1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,500 I'm going to make an educated guess and say yes. 2 00:00:03,500 --> 00:00:06,500 Here's the theme. 3 00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:23,600 Hello there. I'm Peter Shickely and this is Shickely Mix, 4 00:00:23,600 --> 00:00:28,400 a program dedicated to the proposition that all music's are created equal. 5 00:00:28,400 --> 00:00:33,200 Or as Duke Ellington put it, if it sounds good, it is good. 6 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:38,900 And how sweet it is to say that our bills are paid by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting 7 00:00:38,900 --> 00:00:46,900 and by this tightly run radio station, which so far at least lets me do my thing here, 8 00:00:46,900 --> 00:00:52,400 which thing is then distributed around by PRI, Public Radio International. 9 00:00:52,400 --> 00:00:58,400 Well, we've got an interesting situation here on today's show. 10 00:00:58,400 --> 00:01:03,400 When I told the station manager that I was going to do something new for Shickely Mix, 11 00:01:03,400 --> 00:01:09,400 which is to devote an entire program to the first movement of Mozart's Prague Symphony. 12 00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:16,400 You know, I always play short pieces or sections of longer pieces to illustrate a point or a zone. 13 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:24,400 But I thought it would be a good idea to really get into a piece, one piece, and see what makes it work formally and everything. 14 00:01:24,400 --> 00:01:30,400 Well, the station manager demurred, actually hit the ceiling is more like it. 15 00:01:30,400 --> 00:01:35,400 He said, we've got to give listeners what they want and they don't want to listen to one Mozart piece for an hour. 16 00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:39,400 But I stood my ground. I still think it's a good idea. 17 00:01:39,400 --> 00:01:41,400 So do you know what he did? 18 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:48,400 He drew up a list of pieces people want to hear. I'm making those little quote signs with my fingers there. 19 00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:55,400 And he had one of the staff announcers put together a one-hour show to run concurrently with mine. 20 00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:58,400 Presumably it's rolling right now in the studio across the hall. 21 00:01:58,400 --> 00:02:05,400 And if it's decided that what I'm doing is getting too boring, then they're going to switch over to the other show, just like that. 22 00:02:05,400 --> 00:02:07,400 Can you believe that? 23 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:14,400 I'm just warning you. So you'll know what's going on, you know, if you suddenly find yourself listening to Pachelbel's Canon or something. 24 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:17,400 It's because, oh, oh, and here's the kicker. I didn't tell you this. 25 00:02:17,400 --> 00:02:26,400 The station manager is out of town at a radio convention and guess who he's put in charge of deciding if and when to switch over to the alternate show. 26 00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:28,400 You ready for this? 27 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:31,400 His 15-year-old son. 28 00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:33,400 That's what I said. 29 00:02:33,400 --> 00:02:40,400 I mean, I've met him and he seems like a perfectly nice kid if perhaps a bit over-relaxed. 30 00:02:40,400 --> 00:02:46,400 But, hey, the thing is he's probably into heavy metal or grunge or cyber rock or whatever. 31 00:02:46,400 --> 00:02:50,400 It's a good bet he'll be getting bored before ten minutes are up. 32 00:02:50,400 --> 00:03:01,400 It's hard to believe that the fate of today's show is in the hands of the rebellious teenager who's sitting in the studio across the hall with his finger on the red button. 33 00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:04,400 The launch button, as it were. 34 00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:08,400 Hey, you know, I can switch us over to that alternate feed. 35 00:03:08,400 --> 00:03:11,400 Let's see, it's this switch right here by the red light. 36 00:03:11,400 --> 00:03:20,400 Here's what you'd be listening to if Chip had already gotten bored. 37 00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:22,400 Well, what did I tell you? 38 00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:25,400 Pachelbel's Canon. 39 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:35,400 Well, I'm going to hope that Chip has his virtual game boy in there with him and won't care what he's listening to. 40 00:03:35,400 --> 00:03:39,400 The show's being taped so the manager can hear it when he gets back. 41 00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:48,400 But I am going to proceed with my plan, which is to immerse ourselves, to wallow in one of my favorite pieces in the whole wide world, 42 00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:54,400 Mozart's Symphony No. 38 in D major, nicknamed the Prague Symphony. 