Relayed from The National Museum of Wales

National Orchestra of Wales
(Cerddorfa Genedlaethol Cymru)

Mozart's good friends, the Haffners, were a well-to-do Salzburg family, one of whom was the Burgomaster in Mozart time. They are responsible for three of the master's works: this Symphony, the Serenade, and a little March, the two latter having been commissioned and composed in honour of the wedding of one of the daughters in 1776. Five years later, for the wedding of a younger daughter, Mozart's father was asked to compose a Symphony; he passed on the commission to his illustrious son, who, in spite of the almost overwhelming tasks with which ho was engrossed at the moment, undertook it, composing the work at even greater speed than was usual with him. It is on record that when he looked it over again years afterwards, he was himself astonished to find it so good.
As befits the happy occasion for which it was composed, the Symphony is throughout in sunny, exultant vein; she was indeed a fortunate young woman who had such music written by such a master in her honour.

(to 14.00)