Symphony No.

34 (Mozart)
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Symphony in C major

No. 34

by W. A. Mozart

First page of the autograph manuscript

Key C major

Catalogue K. 338

Composed 1780

Published 1797 (André)

Movements Three (Allegro vivace, Andante di molto (più tosto

Allegretto), Finale: Allegro vivace)

Symphony No. 34 in C major, K. 338, was written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in

1780, and completed on 29 August.[1][2]
Structure[edit]
The work is scored for 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani and strings.

0:00

Although most symphonies have four movements, this symphony has only three,
which was still common in the early classical period:

1. Allegro vivace, 4
4

2. Andante di molto (più tosto Allegretto), 2

4 in F major

3. Finale: Allegro vivace, 6

8

The symphony features the fanfares and flourishes typical of the "festive symphony"
or "trumpet symphony", which is characteristic of Austrian symphonic writing in C
major. This is the first of Mozart's C-major symphonies to exhibit this character, but
the style would be revisited in his subsequent two works in this key,
the 36th and 41st symphonies.[1]
The first movement is written in sonata form but also contains many styles and
formal aspects of an Italian overture. There is no expositional repeat. The
expositional coda contains an overture-like crescendo which is not included in the
recapitulation. The development is based entirely on new material. The
recapitulation on the exposition's first theme is abbreviated and interrupted by a brief
development of that theme. Finally, the movement's coda contains nearly all of this
first theme creating the appearance of a reverse-recapitulation common in Italian
overtures.[1]
The second movement in F major is scored for strings sotto voce with
divided violas and a single bassoon doubling the cellos and bass.[1]
Alfred Einstein advanced a theory in the third edition of the Köchel catalogue that
the Minuet K. 409 was written at a later date by the composer for this work.
However, there is no proof in the sources to support his thesis. [2] Also, K. 409 calls
for two flutes in its orchestration which does not match the rest of the symphony. [1]
The finale is in sonata form and features energetic tarantella or saltarello rhythms.[1]
The autograph score is today preserved in two halves: the first half (f.1-18) is in
the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, and the second half (f.19-28) is in the
Biblioteka Jagiellońska, in Kraków[3].