43 00:03:54,400 --> 00:03:58,400 You know, the folks in Bohemia loved Mozart. 44 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:03,400 And ever since the abduction from the Seraglio, Prague couldn't get enough of Wolfie. 45 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:08,400 And when he went there at the end of 1786 for the local premiere of The Marriage of Figaro, 46 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:13,400 he brought with him this newly composed symphony, which became a great favorite. 47 00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:16,400 I'd like to say a few things before we get going. 48 00:04:16,400 --> 00:04:25,400 It has been pointed out that some commentators confuse Mozart's development as a composer with that of the symphony in general. 49 00:04:25,400 --> 00:04:31,400 When I point out new techniques, I don't mean to imply that Mozart necessarily invented them. 50 00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:36,400 Some of these changes were being brought about by Haydn and other contemporary symphonists as well. 51 00:04:36,400 --> 00:04:42,400 The symphony developed from the Italian opera overture, which was usually fast, slow, fast. 52 00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:46,400 And in the days of Mozart's early symphonies, the 1760s, 53 00:04:46,400 --> 00:04:53,400 even those that were not originally written as opera overtures were generally played as a prelude to some kind of entertainment. 54 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:58,400 Their job was to entertain and get people in a good mood. 55 00:04:58,400 --> 00:05:04,400 By the end of the century, symphonies were substantially longer, they were written for larger forces, 56 00:05:04,400 --> 00:05:09,400 and they had become self-contained vehicles for artistic expression. 57 00:05:09,400 --> 00:05:16,400 They also got a lot harder to play, which put an end to one practice, that is in the symphony orchestra. 58 00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:20,400 It still survives in Broadway orchestra pits. 59 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:22,400 Recognize this piece? 60 00:05:22,400 --> 00:05:43,400 In our theme song, if I may use the vernacular, we hear two flutes and no oboes. 61 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:48,400 It's the middle movement of Mozart's Symphony No. 24, by the way. 62 00:05:48,400 --> 00:05:54,400 But in the first movement of that same symphony, we hear two oboes and no flutes. 63 00:06:19,400 --> 00:06:25,400 Now that's because the pairs of flutes and oboes were played by the same two guys. 64 00:06:25,400 --> 00:06:27,400 They're called doublers. 65 00:06:27,400 --> 00:06:33,400 Nowadays, a lucky doubler in a Broadway show orchestra might have to bring a flute and an oboe 66 00:06:33,400 --> 00:06:37,400 and a clarinet and a saxophone and a bassoon to work every day. 67 00:06:37,400 --> 00:06:44,400 He may get a hernia, but he cries all the way to the bank, because he gets paid extra for every double. 68 00:06:44,400 --> 00:06:50,400 Anyway, by the time the Prague Symphony was written, the woodwind parts had gotten hard enough 69 00:06:50,400 --> 00:06:53,400 to require specialization among the players. 70 00:06:53,400 --> 00:06:58,400 Mozart did have a lot to do with the much greater importance of the winds. 71 00:06:58,400 --> 00:07:03,400 It has been said that Mozart learned how to take full advantage of the string quartet from Haydn 72 00:07:03,400 --> 00:07:08,400 and that Haydn learned how to take full advantage of the orchestral winds from Mozart. 73 00:07:08,400 --> 00:07:15,400 And finally, the later symphonies took on the full range of expression that you might find in an opera. 74 00:07:15,400 --> 00:07:21,400 Here's the slow introduction to the first movement of Mozart's 38th Symphony. 75 00:07:21,400 --> 00:07:26,400 This is no longer the free drink you get with your meal at a dinner theater. 76 00:07:26,400 --> 00:07:42,400 This could be a scene from Don Giovanni. 77 00:07:56,400 --> 00:08:16,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 78 00:08:26,400 --> 00:08:46,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 79 00:08:56,400 --> 00:09:16,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 80 00:09:16,400 --> 00:09:36,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 81 00:09:36,400 --> 00:10:02,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 82 00:10:02,400 --> 00:10:10,400 The opening of Mozart's Prague Symphony, played, as will be all our excerpts, 83 00:10:10,400 --> 00:10:15,400 by Charles Makaris conducting, appropriately enough, the Prague Chamber Orchestra. 84 00:10:15,400 --> 00:10:20,400 Let me lay upon you now a little bit of the overture to Don Giovanni, 85 00:10:20,400 --> 00:10:26,400 which, by the way, was commissioned by Prague after the success there of the Marriage of Figaro. 