stmhumanities

I turned on NPR two nights ago precisely when the station introduced Mozart’s Symphony No. 38 in D Major, his “Prague Symphony” (composed in 1786).

Chance and chance alone has a message for us….

When I got home, I researched what Prague’s social/economic situation was like from late 1700s (when Mozart wrote the piece) through 1848. When Mozart composed the symphony, Prague was in the midst of a period economic, and I think that the D-Major key and the triumphant tone throughout this symphony act as both a recognition of Prague’s success and an appreciation of the widespread acceptance of his music by the Prague people. The heavy use of wind instruments indicates that Mozart wanted to imitate the contemporary style of Bohemian composers (such as Johann Stamitz, 1717-1757; and Carl Stamitz, 1745-1801). I found it very intriguing how much the social situation in Prague changed between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

If you care to take a listen, here's a link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwLyNKxY1u4&safe=active