The Ten Best Mozart Symphonies
It’s no secret that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is one of the greatest, most prolific composers of all time. While he excelled in many different types of composition, including opera, chamber and piano works, it’s his symphonic work that best shows his musical genius. The symphonies spanned his entire career, from ages 8 to 32, showing his range and development, originally numbered as brilliant 41 works. Although some have since been identified as falsely attributed, the remaining number still ranks him as one of the most impressive of all the major symphonists, behind only Haydn who wrote an astonishing 106.
Approaching such a massive catalogue can be daunting for those new to Mozart so I made this list to give an introduction to his greatest works. Below is my ranking of what I believe are his ten greatest symphonies; for each work I will include a quick blurb and my favorite moment in the symphony. You might notice that those featured are all later works, as Mozart developed greatly as he aged, especially as an orchestrator, but there were many great pieces I had to leave off this list. If you enjoy the symphonies below please search out Mozart’s nearly thirty other orchestral masterworks, not to mention the rest of his body of work.
10. Symphony No. 25 in G Minor, K. 183
Recording by Leonard Bernstein conducting the Vienna Philharmonic. A little slow for my taste but one of the best available on Youtube.
Despite Mozart’s large symphonic output he only managed two such works in a minor key. Number 25 is the first of these and really marked a new step for the composer in terms of compositional adventure. In the Sturm and Drang style of the era, the symphony gets out to a pounding start in the syncopated theme of the Allegro Con Brio, a quite lengthy movement by Mozart’s standards. The following Andante is more typical of his middle symphonies but is quite pleasant. The third movement is a stately Minuetto interrupted by a charming Trio. The Allegro finale features a devilish theme tying back in the syncopation from the first movement, concluding the work in a brief, strong fashion.
Favorite Moment: The opening of the first movement. The most exhilarating start to a Mozart work to this point, with syncopation, quick dynamic and range shifts. Mozart, building off of his similarly groundbreaking Symphony No. 20 opening, sets the stage for his orchestral works to come. No wonder Milos Forman opened Amadeus with this movement.
9. Symphony No. 29 in A Major, K. 201
Recording by Neville Mariner and the Academy of St. Martin’s in the Fields
Along with No. 25, Symphony No. 29 is one of the better known of Mozart’s “early” symphonies. The opening movement features a brilliant theme, graceful yet insistent. In the second Andante movement Mozart shows shows marked improvement from his earlier symphonies, shifting around the melody, keeping the slower stuff intriguing. The short Minuetto is not his strongest but the Allegro con Spirito makes up for it, passing melodies around the strings and daring shifts in tone to keep it exciting.
Favorite Moment: While I the opening theme is a simple genius and I love the violin interplay in the fourth movement, my favorite section is this blending of winds and violins in the Andante; a precursor for the masterful orchestration in the Andantes of the later symphonies.
8. Symphony No. 38 “Prague” in D Major, K. 504
Recording by Karl Bohm and the Berliner Philharmoniker
The most notable breakout for orchestration in Mozart’s development. Not only did he include an extended wind section but pushed it to the forefront, even over the strings in many sections. The symphony is in 3 movements, taking inspiration from older examples. The opening movement is a beast, with a lengthy, slow introduction and into endlessly repeating themes. The Andante is tame but clever with terrific melodies sliding across measure lines, between major and minor. The Presto is a wild, staccato movement, juggled between winds and strings. Many people probably think this is ranked too low, and it’s certainly one of the most important, it doesn’t speak to me the way of those ranked higher.
Favorite Moment: The Adagio opening to the first movement is probably the most famous aspect of the symphony, but my favorite moment comes here at the end of the second movement. Mozart repeats a figure from earlier in the piece but switches up the orchestration building to the wonderfully melodic climax. Despite the large orchestration for this moment, the music retains a delicate air, giving a full but gentle sound fitting for the piece.
7. Symphony No. 28 in C Major, K. 19
Recording by Josef Krips and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Symphony No. 28 is, in my opinion, the most overlooked of his symphonic works. I admit on the surface nothing looks remarkable: the piece is in C, features Mozart’s typical instrumentation and is in a basic four movement structure. While nothing jumps out as genius, it is consistently engaging the listener with clever melodic writing, each movement making the most of it’s brief runtime. Interestingly, although recordings are much less frequent than his later symphonies, I find the 28th to have the most variation in interpretation. There are the typical Mozart differentiations, like inclusion of repeats and tempo, but most noticeable is the approach taken towards appogiaturas.
Favorite Moment: Building off the comment on appogiaturas above, the third movement, the Minuet, can either be one of my favorite Mozart movements or a forgettable let down. In the Krips version I linked above, the appogiaturas are played as eight notes on the beat giving the lilt necessary for a dance piece and the rousing moments a sense of grandeur (compare to this performance where the appogiatura are played as grace notes.)
6. Symphony No. 35 “Haffner” in D Major, K. 385
Recording by Bernard Haitink and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe
One of the most famous, the “Haffner” symphony, named for a benefactor family of Mozart, is identical in structure down to the movement types as No. 28, but is fleshed out and developed further. The first of his “late” symphonies sets the bar high with a stupendous opening allegro whose intrigue lasts through the many repeats, the beautifully flowing andante (proto-Beethoven 6), and the fierce closing presto. The only real weak point is the quaint but forgettable Menuetto. Throughout the work Mozart recycles a lot of motifs from older symphonies into a more complex orchestral sound, and thankfully a more interesting string arrangement.