86 00:10:26,400 --> 00:10:33,400 Most of the symphony introduction is in the key of D minor, as is the beginning of the overture to Don Giovanni. 87 00:10:56,400 --> 00:11:16,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 88 00:11:16,400 --> 00:11:36,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 89 00:11:36,400 --> 00:11:46,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 90 00:11:46,400 --> 00:11:56,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 91 00:11:56,400 --> 00:12:04,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 92 00:12:04,400 --> 00:12:14,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 93 00:12:14,400 --> 00:12:24,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 94 00:12:24,400 --> 00:12:34,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 95 00:12:34,400 --> 00:12:44,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 96 00:12:44,400 --> 00:12:52,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 97 00:12:52,400 --> 00:13:02,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 98 00:13:02,400 --> 00:13:12,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 99 00:13:12,400 --> 00:13:20,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 100 00:13:20,400 --> 00:13:30,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 101 00:13:30,400 --> 00:13:40,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 102 00:13:40,400 --> 00:13:48,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 103 00:13:48,400 --> 00:13:58,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 104 00:13:58,400 --> 00:14:08,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 105 00:14:08,400 --> 00:14:16,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 106 00:14:16,400 --> 00:14:26,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 107 00:14:26,400 --> 00:14:36,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 108 00:14:36,400 --> 00:14:44,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 109 00:14:44,400 --> 00:14:54,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 110 00:14:54,400 --> 00:15:04,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 111 00:15:04,400 --> 00:15:14,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 112 00:15:14,400 --> 00:15:24,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 113 00:15:24,400 --> 00:15:32,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 114 00:15:32,400 --> 00:15:42,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 115 00:15:42,400 --> 00:15:52,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 116 00:15:52,400 --> 00:16:00,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 117 00:16:00,400 --> 00:16:10,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 118 00:16:10,400 --> 00:16:20,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 119 00:16:20,400 --> 00:16:28,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 120 00:16:28,400 --> 00:16:38,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 121 00:16:38,400 --> 00:16:48,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 122 00:16:48,400 --> 00:16:56,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 123 00:16:56,400 --> 00:17:06,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 124 00:17:06,400 --> 00:17:16,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 125 00:17:16,400 --> 00:17:24,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 126 00:17:24,400 --> 00:17:34,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 127 00:17:34,400 --> 00:17:44,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 128 00:17:44,400 --> 00:17:52,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 129 00:17:52,400 --> 00:18:02,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 130 00:18:02,400 --> 00:18:12,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 131 00:18:12,400 --> 00:18:20,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 132 00:18:20,400 --> 00:18:30,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 133 00:18:30,400 --> 00:18:40,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 134 00:18:40,400 --> 00:18:44,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 135 00:18:44,400 --> 00:18:54,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 136 00:18:54,400 --> 00:19:04,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 137 00:19:04,400 --> 00:19:12,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 138 00:19:12,400 --> 00:19:22,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 139 00:19:22,400 --> 00:19:32,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 140 00:19:32,400 --> 00:19:40,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 141 00:19:40,400 --> 00:19:50,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 142 00:19:50,400 --> 00:20:00,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 143 00:20:00,400 --> 00:20:08,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 144 00:20:08,400 --> 