Today (Saturday) I actively listened to Mozart’s Symphony #38, known as the “Prague Symphony”. The performance was conducted by Sir Charles MacKerras, and it was terrific!
Mozart composed his Symphony #38 in 1786, and the First performance was on January 19, 1787, in Prague. More than 200 years have passed and we are still loving this music!
It has been traditionally held that Mozart was fond of the city and people of Prague and he considered them to be a musically-savvy audience. His Operas were great successes here, too…
The symphony is structured in only three movements, a change from the more traditional four-movement form most common in the 18th century. In this work, the substantial and expertly-composed first movement balances out the other two; the balance would likely have been thrown out of proportion with the inclusion of the usual Minuet.
Here is a performance of this symphony, as led by Charles MacKerras:
