About this edition
Composed in Salzburg in May 1773, Mozart's Symphony No. 23 in D Major, K.181/162b is a brilliant single-movement symphony cast in three connected sections — an exuberant Allegro spiritoso, a lyrical Andantino grazioso featuring a prominent oboe solo, and a festive Presto assai finale. At just seventeen, Mozart had absorbed the Italian sinfonia tradition during his recent travels, and this compact, tightly argued work radiates the brightness of D major scoring with trumpets and timpani. Its rhythmic vitality and seamless transitions between movements mark it as one of the most striking of the early Salzburg symphonies.
This volume reproduces the score as it appeared in the landmark Mozarts Werke, the first complete critical edition of the composer's works, issued by Breitkopf & Härtel in Leipzig between 1877 and 1883. Symphony No. 23 was published in 1880 in Serie VIII (Symphonien), Band 2, under plate number W.A.M. 181. Edited by some of the most distinguished Mozart scholars of the nineteenth century, the Breitkopf Gesamtausgabe remained the standard reference for performers and researchers for decades and continues to serve as a foundational source for Mozart performance practice and study.
About this edition:
- Format: Full orchestral conductor's score
- Page size: 8.5 x 11 inches
- Source: Reproduced from the historical Breitkopf & Härtel edition (Leipzig, 1880), Plate W.A.M. 181
- Series: Mozarts Werke, Serie VIII: Symphonien, Bd. 2, No. 23
- Pages reproduced: 14 pages of music (original pp. 13-26)
- Publisher: Purple 4R Publishing
This edition is a faithful reprint of a public domain historical score, bringing a cornerstone of the orchestral repertoire to conductors, performers, students, and scholars in a clean, readable format. We're delighted to help keep these enduring works in the hands of the musicians who love them.