00:20:18,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 145 00:20:18,400 --> 00:20:28,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 146 00:20:28,400 --> 00:20:36,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 147 00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:46,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 148 00:20:46,400 --> 00:20:56,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 149 00:20:56,400 --> 00:21:04,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 150 00:21:04,400 --> 00:21:14,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 151 00:21:14,400 --> 00:21:24,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 152 00:21:24,400 --> 00:21:32,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 153 00:21:32,400 --> 00:21:42,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 154 00:21:42,400 --> 00:21:52,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 155 00:21:52,400 --> 00:22:00,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 156 00:22:00,400 --> 00:22:10,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 157 00:22:10,400 --> 00:22:20,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 158 00:22:20,400 --> 00:22:24,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 159 00:22:24,400 --> 00:22:34,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 160 00:22:34,400 --> 00:22:44,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 161 00:22:44,400 --> 00:22:52,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 162 00:22:52,400 --> 00:23:02,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 163 00:23:02,400 --> 00:23:12,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 164 00:23:12,400 --> 00:23:20,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 165 00:23:20,400 --> 00:23:30,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 166 00:23:30,400 --> 00:23:40,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 167 00:23:40,400 --> 00:23:48,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 168 00:23:48,400 --> 00:23:58,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 169 00:23:58,400 --> 00:24:08,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 170 00:24:08,400 --> 00:24:16,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 171 00:24:16,400 --> 00:24:26,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 172 00:24:26,400 --> 00:24:36,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 173 00:24:36,400 --> 00:24:44,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 174 00:24:44,400 --> 00:24:54,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 175 00:24:54,400 --> 00:25:04,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 176 00:25:04,400 --> 00:25:12,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 177 00:25:12,400 --> 00:25:22,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 178 00:25:22,400 --> 00:25:32,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 179 00:25:32,400 --> 00:25:40,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 180 00:25:40,400 --> 00:25:50,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 181 00:25:50,400 --> 00:26:00,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 182 00:26:00,400 --> 00:26:08,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 183 00:26:08,400 --> 00:26:18,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 184 00:26:18,400 --> 00:26:28,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 185 00:26:28,400 --> 00:26:36,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 186 00:26:36,400 --> 00:26:46,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 187 00:26:46,400 --> 00:26:56,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 188 00:26:56,400 --> 00:27:04,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 189 00:27:04,400 --> 00:27:14,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 190 00:27:14,400 --> 00:27:24,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 191 00:27:24,400 --> 00:27:32,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 192 00:27:32,400 --> 00:27:42,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 193 00:27:42,400 --> 00:27:52,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 194 00:27:52,400 --> 00:28:00,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 195 00:28:00,400 --> 00:28:10,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 196 00:28:10,400 --> 00:28:20,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 197 00:28:20,400 --> 00:28:24,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 198 00:28:24,400 --> 00:28:34,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 199 00:28:34,400 --> 00:28:44,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 200 00:28:44,400 --> 00:28:48,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 201 00:28:48,400 --> 00:28:58,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 202 00:28:58,400 --> 00:29:08,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 203 00:29:08,400 --> 00:29:16,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 204 00:29:16,400 --> 00:29:26,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 205 00:29:26,400 --> 00:29:36,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 206 00:29:36,400 --> 00:29:44,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 207 00:29:44,400 --> 00:29:54,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 208 00:29:54,400 --> 00:30:04,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 209 00:30:04,400 --> 00:30:08,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 210 00:30:08,400 --> 00:30:18,400 Mozart's 38th Symphony 211 00:30:18,400 --> 00:30:20,400 Okay, now let's go back to the Prague Symphony. 