Mozart, Symphony No.41 in C major, Jupiter, K.551 Analysis

​Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart completed his Symphony No. 41 in C major, K. 551, on 10 August 1788. It was the last symphony that he composed, and also the longest. The work is nicknamed the Jupiter Symphony. This name stems not from Mozart but rather was likely coined by the impresario Johann Peter Salomon in an early arrangement for piano...

The beginning has the strongest effect on us but then there is sudden change and we find the softness of the response. Then there is a continuation of this contrasts. After a 0.40 second (check) the feeling is pursuing and being caught. However this is not disturbing, on the contrary, i enjoy the little anxiety and insidious. The main melody has a childish side that awakes the hidden personality in ourselves.  

 It is written in the sonatta form which includes an exposition, development and recapitulation. There is no introduction, beginning starts with exposition in C minor.  The first theme is in C major. Mozart basically stays in C major for the first theme, or tries to deceive people thinking that he’s changed into another key. The theme is repeated, modulating through several keys such as F major, D major and E major. There can be find more than two themes in this piece, in exposition, we may find a combination of them, the melody slightly changes between them.  The recapitulation follows the exposition closely, with slight differences. The expositional coda begins, in G major. The development begins  by modulating from G major to E flat minor.  

After 05.45 we have a very interesting part, that anxiety is clear, there is an explanation in a very enthusiastic way. I couldn’t sense the feeling of answer and question relation in the Jupiter the way I feel in the Mozart, Symphony No.40 in G minor, K.550. If I should compare, this piece is much more joyful and explanatioanary than the other. While listening, I didn’t try to seek answers, I couldn’t find anything unclear, contrary to that it really tries to express something and it is really insistent in explaining it. It gives met he impression that Mozart wants us to understand something and he wants to make sure weather we understand it , or accept, compeletely.  

 This piece is Mozart’s last piece, and it didn’t get the attention that it must receive. It is one of the very powerful masterpieces in the classical era. It has something emotional and it gets you into the music. You don’t search for something, you are not looking for satisfaction, you just listen and find yourself, at the end, very satisfied, relax and hopeful. Sophisticated emotional depth, gives this symphony a personality of its own.  

​Ece Demirel