Mozart - Symphony No. 35 in D Major, K. 385 “Haffner”
December 1, 2022
Robert G. Hasty conducts the Northwestern University Chamber Orchestra in Mozart's Symphony No. 35 in D Major, K. 385 “Haffner.”
(00:21) Allegro con spirito
(06:24) Andante
(16:29) Menuetto
(19:47) Presto
Program Note
Mozart’s quintessential rebellion and playfulness comes through heavily in the symphony, described by many critics with a vivaciousness like his comic-operas. The main theme is even derived from the comic aria, “Ah, how shall I triumph,” from the opera he had been working on at the time, The Abduction from the Seraglio. This comic “triumph” is particularly notable because decades prior, a German music theorist, John Mattheson, defined characteristics of keys, reflecting a common sentiment of the period that even a key, such as D Major, had its quirks and characteristics. The Haffner Serenade and its derived Symphony No. 35 were both set in D Major, known for eliciting “triumphant, victorious war-cries.” D Major was used heavily for ennoblement ceremonies because of its ease for the limited versatility of the trumpet at the time, but while Mozart may have intended to use D Major to ostensibly commemorate Sigmund Jr’s achievement, he undercuts the “triumphant” effect by making fun of this triumph with quotes from his comic operas. Just as “Ah, how I shall triumph” pokes fun at the characters in The Abduction from the Seraglio, Mozart’s “triumphant” D Major setting in the Serenade and Symphony pokes fun at the nobleman it is meant to be honoring.