212 00:30:20,400 --> 00:30:24,400 We're talking about that cadential which means closing material. 213 00:30:24,400 --> 00:30:26,400 It has three segments. 214 00:30:26,400 --> 00:30:30,400 In the first, the strings play virtually the same thing three times 215 00:30:30,400 --> 00:30:33,400 and the winds play literally the same thing three times. 216 00:30:33,400 --> 00:30:36,400 We can call that the you heard me section. 217 00:30:36,400 --> 00:30:38,400 Then there's a section where the basses go 218 00:30:45,400 --> 00:30:48,400 which is exactly the same harmonic progression as 219 00:30:48,400 --> 00:30:52,400 is the 18th century version of 220 00:30:58,400 --> 00:31:01,400 So we'll call that the doo wop section. 221 00:31:01,400 --> 00:31:04,400 Then there's some hammering away on the note A 222 00:31:04,400 --> 00:31:08,400 in a way that leads us to expect, if we've been reading our textbooks, 223 00:31:08,400 --> 00:31:10,400 the second theme proper. 224 00:31:25,400 --> 00:31:29,400 Well, we may expect the second theme, but we ain't gonna get it. 225 00:31:29,400 --> 00:31:32,400 What we get is a varied version of the opening of the exposition 226 00:31:32,400 --> 00:31:36,400 with the long note theme, the magic flute theme, and the square theme 227 00:31:36,400 --> 00:31:41,400 being combined and tossed around in a way that the textbooks say 228 00:31:41,400 --> 00:31:45,400 isn't supposed to happen until the development section after the exposition. 229 00:31:45,400 --> 00:31:48,400 We go through some excitingly unexpected harmonies 230 00:31:48,400 --> 00:31:53,400 and then instead of keeping that texture and loud dynamic right up till the next theme 231 00:31:53,400 --> 00:31:59,400 Mozart stops short two bars early, shifts down into soft 232 00:31:59,400 --> 00:32:02,400 and introduces three wispy filigrees 233 00:32:02,400 --> 00:32:30,400 the last of which turns out to be the pickups to the new theme. 234 00:32:32,400 --> 00:32:56,400 Now this is a new theme and it is a lyric theme 235 00:32:56,400 --> 00:32:59,400 and the first half of it is eight bars long. 236 00:32:59,400 --> 00:33:03,400 You expect the second half to be the same as the first half but with a different ending. 237 00:33:03,400 --> 00:33:07,400 But our sly friend presents the second half in the minor 238 00:33:07,400 --> 00:33:10,400 so it's the same melody but in a darker form 239 00:33:10,400 --> 00:33:14,400 and with the bassoons filling in the rhythmic cracks. 240 00:33:14,400 --> 00:33:19,400 Then he does something that I find both delightful and touching. 241 00:33:19,400 --> 00:33:22,400 As I said, he has switched to the minor form of the scale 242 00:33:22,400 --> 00:33:25,400 but otherwise he's repeating the first half of the theme exactly. 243 00:33:25,400 --> 00:33:29,400 Then five and a half bars in with another couple of bars to go 244 00:33:29,400 --> 00:33:32,400 the tune stops dead in its tracks. 245 00:33:32,400 --> 00:33:35,400 In the middle of the measure it simply quits 246 00:33:35,400 --> 00:33:38,400 leaving the cellos and basses plunking out a bass line 247 00:33:38,400 --> 00:33:42,400 and the high woodwinds holding chords as if they were accompanying a melody 248 00:33:42,400 --> 00:33:44,400 but there's no melody. 249 00:33:44,400 --> 00:33:47,400 Or they are suddenly the melody 250 00:33:47,400 --> 00:33:50,400 even though they don't seem to have much to do with the melody 251 00:33:50,400 --> 00:33:52,400 we thought we were going to hear completed. 252 00:33:52,400 --> 00:33:56,400 Music 253 00:34:23,400 --> 00:34:27,400 Now Mozart pulls his thematic accompaniment trick again. 254 00:34:27,400 --> 00:34:32,400 The bassoons come in with a sort of rhythmically reversed version of the lyric theme 255 00:34:32,400 --> 00:34:34,400 but hey, what do you know? 256 00:34:34,400 --> 00:34:39,400 It turns out also to be an accompaniment to a new lyric theme in the violins 257 00:34:39,400 --> 00:34:42,400 leading to some more developmental type stuff. 258 00:34:42,400 --> 00:35:09,400 Music 259 00:35:09,400 --> 00:35:13,400 Now the rest of the exposition has four segments 260 00:35:13,400 --> 00:35:17,400 three of which relate to material from the first half of the expo 261 00:35:17,400 --> 00:35:19,400 as musicians never call it. 262 00:35:19,400 --> 00:35:21,400 We've got the doo wop section 263 00:35:21,400 --> 00:35:25,400 a very intense loud rendition of the long note theme 264 00:35:25,400 --> 00:35:27,400 the I told you so section 265 00:35:27,400 --> 00:35:32,400 and four bars of hopping around on the notes of the A major triad or chord. 