Symphony No. 20 in
D major,
K. 133, was composed by
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in July 1772,[1] when Mozart was sixteen years old. This symphony is one of many written during the period Mozart stayed in Salzburg, between two
trips to Italy. Compared to other symphonies Mozart wrote in this period, the scoring is extravagant, featuring two trumpets in addition to the standard oboes, horns, and strings. The
key of
D major, which is a key often reserved for ceremonial music, is well suited to the presence of these trumpets.[1]
The first movement, in
D major and 4 4 time, is written in
sonata allegro form, with the notable deviation of the
recapitulation being the mirror image of the
exposition. That is, the recapitulation starts with the second
theme, and Mozart waits until the very end to unveil the return of the first theme. He does so by first bringing the theme in softly with the strings, then repeating with the strings now
doubled by the trumpets.
Andante
The second movement, in
A major and 2 4, features strings with a solo flute, which typically doubles the first violin one
octave higher. The violins play with
mutes throughout the movement, and the
bass part is played
pizzicato. These features, in combination, give the movement a delicate texture.
This minuet in D major starts boldly. A more subdued trio written primarily for strings (with a bit of oboe).
[Allegro]
The fourth movement, also in D major, is a long dance in 12 8 time cast in sonata-allegro form. Though Mozart himself did not label the tempo of the fourth movement, the character of the piece and the standard symphonic form of the time indicates that Mozart probably intended the piece to go at an "allegro" tempo.
References
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abMozart, Wolfgang Amadeus (2005). Die Sinfonien III. Translated by Robinson, J. Branford. Kassel: Bärenreiter-Verlag. p. XI. ISMN M-006-20466-3