Serenade No. 9 (Mozart)
1779 composition by W. A. Mozart
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Serenade for Orchestra No. 9 in D major, K. 320, Posthorn, was written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in Salzburg, in 1779. The manuscript is dated 3 August 1779 and was intended for the University of Salzburg's "Finalmusik" ceremony that year.[1]
| Serenade No. 9 | |
|---|---|
| Posthorn | |
| by W. A. Mozart | |
1777 Bologna portrait of Mozart | |
| Key | D major |
| Catalogue | K. 320 |
| Occasion | End of term |
| Commissioned by | University of Salzburg |
| Composed | Salzburg, 1779 |
| Performed | 1779 |
| Duration | c. 45 minutes |
| Movements | 7 |
| Scoring | Orchestra with posthorn |
The serenade is scored for two flutes, piccolo, two oboes, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, post horn, timpani and strings. This scoring is unusually large for a work of this type. Normally, the same players would play oboe and flute, but in this case they appear simultaneously. The timpani, also, were not usually part of the serenade orchestra.[2]
It has seven movements:
The Concertante and Rondeau movements feature prominent concertante sections for flutes, oboes, and bassoons. These were performed on their own in a concert in the old Vienna Burgtheater on 23 March 1783, along with the Haffner symphony, an aria from Idomeneo, and several other works.[3]
The first trio of the second minuet features a solo piccolo (called "flautino" in the manuscript) played over strings. The second trio of the second minuet features a solo for the post horn. This solo gives the serenade its nickname.
A typical performance lasts approximately 45 minutes and is often performed together with the two marches in D major, K. 335, preceding and following respectively.
Discography
Below is an incomplete list of recordings.
| Year | Conductor | Orchestra | Label | Has two marches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | James Levine | Vienna Philharmonic | Deutsche Grammophon | No |
| 1984 | Nikolaus Harnoncourt | Staatskapelle Dresden | Teldec | Yes |
| 1985 | Charles Mackerras | Prague Chamber Orchestra | Telarc | No |
| 1985 | Neville Marriner | Academy of St. Martin in the Fields | Philips Classics | Yes |
| 1987 | János Rolla | Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra | Hungaroton | Yes |
| 1990 | Martin Turnovský | Capella Istropolitana | Naxos | No |
| 1994 | Colin Davis | Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra | BMG Music | No |
| 1996 | Wolfgang Gröhs | Europa Symphony | Arte Nova Classics | No |
| 1996 | Christopher Hogwood | Academy of Ancient Music | Éditions de l'Oiseau-Lyre | Yes |
| 2014 | Nikolaus Harnoncourt | Concentus Musicus Wien | Sony Classical | Yes (No. 1 only) |
| 2024 | Vahan Mardirossian | Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra | Brilliant Classics | No |
| 2025 | Reinhard Goebel | Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg | Berlin Classics | Yes |