266 00:35:32,400 --> 00:35:36,400 Before we heard the I told you so section followed by the doo wop section 267 00:35:36,400 --> 00:35:40,400 now we have the doo wop section followed by the I told you so section 268 00:35:40,400 --> 00:35:43,400 separated by a new version of the long note theme. 269 00:35:43,400 --> 00:35:49,400 Okay look, I don't expect you to keep all these themes straight as I rattle them off. 270 00:35:49,400 --> 00:35:52,400 I'd be confused myself if I didn't have the score in front of me. 271 00:35:52,400 --> 00:35:57,400 All I'm trying to get across is that even when Mozart repeats material 272 00:35:57,400 --> 00:36:01,400 he's repeating it in a different order or in a different version 273 00:36:01,400 --> 00:36:08,400 and what that does is it enables him to combine familiarity and surprise 274 00:36:08,400 --> 00:36:10,400 which is a very neat trick. 275 00:36:10,400 --> 00:36:12,400 Here's the end of the exposition. 276 00:36:12,400 --> 00:36:41,400 Music 277 00:36:42,400 --> 00:36:45,400 You know that place right after the doo wop section 278 00:36:45,400 --> 00:36:49,400 where the brasses and timpani blare out repeated A's 279 00:36:49,400 --> 00:36:52,400 pushing the piece to an unexpected intensity. 280 00:36:52,400 --> 00:36:54,400 It always reminds me of this place. 281 00:36:54,400 --> 00:37:10,400 Music 282 00:37:10,400 --> 00:37:14,400 Now I don't know if Beethoven ever heard Mozart's Prague Symphony 283 00:37:14,400 --> 00:37:19,400 but I do know for a fact that Mozart never heard Beethoven's Fifth Symphony 284 00:37:19,400 --> 00:37:22,400 at least not with earthly ears. 285 00:37:22,400 --> 00:37:27,400 My, what heavenly ears you have Wolfgang. 286 00:37:27,400 --> 00:37:33,400 Is it better to hear what that schlumpf Beethoven has swiped from me? 287 00:37:33,400 --> 00:37:34,400 Just fooling folks. 288 00:37:34,400 --> 00:37:36,400 Mozart's Mozart, Beethoven's Beethoven. 289 00:37:36,400 --> 00:37:46,400 And I'm Peter Shickely, host of Shickely Mix from PRI, Public Radio International. 290 00:37:46,400 --> 00:37:52,400 The subtitle of Mozart's 38th Symphony could have been For Prague with Love 291 00:37:52,400 --> 00:37:55,400 and it is the subtitle of Shickely Mix today. 292 00:37:55,400 --> 00:37:58,400 I'm devoting the whole show to one of my favorite pieces 293 00:37:58,400 --> 00:38:02,400 in spite of the fact that the station manager's 15-year-old son 294 00:38:02,400 --> 00:38:06,400 is sitting in a studio across the hall with instructions to, 295 00:38:06,400 --> 00:38:09,400 if he thinks it's getting boring, to flick a switch 296 00:38:09,400 --> 00:38:12,400 and send an alternate program out over the air. 297 00:38:12,400 --> 00:38:16,400 It could happen at any time, I guess, completely without warning. 298 00:38:16,400 --> 00:38:19,400 Well, actually there would be a bit of warning. 299 00:38:19,400 --> 00:38:23,400 There's a red light on this console here that would flash for five or ten seconds, 300 00:38:23,400 --> 00:38:25,400 whatever it is, before the switchover. 301 00:38:25,400 --> 00:38:27,400 But so far, so good. 302 00:38:27,400 --> 00:38:32,400 Hey, my feeling is if all you wanted to hear was the Pachelbel Canon 303 00:38:32,400 --> 00:38:37,400 and Vivaldi's Four Seasons, you wouldn't be listening to Shickely Mix, right? 304 00:38:37,400 --> 00:38:43,400 Let's see what you would be hearing now if Son Chip had flicked his switch. 305 00:38:43,400 --> 00:38:47,400 Let me flick mine here. 306 00:38:47,400 --> 00:38:52,400 Oh, another arrangement of Pachelbel's Canon. 307 00:38:52,400 --> 00:38:57,400 That's very enterprising. 308 00:38:57,400 --> 00:39:01,400 Okay, now we've reached the development section of the Prague Symphony, 309 00:39:01,400 --> 00:39:05,400 the B of the ABA description of sonata form, 310 00:39:05,400 --> 00:39:08,400 exposition, development, and recapitulation. 311 00:39:08,400 --> 00:39:12,400 The development section usually, but not always, takes material from the exposition 312 00:39:12,400 --> 00:39:16,400 and subjects it to various kinds of fanciful treatment. 313 00:39:16,400 --> 00:39:20,400 Melodies are often fragmented, although in this case, 314 00:39:20,400 --> 00:39:25,400 most of the melodic material in the exposition is already in short fragments. 315 00:39:25,400 --> 00:39:29,400 The fragments are often thrown around from player to player, section to section. 316 00:39:29,400 --> 00:39:32,400 There is often a liberal use of sequence. 317 00:39:32,400 --> 00:39:35,400 That's when you take a melodic phrase and repeat it, 318 00:39:35,400 --> 00:39:37,400 but starting on a different scale step. 319 00:39:37,400 --> 00:39:50,400 La da da dee, la da da dee, la da da dee, la da da dee. 320 00:39:50,400 --> 00:39:55,400 And the music usually goes through at least several keys before arriving back at the tonic. 