Near the end of his life, when the composer was doing his best to make a living based solely on composition and performance, Mozart made an unusual choice. He started work on three symphonies. This might not seem unusual, but no one had asked him to write these pieces, and, unlike piano concertos, they weren’t works that could feature him as a soloist and help further his performance career.
Whatever the reason, these were the final three symphonies Mozart would compose, and the last of the three — his 41st Symphony — was easily the longest and grandest orchestral work he had ever written.
Mozart’s Symphony No. 41 received its nickname, the “Jupiter” Symphony, years after the composer’s death and hundreds of miles from home — the first references to the nickname are from London in the early 1820s.
But even though Mozart never used the name himself, “Jupiter” seems an apt name. From the trumpets and drums in the first movement to the grand fugal finale, this is truly a symphony fit for the king of the gods!
The "Jupiter" Symphony comes to Redlands on March 26, when the Redlands Symphony's annual Mozart celebration returns to the Memorial Chapel Stage. This is always one of the most popular concerts of our season — don't miss your chance to get your tickets!
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