Mozart, WA :: Sinfonie in g [Symphony in G minor] K. 550

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart completed his symphony in G minor, K. 550, in 1788. Of his more than 50 symphonies, only two were written in the minor mode, the other one likewise being in G minor (K. 183). The question of whether this key had special significance for the composer may be safely left to musicologists to answer, although a glimpse at the opening scene of Don Giovanni, Constanze's Traurigkeit area from Abduction from the Seraglio and Pamina's Ach ich fuhl s from The Magic Flute certainly lends weight to this conclusion.

Mozart Symphony K. 550 now appears in a version for woodwind quintet that makes this work available to music enthusiasts in a small ensemble. As Mozart himself is known to have rewritten some of his string pieces for winds, it is not surprising that this arrangement for woodwind quintet sounds so natural that it might easily pass for an original composition. The five instruments open up a great variety of colors and combinations as well as a wide range of dynamics.