321 00:39:55,400 --> 00:40:01,400 Now, all of those things happened, at least on a small scale, in the exposition, 322 00:40:01,400 --> 00:40:04,400 and that's why you have to beware of two things, 323 00:40:04,400 --> 00:40:10,400 Greeks bearing gifts and textbooks bearing pat descriptions of musical forms. 324 00:40:10,400 --> 00:40:13,400 In fact, by the time you get to Beethoven, 325 00:40:13,400 --> 00:40:20,400 the line between exposition and development is thinner than that which separates lying and diplomacy. 326 00:40:20,400 --> 00:40:24,400 But it is usually true that because of these characteristics, 327 00:40:24,400 --> 00:40:27,400 the development section has a sort of a restless quality 328 00:40:27,400 --> 00:40:31,400 that is not resolved until the recapitulation. 329 00:40:31,400 --> 00:40:35,400 I was just remembering I once rehearsed a PDQ Bach piece with an orchestra, 330 00:40:35,400 --> 00:40:38,400 and I said, okay, let's go back to the development. 331 00:40:38,400 --> 00:40:40,400 A few seconds later, before we started playing, 332 00:40:40,400 --> 00:40:43,400 one of the horn players really cracked up, and he just started laughing. 333 00:40:43,400 --> 00:40:44,400 I said, what's so funny? 334 00:40:44,400 --> 00:40:45,400 And he said, oh, nothing. 335 00:40:45,400 --> 00:40:47,400 And I said, hey, come on. 336 00:40:47,400 --> 00:40:53,400 Well, apparently one of the other horn players had quoted a famous line from one of the old radio comedies. 337 00:40:53,400 --> 00:40:59,400 Some character used to say, what a revolting development this has turned out to be. 338 00:40:59,400 --> 00:41:01,400 Mozart's is anything but revolting. 339 00:41:01,400 --> 00:41:03,400 Let's see how it starts. 340 00:41:20,400 --> 00:41:22,400 Okay, so what is that? 341 00:41:22,400 --> 00:41:31,400 That's the rainbow theme from early in the exposition, the one in the woodwinds. 342 00:41:35,400 --> 00:41:39,400 I told you so. 343 00:41:39,400 --> 00:41:43,400 Seemingly trivial little two-bar tune heard but once in the exposition, 344 00:41:43,400 --> 00:41:48,400 but, as you will hear, it becomes a major player in the development, 345 00:41:48,400 --> 00:41:57,400 which also makes extensive use of the magic flute theme and the sort of upside down sixteenths. 346 00:41:57,400 --> 00:42:00,400 There's one place where Mozart pulls off a bit of a fast one. 347 00:42:00,400 --> 00:42:03,400 It's a sort of a false recapitulation in a way. 348 00:42:03,400 --> 00:42:10,400 He quotes almost 13 measures of the exposition verbatim, or notebatum, 349 00:42:10,400 --> 00:42:14,400 which leads you to expect what followed it before to follow once more, 350 00:42:14,400 --> 00:42:19,400 which it starts to do but then goes off on its developmental way again. 351 00:42:19,400 --> 00:42:45,400 Finally, with a beautiful pair of descending sequences subsiding into the recapitulation. 352 00:43:49,400 --> 00:44:14,400 The development section of Mozart's Prague Symphony. 353 00:44:14,400 --> 00:44:22,400 You know, that serene series of descending phrases at the end there that leads to the recapitulation, 354 00:44:22,400 --> 00:44:28,400 like a hawk circling down and then finally landing in a tree, is a favorite device of Mozart's. 355 00:44:28,400 --> 00:44:34,400 He used that general idea more than a few times, and I always love it. 356 00:44:34,400 --> 00:44:36,400 When I was putting this show together, 357 00:44:36,400 --> 00:44:41,400 I realized that that passage must have been the inspiration for the similar passage, 358 00:44:41,400 --> 00:44:47,400 the end of the development, in PDQ Bach's Concerto for Two Pianos versus Orchestra. 359 00:44:47,400 --> 00:44:51,400 Of course, being PDQ Bach, the sequence goes on too long, 360 00:44:51,400 --> 00:44:56,400 and when the orchestra finally arrives at the tonic, the pianists keep going, 361 00:44:56,400 --> 00:45:25,400 and the orchestra has to back up and go to the tonic again. 362 00:45:25,400 --> 00:45:32,400 So. 363 00:45:55,400 --> 00:46:01,960 The end of the development of the first movement marked 364 00:46:01,960 --> 00:46:06,400 Szekelegro of PDQ Bach's Concerto for Two Pianos versus Orchestra. 365 00:46:06,400 --> 00:46:11,560 You know, when the first Telarc album of PDQ Bach won a Grammy, 366 00:46:11,560 --> 00:46:15,480 one of the other nominees was the late comedian Sam Kinison. 367 00:46:15,480 --> 00:46:19,720 I wasn't at the awards ceremony, but I heard that he said afterwards, 368 00:46:19,720 --> 00:46:24,320 I can't believe I lost in the comedy category to somebody named Bach, 369 00:46:24,320 --> 00:46:25,920 which is a good line. 370 00:46:25,920 --> 00:46:29,040 Well, I guess he was good buddies with Howard Stern, 371 00:46:29,040 --> 00:46:32,400 and people would tell me every once in a while how the two of them 372 00:46:32,400 --> 00:46:35,600 would get on the air or just stern and bemoan a culture 373 00:46:35,600 --> 00:46:37,520 that would give PDQ Bach a Grammy. 