Symphony No. 12 (Mozart)

Music#

The instrumentation is two flutes, two oboes, two bassoons, two horns in G, strings, and continuo. I. Allegro, : \relative c’ \set Staff.midiInstrument = “string ensemble 1” \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \key g \major \time 3/4 \tempo 4 = 130 g4\f b’ c d4. e8 d4 g,,4 c’ d e4. f8 e4 g,,4 b’ c d8( g) g( b) b( d) d2 II. Andante, in C major : \relative c \set Staff.midiInstrument = “string ensemble 1” \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \key c \major \time 2/2 \tempo 4 = 60 c2\p e8 (d) c (b) c4. (d16 e) d4 r8 a'8 a\f (g) e-!\p c-! g’\f (f) d-!\p b-! c4. (d16 e) d4 r8 III. Menuetto and Trio, , Trio in E minor : \header tagline = ##f \paper #(set-paper-size “a4”) \layout indent = 0 \context \Score \remove “Bar_number_engraver” global = \key g \major \time 3/4 violin = \relative c \global \set Score.midiInstrument = “string ensemble 1” \repeat volta 2 d4-!\f d-! d-! c (b) c-! d2 c16 (b a g) fis4 r r a’ a fis8 (d) fis (g) d2 a'4 a fis8 (d) fis (g) d2 a'4 a fis8 (d) d'4 d b8 (g) \grace fis16 (e4) d8 c b a g2 r4 cello = \relative c’ \global \clef bass \repeat volta 2 R2. g4-!\f g g g (fis) g-! a2 g16 (fis e d) c4 r r d’ d b8 (g) fis (a) c,2 d'4 d b8 (g) fis (a) c,2 b b'4 c d d, g g, r \score > \layout \score \unfoldRepeats > \midi \tempo 4=120 The minuet features a canon between high and low strings where the voices follow each other after a single bar. Joseph Haydn had used a similar device in the minuet of his 1764 Symphony No. 23, also in G major. : \relative c \set Staff.midiInstrument = “string ensemble 1” \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \key g \major \tempo “Trio” \time 3/4 \tempo 4 = 120 b4\p (c ais) b-! dis, (e) a ( b gis) a-! c, (b) g’-! d! (c) c’-! e, (d) b'8 (d) g,4 fis g2 r4 \bar “: .” IV. Allegro, : \relative c \set Staff.midiInstrument = “string ensemble 1” \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \key g \major \time 2/4 \tempo 4 = 150 g,8\f (b d) g-! b g d’ b g'4 g 2 c'8 (e) a,-! c-! b (d) g,-! b-! a (c) e,-! a-! \grace g16 (fis4) e8 d g,8\f (b d) g-! b g d’ b g'4 g 2

Performance details#

There are no confirmed details as to first performance. It is possible that this symphony was first played at a concert in Milan, on 22 or 23 November 1771. This concert may also have seen the premiere of Mozart’s Symphony No. 13.

External links#

• • • , Danish National Chamber Orchestra conducted by Ádám Fischer