Symphony No. 40 in G minor was written in 1788 by the Austrian composer Mozart. It is one of the three greatest symphonies Mozart composed in less than two months, and one of the author's last three symphonies (Symphony No. 39 in E-flat major, completed on June 26; Symphony No. 40 in g minor, completed on July 25; and Symphony No. 41 in C major, completed on August 10).
The work*** is in four movements:
Movement 1: Allegro very fast, g minor, 2/2 time, sonata form
Opening with a violin in octaves accompanied by unsettling chords from the viola, the first theme, full of beautiful melancholy, is so well known that it was often later adapted to be performed alone as a light piece. After the woodwinds join in, the vibrato bowing of the string voices intensifies, leading to the second theme in bB major, where the strings and woodwinds are in cordial conversation, and the orchestra plays a downward scale before the development section arrives. The development section begins in the key of #F minor, followed by frequent transpositions, leading to the recapitulation section. In the recapitulation, the movement's two themes are also played in G minor, the first more panicky, the second more melancholy.
The form of the movement also appears in Shostakovich's Symphony No. 11 in g minor.
The second movement: Allegro, E-flat major, 6/8 time, scherzo form
The movement, though ebullient, retains a sense of restlessness in it.
Third movement: Minuet, Allegro, G minor, 3/4 time
This is not a courtly, royal minuet, nor a light, bright country dance, but a narrative that moves quietly through despair. The violin's G string, with the D string playing the g-minor theme, is eerie and sad. The center of the third province is a bright G major, and while the mood calms down, the talk soon becomes depressed and despondent again.
Fourth movement, Allegro, G minor, 2/4 time, sonata form
The movement is full of exuberant fervor, but there are still overtones of depression.
The apprehensive first theme is played with a strong intensity that keeps the listener's ears open. The second theme, in bB major, is melancholy and contemplative. The development section is dominated by the first theme, with frequent modulations as in the first movement. The recapitulation section has the same tonal arrangement as the first movement, with the instrument's despair ending in the compassionate key of G minor.