Mozart Symphony No. 40

Words: 553
Pages: 3

The concert piece I listened and watched performed was Mozart's Symphony No. 40. I found this piece on YouTube performed by the chamber orchestra Kammerorchester Basel and conducted by Umberto Benedetti Michelangeli. This group was founded in 1984 in Basel, Switzerland and although this selection is considered early music, this group also focuses on contemporary pieces.
Symphony No. 40 is broken into four main sections; Molto Allegro, Andante, Menuetto Allegretto, and Allegro Assai. After the first time listening to the whole piece, my favorite section was the Allegro Assai because it is very fast but full of texture and the melody is upbeat. This section also is dynamic, utilizing not only the volume of sound but the instruments themselves to create the pleasant melody. I enjoyed watching the musicians during this part because it is amazing to see how effortless they make it look when in reality there were many hours of hard work to be able to play everything down to a single note correctly.
…show more content…
It starts out simple and slow but then builds up to these fast bursts. It is also fascinating to watch the musicians play this section because they are so in sync with each movement and drove the emotion and pace of the piece that much more. The conductor did a fantastic job driving the emotion of the piece, especially when the volume was raised and lowered he would either lean forward as if trying to hear the music, or he would stand a little straighter and would move his arms in fast motions when the music grew