In the summer of 1789 Mozart wrote three symphonies in one breath. In the tradition of Bach and Handel, they embody all the maturity of Mozart’s musical thought and are a kind of preparation for the soulful lyricism of the Romantics. These are Symphonies Nos 39, 40 and 41 (Jupiter). History has not preserved any documents from which we can judge what the idea behind the birth of these three symphonies was – all we know is that they were not commissioned. It is likely that Mozart intended them to be performed in the autumn and winter of that year, during the so-called ‘academies’. During this period of his life, the composer was already very acutely in need of means of subsistence and counted on earning money from subscription concerts. Unfortunately, these dreams were not meant to come true: the concerts were not held and the symphonies themselves, although among the masterpieces Mozart created towards the end of his life, never saw the light of day during the lifetime of their composer.

Familiar and beloved by all, Mozart’s Symphony No. 40, in G minor, is among the most inspired and evocative works ever written. It is one of those unfathomable creations that is both brilliant and, on some personal level, accessible to everyone.  It inimitably combines the deep, developed operatic dramaturgy and subtle psychology so characteristic of Mozart’s musical language with motifs from Czech folk dance and a refined professional style. As the great Joseph Haydn, one of Mozart’s best friends and colleague, who backed him in everything, said : “He is so enlightened in the area of human feelings that he leaves the impression as if he himself had created them, and only then did people begin to feel them”…

Mozart’s Symphony No. 40, as well as its two companion symphonies, the 39th and 41st, literally pours out “in one breath”. In that summer Wolfgang was as free as ever from obligations: the students had dispersed on holiday, Constanze was in Baden, there were no urgent commissions to keep him busy, and he could create ” at leisure ” , fully embodying every artistic conception that his heart and mind conceived. And Mozart, as a true innovator, approached this freedom with all due respect. The symphonic genre underwent a real evolution with him – from a small introduction, which simply reminded listeners that the opera was about to begin and it was time to stop talking, it became a real, independent orchestral work. Even as a child, the composer had heard from his father, Leopold Mozart, that at the heart of every piece of music there must be some high concept, some idea, and that technique must be in the background, even though without it all the sublimity of the idea is not worth a penny. And now, in this symphony, for the first time, Mozart allows himself to communicate with his listeners! He uses his music to tell a simple and sincere story without superfluous words. Furthermore, he even confesses, almost intimately, at certain moments. The melodic moves in the French horn, for example, are something completely different from the cool concerto and academicism that were prevalent at the time and familiar to the public. This is why the Symphony No. 40 was only appreciated for its dignity in the 19th century, when the symphonies of Beethoven and Schumann were already being performed everywhere, and the subtle romanticism of Chopin had become commonplace….

Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 in G minor was to be performed at a major composer’s “academy,” for which a petition was announced. Alas, the petition did not bear fruit and the necessary funds were not raised. The symphony may well have been performed in the private homes of wealthy music lovers, but there are no records of this. Paradoxically, the date of the world premiere of this truly ingenious work is unknown. Soon after, Mozart fell ill, and on 5 December 1791, not yet 37 years old, he passed away…

The 40^th  Symphony releases the composer’s pessimism accumulated over the years. In contrast to the previous bright and joyful 39th, which serves as a kind of introduction to the ‘triad’ of symphonies written in the summer of 1789, it is tremulous, full of an immediate youthful feeling, as if it had been born from Cherubino’s aria ‘I know no more who I am and what I do’ from the opera The Marriage of Figaro. It is also one of his two symphonies, the only one of his 41 that is written in a minor key (the other is the 25^th , also in G minor, with which, as most music lovers know, Milos Forman’s film Amadeus began). An undisputed masterpiece, with its astonishing craftsmanship and perfection of form, Mozart’s 40^th Symphony, in G minor, is among the most beloved and popular musical works in music history and will remain forever in the hearts of listeners.