing biblical issues. It must be their Friday Bible study or Men’s study group. When I walked in, I overheard one of the men talking about a serious health condition, so the topic of conversation turned toward God’s ability to heal.
Directly ahead of me, at a table near the massive wall of windows, two older men (perhaps in their late 60s) are having a lively discussion about something.
A woman with a round face, shoulder-length brown hair, and glasses just sat in the booth adjacent to mine. Obviously, she’s wearing more than that. But that’s all I noticed when I glanced up. (What? You want I should stare at her?)
Outside, it’s snowing, blowing, and drifting. There must be five or six inches of snow on the ground, with more is on the way.
But I care not. For I sit inside, munching on an Asiago bagel (toasted with plain cream cheese), sipping Light Roast coffee, listening to some of the greatest music ever composed. As they say, “Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.”
Symphony No. 1 in E Flat is very lively – terrific music for a cold winter morning. And the perfect way to start my 180-day exploration of Mozart’s music.
For the record, the conductor for every piece of music in Box 1 is the famous Sir Neville Marriner. The equally famed orchestra is The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields. And this is the music I’m enjoying this morning, complete with the best guesses of scholars regarding where and when each Symphony was composed. This information was pieced together from The Compactothèque book + CD, which is an essential purchase if you want the fullest enjoyment from the Philips Complete Mozart Edition. It’s only about $8 and the sampler CD, alone, is remarkably enjoyable. But the booklet is Gold, Jerry! Gold! Keep in mind, some of these places and dates are merely guesses. But I find it fascinating to see even guesses for some of these compositions. They help me put Mozart’s life and creative output in perspective.
For example, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on 27 January 1756. With that in mind, take a look at where and when these pieces were composed. I’ll add Mozart’s approximate age in the parenthetical data below each listed Symphony:
1. Symphony No.1 in E flat, K.16 – 1. Allegro molto
2. Symphony No.1 in E flat, K.16 – 2. Andante
3. Symphony No.1 in E flat, K.16 – 3. Presto
- London, 1764-5 (Mozart was 9)
4. Symphony No.4 in D, K.19 – 1. Allegro
5. Symphony No.4 in D, K.19 – 2. Andante
6. Symphony No.4 in D, K.19 – 3. Presto
- London, 1765 (Mozart was 9)
7. Symphony in F, K.App.223 – 1. Allegro assai
8. Symphony in F, K.App.223 – 2. Andante
9. Symphony in F, K.App.223 – 3. Presto
- London, 1765 (Mozart was 9)
10. Symphony No.5 in B flat, K.22 – 1. Allegro
11. Symphony No.5 in B flat, K.22 – 2. Andante
12. Symphony No.5 in B flat, K.22 – 3. Allegro molto
- The Hague, December, 1765 (Mozart was 9)
13. Symphony No.6 in F, K.43 – 1. Allegro
14. Symphony No.6 in F, K.43 – 2. Andante
15. Symphony No.6 in F, K.43 – 3. Menuetto
16. Symphony No.6 in F, K.43 – 4. Allegro
- Vienna, 1767 (Mozart was 11)
17. Symphony No.7 in D, K.45 – 1. Overture
18. Symphony No.7 in D, K.45 – 2. Andante
19. Symphony No.7 in D, K.45 – 3. Menuetto
20. Symphony No.7 in D, K.45 – 4. Allegro
- Vienna, January 16, 1768 (Mozart was 12)
You see, it’s quite a jolt when you know how old Mozart was when he composed these pieces, isn’t it? Mozart was eight when he starting to compose Symphony No. 1. Eight years old!!! I don’t know many eight year olds today who do anything but eat too many potato chips and/or play with their Xbox.
The sound quality is superb. When I loaded the CD into iTunes, it revealed the recordings were made in 1972. I can’t believe that. They sound as crisp and clear as if they were made last week. Every instrument is pristine.
From the CD sampler booklet (“The Compactotheque”) comes this information about Box 1, Symphonies – which Philips grouped under the broader category of “Orchestral Music”:
How many symphonies did Mozart write? Answer: Forty-one of course, since the last of them, the famous “Jupiter,” bears that number. Not so; in fact he composed fifty-three of them. Box 1 of this Complete Mozart Edition is a revelation, allowing us to discover the thirty-one early symphonies in their entirety, as well as offering the twenty-two great symphonies of his maturity in their traditional, accepted number (27 to 41).
My favorite symphony on this CD was a close call between Symphony No. 1 and Symphony No. 7. But I think I’m going to award My Favorite pick to Symphony No. 1 for two reasons:
1. Mozart was only 9 years old when he finished it. Any “kid” who can create something that layered and complex deserves all the accolades he can get.
2. It’s filled with happy, dancing violins, really sprightly stuff. Movement 1 (allegro molto) is a lot of fun to listen to. Movement 3 (presto) is also remarkable for its ability to intrigue me.
Ahh, you can’t beat a good allegro. This type of sprightly music always brings to mind men in powdered wigs, women in expensive satin gowns, and British accents. Period movies always feature music like this when they’re about characters from England’s upper crust.
Speaking of crust, I have a bagel to finish.
You can call me Amadeus. But don't expect me to answer to that.
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