Talk:Symphony No. 31 (Mozart)

What version gets performed?

User Labyrinthia corrected the specification of the slow movement to 6/8 time. Then DavidRF took it back to 3/4.

Looking at the NMA edition (on line), I can see that the 6/8 slow movement was written by Mozart first (end of May/early June 1778). Then, when he decided it had not been well received, he wrote the the 3/4 version (mid June to early July 1778).

So perhaps we should list both in the listing of movements?

Also, I have a question for fellow editors: the slow movement that matches what I remember hearing is the 6/8 one -- the first one Mozart wrote. Is it the standard practice to perform the symphony with this movement, or do some conductors select the 3/4 one instead?

Thanks, Opus33 (talk) 04:26, 11 January 2010 (UTC)

There is information in the composition section to which mentions the original version. Also there is a sentence below the movement list which mentions the original movement. I set the "main" one to 3/4 and added a "6/8" to the text in the composition list to clarify that the time signature there. My source (A. P. Brown Symphonic Repertoire) lists the 6/8 version as an "Andantino" rather than an "Andante" so I felt the need to sync up the correct tempo with the time sig, though it apppears that NMA lists them both as Andante's so that distinction is not as clear as I thought yesterday.

I agree that the original movement gets a bit lost in the narrative. We spell out the existence of alternative movements more explicitly in other places. As to which is most commonly performed/recorded, I'm not sure. The narrative culled from Deutsch, 1965, implies the new one was more successful but that's just one opinion. I know that Mackerras provides both which means if I'm not careful I usually hear both. (I, IIa, IIb, III).DavidRF (talk) 15:40, 11 January 2010 (UTC)

At home with my books now. Brown goes off on the two second movements quite a bit. It has always been thought that the 6/8 movement was first and the 3/4 movement was added later because that's what Mozart states in one of his letters. But Tyson claims the reverse may be true due to analyses of the autographs. Brown doesn't go far as to say that Tyson *is* right, just that he could be. Anyways, there's much contrast between the two movements in scoring, style (polonaise vs pastoral). We could flesh out more detail here.DavidRF (talk) 04:00, 12 January 2010 (UTC)

Is there evidence that this symphony is one of his most famous symphonies as listed?

Seems dubious Wikieditor662 (talk) 07:04, 18 July 2024 (UTC)

Many music magazines and websites dedicated to classical music list the "Paris" among WAM's top symphonies. -- Michael Bednarek (talk) 10:16, 18 July 2024 (UTC)

Do these magazines and websites count as a reliable source? Wikieditor662 (talk) 16:36, 18 July 2024 (UTC)

Search "Which are Mozart's most famous symphonies?" and judge yourself. Classic FM is widely cited on Wikipedia, and they mention No. 31, and a title Mozart: 15 Famous Symphonies ASIN B0000013I9 that includes No. 31 seem to support the claim. -- Michael Bednarek (talk) 04:01, 19 July 2024 (UTC)