Symphony No. 40

At a glance

• What it isthe third movement of Symphony No. 40 in G minor, a minuet with a middle trio, after which the minuet returns.
• Who, when, whyone of the last three symphonies, written within little more than six weeks in the summer of 1788, when Mozart was thirty-two.
• What to listen forthe minuet's rhythm, which seems to twist the beat, and the bright G major of the trio.

Listen for

• A fierce dancethe strings begin with a strong G minor melody. The accents cross the boundaries of the bars, so the three beats seem to sway.
• Crossingthe upper and lower lines cross as if chasing each other, raising the tension.
• The trioin the middle the music turns to G major, strings and woodwinds sing gently, and at the end the horns step forward with a warm sound.

When it was written

In 1788 Mozart was struggling for money in Vienna and wrote several letters asking a friend for loans. Amid this, that summer he completed Symphonies Nos. 39, 40 and 41 one after another. It is not known for certain for which concert he wrote them.

No. 40 is one of only two symphonies Mozart wrote in a minor key. He later made a version adding clarinets, which some take as a sign that he had an opportunity to have it performed.