Symphony, K. 76 (Mozart)

The Symphony "No. 43" in F major, K. 76/42a, was probably written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

The symphony is scored for two oboes, two horns in F, two bassoons and strings. The oboes are silent for the second movement. The inclusion of the bassoons is notable as in contemporary orchestras bassoon parts were not usually written in and simply doubled the cellos and double basses. In contemporary orchestras, it was also usual to include the harpsichord if they were available in the orchestra to reinforce the bass line and act as the continuo. The duration is approximately 15 minutes.

\relative c'' { \tempo "Allegro maestoso" \key f \major <f a,>2.\p c'8( a) | f4-. c-. a-. f-. | <f d'>2. bes'8( g) | f4( e) d( c) | <f a,>2. c'8( a) | f4-. c-. a-. f-. | }

The symphony consists of the following movements:

  1. Allegro maestoso, 4
    4
  2. Andante, 3
    4     B-flat major
  3. Menuetto, 3
    4
  4. Allegro, 2
    4

The autograph has been lost. The only source for this symphony was a set of parts in the archives of the publisher Breitkopf & Härtel, which was destroyed during World War II.[1]

The Alte Mozart-Ausgabe (published 1879–1882) gives the numbering sequence 1–41 for the 41 numbered symphonies. The unnumbered symphonies (some, including K. 76, published in supplements to the Alte-Mozart Ausgabe until 1910) are sometimes given numbers in the range 42 to 56, even though they were written earlier than Mozart's Symphony No. 41 (written in 1788). The symphony K. 76 is given the number 43 in this numbering scheme.

  1. ^ Neal Zaslaw: "Symphony in F major, K. 42a/76". Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: The Symphonies, vol VII. Recording of the Academy of Ancient Music. Concertmaster: Jaap Schröder, continuo: Christopher Hogwood. Decca Record, London 1988.