Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Serenade in E-flat major for 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 horns & 2 bassoons, K. 375 (1781)
00:00 - Allegro maestoso
07:00 - Menuetto I
11:07 - Adagio
17:15 - Menuetto II
20:04 - Allegro
The Scottish National Orchestra Wind Ensemble, dir. Paavo Järvi (1985)
Oboes: John Digney & Clare Johnson
Clarinets: John Cushing & Josef Pacewicz
Horns: Ian Smith & Joseph Currie
Bassoons: Lesley Wilson & Allan Geddes
"The K. 375 Serenade was originally composed for a wind sextet without oboes. Mozart, writing from Vienna to his father in Salzburg on November 3, 1781, says that he wrote it for St. Theresa's Day, October 15, the name day of 'Frau von Hickel's sister, or the sister-in-law of Herr von Hickel,' who was the Austrian court painter. After the premiere, in her honor, the 'poor wretches, though they play together very nicely,' had to repeat the serenade for two other ladies named Theresa. Then on October 31, Mozart's own name day (though for which of his names one cannot vouch, and can only assume that it was the eve of All Saints), just as he was undressing 'at eleven o'clock at night, I was treated to a serenade of my own composition...the gentlemen arranged for the street door to be opened and, lining up in the courtyard, surprised me most agreeably with their first chord of E-flat.' Mozart also told his father that he had composed this serenade 'rather carefully,' wanting to impress a court official who, he knew, would attend the St. Theresa's eve premiere. The man was there, but work was not forthcoming for Mozart-- 'you cannot trust these flunkies,' he commented in a later letter.
As heard here, the Serenade also has two oboes, added in July 1782 for a new wind band assembled by Prince Aloys Liechtenstein, a Viennese nobleman evidently as wealthy as he was culturally ambitious. And at the same time Mozart composed K. 388, the C minor Serenade for the same wind octet, evidently also for Prince Liechtenstein's wind band. They form a pair with their relative-minor key relationship.
The serenade begins with an expansive, comfortable Sonata-Allegro. The second subject is in the dominant minor and, having been featured in the brief development, does not recur in the recapitulation, its place being taken by a mellow horn solo. The movement features instruments in their pairs, often with brilliant runs. The first Minuet is rather formal, and has a pensive C minor Trio in which horns are prominent. The Adagio is balmy and blissful, with lyrical clarinet solos and a haunting epilogue subject for oboe. Minuet No. 2 sounds like a street song, a rather prim one: its Trio section, in A-flat major, is more enthusiastic. The Finale is even more high-spirited and popularity-catching with an irresistible principal tune and brilliant runs galore." - William Mann
Painting: The Swing, Hubert Robert