Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - •Serenade No. 3 in D major, "Antretter", K. 185/167a (1773)

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Serenade No. 3 in D major, "Antretter", K. 185/167a (1773)

00:00 - Allegro assai
07:10 - Andante
15:23 - Allegro
18:10 - Menuetto & Trio
21:32 - Andante grazioso
27:51 - Menuetto - Trio I - Trio II
33:18 - Adagio - Allegro assai
40:02 - Marcia. Andante (K. 189)

Camerata Academica des Mozarteums Salzburg, dir. Sándor Végh (1990)

on 14 July 1773, Leopold and W.A. Mozart set out on their third journey to Vienna. In his luggage Wolfgang had a commission for a composition for Salzburg, a musical finale for the end of the academic year at Salzburg University in August 1773. Mozart had received this commission from Judas Thaddeus von Antretter, the son of Johann Ernst von Antretter, the chancellor of the province of Salzburg. The result was the Serenade in D major, K. 185 (167a) for 2 oboes, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, and strings: the Antretter Serenade.

Musical finales were performed at the closing celebrations of the academic year of the 'logicians' and the 'physicians.' First, the reigning prince was serenaded, then the professors of the alma mater paridiana. For the parade of the entrance and exit of the students a march was played. In the Antretter Serenade this is the march K. 189 (167b).

The origins of this work can be traced extremely accurately through two letters written by Leopold Mozart. At the end of his letter dated 21 July 1773, Leopold Mozart wrote from Vienna: 'I must close now, because it is time to write a few lines to young Mr. v. Andretter and sent him the first part of the academic festival music.' Then, in a letter dated 12 August 1773, also from Vienna, he states: 'We are glad that the academic festival music proved a success'. Thus, the composition must have been completed at the beginning of August and first performed a few days later under the direction of the court minstrel, Joseph Nikolaus Meißner, but in the absence of the composer. For this reason, Leopold Mozart's letter closes with: 'Wolfgang will express his thanks to Herr Meißner.'

The 'Antretter Serenade' is the first example in Mozart's creative work of the multi-movement type of serenade which later became the rule. The allegro introduction with its two themes is followed by a two-movement concertino for solo violin in the third-related key of F major. The second movement with its rondo structure and its switching from solo episode to tutti refrain is similar to the last movement of a concerto, and one may suppose that, after it, there was an interval -- perhaps for a short speech, before the music continued with the minuet & trio, in which solo flute and viola go 'colla parte'. Both in the sequence of the movements and in its ｅxpression, the andante grazioso forms the nucleus of the serenade, whilst the subsequent minuet with its two trios -- in the first one the violin again has a solo function -- return to the rondo-like style. The final movement begins with a soulful adagio and ends in the 6/8 time of allegro assai with the cheerful serenity appropriate to a serenade." - Gerhard Walterskirchen

Camerata Academica Salzburg - Alexander Janiczeck
Mozartwoche Salzburg 1998

01:15 - Marche. Andante
03:50 - Allegro assai
10:47 - Andante
16:47 - Allegro
19:37 - Menuetto-Trio
23:04 - Andante grazioso
30:26 - Menuetto-Trio I, II
35:54 - Adagio-Allegro assai