Symphony No.34 in C major K.338

Reconstruction of 2nd mvt. Menuetto Allegretto

Autograph score in 14 measures

All 14 measures of the minuet from the symphony No.34 in C major K.338 which exist are printed in appendix of the New Mozart Edition (NMA) IV/11/6. As facsimile in p. XVI of the NMA shows, the minuet is started as the second movement on the back of the first movement's last page, and all the written 14 measures is crossed out. Perhaps, as for minuet, it was completed, but it is thought that it was cut for some reasons by Mozart himself. Instrumentation of this minuet is for 2 oboi, 2 fagotti, 2 corni, 2 trombe, timpani and strings of 5 parts. The beginning of trombe and timpani in C major key start with forte looks like a march in a step of dignity. Forte and piano come in turns of every 4 measures, but during 14 measures there are no rests in Violino I. Because there is not a repeat at bar 8, it is thought that Mozart wrote 16 measures through. The reason why Mozart did not use repeat mark is assumed that he put the rest not in bar 8 but in the bar 16. The rest in bar 16 is also aimed to be given for violino II which begins to trace the octave lower part of violino I in bars 13-14. Trombe and timpani were able to take in rhythm of throbbing in bar 9 due to difference from bar 1. It might be too strong to show this rhythm from the beginning.

Fagotto parts are blank in the NMA. As for the Andante di molt movement, fagotti are followed bassi in reference with the contemporary manuscripts, but it is thought that as the source of this movement is autograph only, and besides musical notes of 2 fagotti are not written in autograph, no musical notes are written down. But, as the facsimile of the NMA shows fagotti and bassi parts separately, Mozart intended to write fagotto part where it differs from bassi. We should write fagotti as the same tone shape of bassi here. The effect of the dotted notes of fagotti in bar 4 and 11 play as the same pattern as in bar 64 and 278 of the finale of Symphony No.33 in B K.319.

It is said that "Haffner Symphony" K.385 is baroque-like, and this minuet, which ticks Alberti bass in violino II and has a spinning-like melody in violino I with the support of simply durable bass, also fits such a type more. Therefore, I don't let only a melody of violin rise, but let melodies of winds and timpani fresh in proper balance.

I tried the tempo of Allegretto in various ways. My favorite was in MM130, but I felt need made a few more fast. I finally followed MM144 depended on Jean-Pierre Marty's "The Tempo Indications of Mozart" , because this tempo was felt adequately after tamed.

2 measures of supplement

The guidance for the next tone to bar 15 which is written on the last measure of autograph seems important to decide the ending of the first half 16 measures of the minuet. It is reasonable that gis² is for violino I and gis¹ for violino II similar to the bar 7, but it difficult to understand e¹ is written for viola. As the chords from bar 14 to bar 16 will be I-IV-V-I naturally, IV would be acceptable in this place, but might Mozart consider with I-V-I? By the way, what is the purpose of guidance for the next tone? Is it a vestige used as performance music? Or else, Mozart composed to be used as performance music in a premise, but eventually, it wasn't used? I supplemented bar 15 with a quaver with slur which is similar to the preceding bar, and put ending chord in bar 16 with bass bounds in the second beat and the third beat.

16 measures of supplement

New development is necessary in the head 8 measures of the minuet in the latter half of 16 measures. I let the same note repetition of violino I and violino II, which turned around in supporting role in the first half, set for main role. And I have decided to make trombe and timpani, which were in hesitation in the first half, sound freely in 4 measures of forte. With the same note repetition of violini, the latter half of German Dance K.605 No.2 is somewhat imaged out. The last 2 measures of the first half come to have been same as minuet of "Linz symphony" K.425 unconsciously.

The last 8 measures of latter half of minuet saved 6 quaver notes with slur only for one measure in order to prevent monotonous image coming out by recursive appearance of sets of a minim and a crotchet with slur. The last 2 measures include falling shape cadence with appoggiatura. I made bass bounds in the second beat and the third beat here, too.

About a trio

Some conductors, e.g. Karl Böhm, recorded this symphony with minuet K.409 as the third movement. But critics say that there is no connection between K.338 and K.409, and it is too long as a symphonic minuet. To know an appropriate length of the second movement for K.338, reconstruction of trio shall be inevitably considered. I didn't try to supplement new trio this time but diverted a trio from minuet of existing Mozart work instead. I selected K.103(61d) No. 13 which has same key of C major, similar sound repetition and soft bass lines as minuet of K.338. The version used here is the final version for 9-16 bars in accordance with NMA but not the first version of NMA appendix which can be found in the complete dance works of Boskovsky's CD. It seems a little unsatisfied and different style as a symphonic trio. It may call one of objections not having a viola part. It may be said that it is rather acceptable than to divert well known trio from other symphony.

About performance

It is recent main interpretation about repetition of minuet movement that a performance of main part after having ended trio doesn't omit repetition. As the beginning 16 measures are written out in this particular minuet, no omission is permitted in the former half. This means that it cannot but repeat the latter half in balance. Total playing measures or time summed up to 144 measures or just 3 minutes by MM144.

Is it fitted to symphonic minuet movement?

By the observation of supplemented minuet and trio I frankly say that I can't deny its impression being heterogeneous as minuet of symphonic minuet and of K.338. Is it an issue of unfamiliarity or my inferiority? Mozart would have selected two ways; (1) After all four movements (allegro vivace, menuetto-allegretto, andante di molto and allegro vivace) were completed, the menuetto-allegretto was crossed out, or (2) before andante di molto and allegro vivace were gotten started on writing, the menuetto-allegretto was already crossed out. If the former is the case, all four movements in the above order might be once considered as a completed symphony form. But if the latter is the case, the two existing movements of andante di molto and allegro vivace might be originally the 2nd and the 3rd movements respectively where we can not insert minuet anymore as the symphony form. Anyway Mozart deleted the minutet from this symphony. So I do not make full movements in MIDI file.

Why Mozart deleted the minuet will be open for further discussions.

(The Japanese version of this paper was originally presented at Kobe Mozart Study on 1995/10/1)

: Symphony No.34 in C major K.338 -2nd mvt. Menuetto Allegretto (Reconstructed by H. Noguchi)

Instruments; CH1: Oboe I, II, CH2: Fagotto I, II, CH3: Corno I, II in Do/C, CH4: Trombe I, II in Do/C, CH5: Timpani in Do-Sol/C-G, CH6: Violino I, CH7: Violino II, CH8: Viola, CH9: Violoncello, CH11: Basso
Sound Generator; Roland SC-88VL
Source; NMA: IV/11/6 Anh. and NMA: IV/13/1/1 p.23