Favorite Moment: The opening movement is grand and a lot of fun but I love this section in the middle of the Andante. Mozart throws us off balance after the repeated flowing with a syncopated bass line that before bringing us back to solid ground for a gorgeous and delicate violin phrase.
5. Symphony No. 31 “Paris” in in D Major, K. 297
Recording by Charles Groves and the English Sinfonia
The “Paris” symphony, as it is known, is one of Mozart’s most invigorating and “noisy” as Mozart’s father put it, fitting for the French. The first movement is among his greatest, building tension to an exciting finish. The second movement is usually an Andantino, but there are actually two different second movements for this piece, one in 6/8, one in 3/4. Atypically, it is only three movements, omitting a classical Minuet and moving straight into an Allegro. This is less of a show of Mozart’s melodic prowess and more of a demonstration of his dramatic powers.
Favorite Moment: I have a couple favorite moments in this symphony, both in the incredible first movement. The first is when after repeating the opening motif many times, Mozart twists it into a series of tensing chord changes. The second is the climactic fake out and race to the finish.
4. Symphony No. 36 “Linz” in C Major, K. 425
Recording by Karl Bohm and the Berliner Philharmoniker
Written in an unbelievable four days for an upcoming concert in Linz, Mozart’s 36th remains a landmark example of Mozart’s otherworldy talents as a composer. His fifth to last symphony (as No. 37 was actually written by Michael Haydn) puts on display the composers full maturity at the seasoned age of 22 and his famous melodies. The first movement starts with a brooding adagio and quickly transoforms into a jovial allegro in sonata form. The second movement is a very slow Andante with a beautiful balance between horns, wind and strings. The Minuet is quite standard with a fun trio section. The presto finale is a masterpiece, with drama, melody and packed with rousing moments.
Favorite Moment: The fourth movement is one of Mozart’s greatest symphonic compositions and on the whole is incredible. My favorite moment is probably the building up to and first appearance of the movement’s shattering fortissimo theme.
3. Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K. 550
These last three symphonies, all completed in the summer of 1788, are not only his most famous symphonies but some of the most flawless orchestral works of all time. There are moments in each that make me think I’m listening to the greatest music ever composed.
Recording by Josef Krips and the London Symphony Orchestra
The “Great G Minor” opens modestly with a quiet but coursing accompaniment to the now legendary melody and unfolds into Mozart’s greatest first movement. Like the rest of the piece, it is very passionate and makes you wonder why he only wrote two symphonies in the minor key. The Andante in 6/8 is perhaps his most beautiful slow movement, with lilting winds and patient strings. The minuet is only a dance by name, with a bizarre hemiola-ridden theme. The finale is a bit more predictable and underwhelming than other late symphonies but there in also lies the brilliance of No. 40. It is free of the grandeur and frills, packed instead with Mozart’s most intimate, pure writing and more memorable moments to note in just one listen.
Favorite Moment: I love the falling, juggled motifs in the Andante and the woodwind textures of the third movement’s trio but the greatest moment has to be the game changing opener. Not only is it one of his most recognizable melodies, the unassuming entrance of the work was unprecedented and would be copied by many over the next hundreds of years, including Mendelssohn and Rachmaninoff in their greatest works.
2. Symphony No. 39 in E Flat Major, K. 543
Recording of Leonard Bernstein with the Wiener Philharmoniker
The first of the final three, No. 39 is the most thoroughly exceptional. Each movement is one of Mozart’s greatest in that style. The opening Adagio-Allegro starts with a huge overture, which some argue is meant to act as precursor to the trilogy of symphonies. Then the movement opens up into an orchestrally open sound, each section packed with beautiful themes. The Andante starts extremely simply in the strings before transforming into one of his most inventive symphonic arrangements. A folksy Menuetto-Trio glides into a fierce and difficult finale.
Favorite Moment: One of my all time favorite Mozart moments comes in the andante of this symphony where the winds take over in with a simple melody in tiers offset by a measure. The arrangement is so simple but creates such a magical effect, exemplifying Mozart’s genius.
1. Symphony No. 41 “Jupiter” in C Major, K. 551
Recording by Nikolaus Harnoncourt and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe
No. 41 is the last symphony of Mozart and possesses the grandeur and finality required for such a distinction. It is also one of his most mature and complete works, ranking behind only Don Giovanni as Mozart’s most brilliant work. The first movement is a complex Allegro in sonata form full of trickery, fakeouts and modulations. The second movement is a old fashioned style of piece given new life with a charging pulse and beautiful ornamentation. The Minuet continues the driving nature of the symphony, with pleasant harmonies and a joyous theme. The tremendous fourth finale is a masterpiece in every respect. It’s a complex work with several themes being juggled around and overlapped; it accomplishes all this in addition to be a roaring crowd pleaser. I don’t blame Mozart for stopping his symphonies after this conclusive statement.
Favorite Moment: The driving string theme in the first movement. The development section soon after. The tutti sforzandos in the second movement. The entire fourth movement is unmissable.
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