One could notice that every Symphony so far has chronologically advanced through Mozart's life. All of them have had a significant personal effect on Mozart's life and this weeks update continues the story.

Mozart's Symphony No.29 in A Major, K.201 comes at a time where historically, not a lot is known of his activity. After a burst in writing saw seven symphonies finished between 1772-73, Mozart receded for a while. He only composed three symphonies the next two years, of them the A Major, K.201 is probably the most remarkable. In that group as well was last week's feature, the 25th in G minor.

The Symphony is dated April 6, 1774, a date that to most musicologists stands as random as the day I posted this in comparison.

It is one of his more popular early symphonies and is possibly the best he composed until he reached his final group of five symphonies (36, 38, 39, 40 and 41). The symphony is characterized by Stanley Sadie as "a landmark ... personal in tone, indeed perhaps more individual in its combination of an intimate, chamber music style with a still fiery and impulsive manner."

1. Allegro moderato


2. Andante


3. Menuetto: Allegretto-Trio


4. Allegro con spirito


The opening Allegro is unusual among Mozart's symphonies for its inclusion of a quiet introduction; the forward drive of the main part of the movement is maintained by repeated note and tremolando figurations. Both the Andante and the Minuet which succeed it are characterized by the use of dotted-rhythms, which give the muted strings of the former a mood of dignified eloquence and the Minuet rare energy.

The final Allegro con spirito includes hunting-horn calls. Mozart's biographer Alfred Einstein described this finale as "…the richest and most dramatic Mozart had written up to this time." One might indeed go further and suggest that K. 201 is overall the finest symphony Mozart had yet composed. He obviously thought sufficiently highly of the work to continue using it in Vienna; it was one of four symphonies he requested his father Leopold to send to him after settling in the city.

Another iPod essential for Mozart lovers.

The videos feature ths UBS Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra conducted by Maxim Vengerov at the BBC Proms 2006 at Royal Albert Hall, London.