Sinfonie in C

The symphony was the most important genre of instrumental orchestral music during the Classical period. There were various local traditions, which Mozart was able to adapt to with ease. During his grand tour of Western Europe, he composed around 15 symphonies (many of which have been lost), reflecting the tastes in England and the Netherlands. Additional works were composed during his stays in Vienna (1767/68) and Italy (1769–71). These early symphonies required a standard orchestra consisting of 2 oboes, 2 horns, and strings. For especially festive symphonies, 2 trumpets and timpani were added.

The majority of Mozart’s symphonies were composed during his years in Salzburg. With few exceptions, they were intended for court concerts at the Prince-Archbishop’s residence and were not widely circulated during his lifetime. A distinctive feature of the Salzburg court orchestra was that the same two musicians played both the flutes and oboes; as a result, although instrumentation could vary from movement to movement depending on key and character, flutes and oboes were generally not used simultaneously. A considerable number of symphonies originated as opera overtures, to which Mozart added a finale if they did not already have a fast final movement. Others were adaptations of orchestral serenades, from which Mozart reduced the number of movements to three or four.

During his Viennese years, Mozart composed only a few symphonies, but they are among his most popular works today. This is especially true of the set of three symphonies composed in the summer of 1788, including the so-called Jupiter Symphony, K. 551. The Viennese symphonies are notable not only for their larger scale but also for their expanded and more diverse instrumentation: often 1 flute was added, and 2 clarinets sometimes replaced or complemented the oboes; the bassoon parts also became increasingly independent from the orchestral bass line.