When was Mozart's Symphony No. 1 written?
Mozart's Symphony No. 1 in E major, K. 16, was written in August or September 1764, when Mozart was eight years old. The family was in London as part of a Grand Tour of Europe at the time.
Questions about Symphony No. 1 (Mozart)
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Why did Mozart compose Symphony No. 1 entirely in his head?
His father Leopold had a severe throat infection and forbade any noise in the house, including music. According to an account by his sister Nannerl, Mozart was not permitted to touch the harpsichord, so he composed the symphony silently in his mind.
Where was Mozart's Symphony No. 1 first performed?
The symphony received its first performance on the 21st of February 1765 at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London.
How did Johann Christian Bach influence Mozart's Symphony No. 1?
Johann Christian Bach, one of the sons of Johann Sebastian Bach and an important early symphonist working in London, met Mozart during the family's stay there. The symphony shows his influence alongside that of Mozart's father, Leopold.
What is the four-note motif in Mozart's Symphony No. 1 and where does it reappear?
The second movement of Symphony No. 1 introduces a four-note theme built on the notes C, D, F, and E. This motif reappears in the fourth movement of Mozart's final symphony, No. 41 (the "Jupiter"), and also in his Symphony No. 33.
Where is the original manuscript of Mozart's Symphony No. 1 held?
The autograph score of Symphony No. 1 is preserved in the Biblioteka Jagiellońska in Kraków.