MOZART & SCHUBERT of one in full score( as the second movement, curiously) before crossing it out and moving on directly to the Andante and Finale.
Nonetheless, for listeners itching for a minuet, this is fine one. Scholars have long since discarded earlier suggestions that K. 409 was written to be inserted into Symphony No. 34, unlikely since this movement calls for a larger orchestra than the symphony. It is probably best to approach it as a stand-alone concert piece, exceptional among minuets for its grandeur.
Instrumentation: Two flutes, two oboes, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani, and strings.
Franz Schubert
Born: January 31, 1797 in Vienna, Austria Died: November 19, 1828 in Vienna
SYMPHONY NO. 5 IN B-FLAT MAJOR, D. 485 [ September to October 3, 1816 ]
Franz Schubert was 19 years old when he produced his Symphony No. 5. It could not yet be said that music was his profession, since he unhappily endured his working hours as an assistant teacher in his father’ s school. But he had already composed a good deal of music, including four symphonies, and he was on a roll, producing new compositions hand over fist. Many were unveiled in at-home musicales, which by 1816 were held at the Vienna residence of Otto Hatwig, a Bohemian-born violinist in the Burg Theatre orchestra and a composer of modest talent.
Schubert’ s Symphony No. 5 is scored for more modest forces than he had used in his first four symphonies. He seems to be going out of his way to“ think small” in this last stand of Viennese Classicism. It is as if he were picking up where Mozart had left off a quarter of a century earlier, hardly grappling with the advances that Beethoven had effected in the meantime. In fact, Mozart was the young Schubert’ s
From the Stage
by Harrison Miller
If, as a student, you had told me that my concerto debut would be with a piece by Nino Rota, the composer of The Godfather, I never would have believed you. This isn’ t a piece bassoonists typically encounter during conservatory training, but I was immediately drawn to its accessibility and charm. In that sense, it offers a unique opportunity— for me, for the orchestra, and for BSO audiences alike.
Many musicians say they chose their instrument because it reminds them of the human voice. That can be true of the bassoon, but it’ s also something of a chameleon within the ensemble: it can blend its distinctive timbre with other voices, contribute to interesting harmonies, or take up compelling melodies. The bassoon has a wide palette of articulation and color, allowing it to embody an incredible range of characters.
musical idol; only later did he embrace Beethoven’ s music with as ardent a passion.
Mozart’ s Symphony No. 40 in G minor seems to have inspired Schubert here. The second theme of Schubert’ s graceful first movement sports a melody, harmony, and bass line very like the corresponding passage in Mozart’ s, and the dialogue between winds and strings also recalls the earlier composer. The elegant second movement recalls late Mozart in its harmonic exploration, and the third has a similar spirit to the minuet-and-trio in Mozart’ s symphony— not quite illhumored, but blustery and no-nonsense,
And speaking of characters, there are so many to explore in this piece! Nino Rota wrote over 150 film scores, and that cinematic language unmistakably shapes his style. The first movement almost feels like something out of a Disney movie. The second unfolds like a freeflowing recitative, channeling the charisma and dramatic range of a vocalist. The third movement— a theme and variations— cycles through a series of vivid musical personalities, from lyrical, introspective moments to boisterous outbursts.( One variation even reminds me of a can-can!)
Importantly, the concerto also offers plenty for my colleagues in the orchestra, with lots of interplay between the soloist and the ensemble. So much of my role as a bassoonist involves supporting others— I ' m incredibly grateful to have their support in bringing this delightful and engaging piece to life.
even if it lacks the metric quirks of Mozart’ s movement. The finale seems also quite“ 18 th-century,” although Haydn, rather than Mozart, serves as a model for both the principal theme and the development of the movement as a whole.
Instrumentation: Flute, two oboes, two bassoons, two horns, and strings.
JAMES M. KELLER, in his 25th season as Program Annotator of the San Francisco Symphony and longtime Program Annotator of the New York Philharmonic, is the author of Chamber Music: A Listener’ s Guide( Oxford University Press).
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