Mozart, Serenade No. 10 “Gran Partita,” K. 361

A few months back we featured Gounod’s Little Symphony for Winds and mentioned the Harmonien. We quoted Horace Fitzpatrick:

From about 1756 onward the Emperor [in Vienna] and the Austrian nobles kept house bands called Harmonien, usually made of pairs of oboes, horns, bassoons, and after about 1770, clarinets. These wind groups formed part of the household musical staff, and provided serenade for banquets and garden parties. Joseph II kept a crack Harmonie for his private delectation, drawn from the principal wind players of the Imperial opera. His successor Franz II carried on this practice.

Harmoniemusik was essentially synonymous with music for winds, but it covered a wide range of styles. It was also popular in France under the term “harmonie militaire” and in England. While the Harmonien continued after the death of Joseph II in 1780, the ensembles became unsustainable in 1800 with the rise of Napoleon.

Last week, we featured the Dvorak Serenade for Winds, which harks back to the Harmonien, and, in the third movement, pays homage to this Mozart’s “Gran Partita.”

Mozart’s work has been called the crowning achievement of Harmonien music. Mozart had written several divertimenti beginning in 1773. In keeping with the social purpose of the Harmonie, these were all light and cheerful in character. The Gran Partita was the first of three somewhat weightier serenades written in 1781-82. Mozart wrote concerning one of them that he wrote them more carefully in hopes of getting the attention of the Emperor’s Chamberlain who frequented the events where they were to be performed.

On a separate note concerning the sporadic applause in this performance, I have seen surveys that say some people shy away from classical concerts because they don’t know when to applaud. If that concerns you, there’s one simple rule that always works: don’t be the first to clap.