Symphony No.21 in A major K.134 (1772)

In the eight months between December 1771 and August 1772 Mozart wrote no fewer than eight symphonies. The reason for such concentrated industry in one form no one really knows. It has been suggested that, having returned to Salzburg from Italy in November and being about to go back to Milan in October, he needed to refresh his touring repertoire. It is more likely, however, that he was making an effort to impress the newly elected Archbishop Colloredo, who did in fact confirm his appointment as Konzertmeister (now with the salary he didn’t have before) in August 1772. But, whatever the motivation behind the activity, it certainly accelerated his development, and not just as a symphonist.

The difference between the first of those eight symphonies, No.14 in A major K.114, and the last, No.21 also in A major K.134, clearly illustrates the point. The earlier work is a delightful and, for a composer still a few weeks short of his 16th birthday, extraordinary achievement. As a symphony, however, with no true development in any one of the four movements, it is fairly rudimentary. In the opening Allegro of the present work, on the other hand, the vigorous first subject is so thoroughly developed that when he comes to the recapitulation, for the sake of variety Mozart has start with the second subject, reserving the main theme for an extended coda. As for the personality of the music, while K.114 has certain Mozart characteristics, K.134 could not be mistaken for the work of anyone else – least of all in the slow movement, which begins with a clear anticipation of “Porgi amor” in Le Nozze di Figaro. The middle section is not a development but a dramatically varied episode based on a rhythmic ostinato persisting from the first section.

If the Menuetto is unexcpetional, its central Trio section is interesting for its scoring, where horn calls are answered by pizzacto violins, and its brief but effective incidence of minor harmonies. The finale is a brilliant example of its kind, not much given to development, it is true, but eventful in its lively tempo, its dyanmic contrasts, its rhythmic syncopations and its colourful orchestration.