374 00:46:37,520 --> 00:46:41,160 So eventually I was invited to be interviewed on the show, 375 00:46:41,160 --> 00:46:44,240 which I accepted, having been told it would be in person, 376 00:46:44,240 --> 00:46:48,720 but then it was changed to a phoner, which made me more uncomfortable, 377 00:46:48,720 --> 00:46:52,560 but I agreed anyway, and of course he mopped the floor with me. 378 00:46:52,560 --> 00:46:55,520 At one point he put on the PDQ Bach album, 379 00:46:55,520 --> 00:46:58,800 I think it was the 1712 Overture Cut, and went on about, 380 00:46:58,800 --> 00:47:02,000 this is funny? What's funny about this? Are you laughing, Robin? 381 00:47:02,000 --> 00:47:03,520 Funny? Is this funny? 382 00:47:03,520 --> 00:47:06,320 And then he laughed hysterically for about 20 seconds, 383 00:47:06,320 --> 00:47:09,000 which is a long time on radio. 384 00:47:09,000 --> 00:47:12,880 I guess the best I could say is that I walked out of the ring, 385 00:47:12,880 --> 00:47:16,400 but the reason I bring it up is that he's right. 386 00:47:16,400 --> 00:47:20,400 If you're not interested in, or at least sympathetic to classical music, 387 00:47:20,400 --> 00:47:25,440 and also if you're impatient, if gags have to play out in the space of a one-liner, 388 00:47:25,440 --> 00:47:29,240 it's not funny, and even if you are into it, 389 00:47:29,240 --> 00:47:32,520 it's often not hilarious funny, it's affectionate funny. 390 00:47:32,520 --> 00:47:37,040 That passage we just heard is certainly No Cocktails for Two by Spike Jones, 391 00:47:37,040 --> 00:47:41,280 but if you love the ends of Mozart's development sections as much as I do, 392 00:47:41,280 --> 00:47:47,040 you'll probably get a warm chuckle out of it. Since he was so good at writing development sections, 393 00:47:47,040 --> 00:47:50,720 and since all but two or three of his symphonies are in major keys, 394 00:47:50,720 --> 00:47:55,440 and since the musical ideas involved are intellectual property, 395 00:47:55,440 --> 00:47:58,720 and therefore part of his estate in a very real sense, 396 00:47:58,720 --> 00:48:03,440 I guess you'd have to say that Mozart was a major real estate developer, 397 00:48:03,440 --> 00:48:09,160 or maybe you wouldn't. I can't believe that didn't get us off the air. 398 00:48:09,160 --> 00:48:14,120 Let's see what you'd be hearing if it had tripped that switch across the hall. 399 00:48:14,120 --> 00:48:17,640 I'm gonna switch my switch here and listen to the alternate program. 400 00:48:17,640 --> 00:48:23,640 Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. 401 00:48:23,640 --> 00:48:26,760 Well, you would still be listening to Mozart anyway. 402 00:48:26,760 --> 00:48:31,320 Okay, so let's hear the recapitulation of his Prague Symphony first movement. 403 00:48:31,320 --> 00:48:34,680 We won't have time, which is probably just as well at this point, 404 00:48:34,680 --> 00:48:39,160 to go into it in detail. Suffice it to say that the recapitulation of the 405 00:48:39,160 --> 00:48:41,000 exposition is not literal. 406 00:48:41,000 --> 00:48:44,840 In the first place, the two theme groups that in the exposition 407 00:48:44,840 --> 00:48:49,320 were in the tonic and dominant keys respectively, are now both in the tonic. 408 00:48:49,320 --> 00:48:53,720 But composers almost always change more than would be required just to 409 00:48:53,720 --> 00:48:54,640 accomplish that. 410 00:48:54,640 --> 00:48:59,520 At one point here, Mozart whittles a section that lasted 54 seconds in the 411 00:48:59,520 --> 00:49:00,360 exposition 412 00:49:00,360 --> 00:49:04,920 down to 18 seconds. Among the measures missing are the whole build-up to 413 00:49:04,920 --> 00:49:08,920 and beginning of the second theme group. See, the thing is, 414 00:49:08,920 --> 00:49:12,600 composers don't or shouldn't read textbooks. 415 00:49:12,600 --> 00:49:39,600 It's recap time in Prague. 416 00:49:42,600 --> 00:49:52,600 So, 417 00:50:12,600 --> 00:50:22,600 so 418 00:50:42,600 --> 00:50:52,600 so 419 00:51:12,600 --> 00:51:22,600 so 420 00:51:42,600 --> 00:51:48,600 so 421 00:51:48,600 --> 00:51:51,600 so 422 00:51:51,600 --> 00:51:55,520 All right! The end of the first movement of Mozart's 423 00:51:55,520 --> 00:51:58,800 Symphony No. 38, the Prague performed by 424 00:51:58,800 --> 00:52:02,160 Charles Makaris and the Prague Chamber Orchestra, 425 00:52:02,160 --> 00:52:07,120 on a Telarc CD. An exciting, propulsive performance. 426 00:52:07,120 --> 00:52:10,560 I could do without the harpsichord myself, but that's my own little hang-up. 427 00:52:10,560 --> 00:52:15,560 Its inclusion is perfectly authentic. You know what I love about that piece? 428 00:52:15,560 --> 00:52:19,120 It combines the emotional shadows 429 00:52:19,120 --> 00:52:23,120 and contrapuntal sophistication of Mozart's late symphonies 430 00:52:23,120 --> 00:52:28,200 with the exuberant, kinetic dance energy of his early symphonies. 431 00:52:28,200 --> 00:52:31,960 Most of... Oh, wait a minute. 432 00:52:31,960 --> 00:52:36,240 Wait a minute. The red light is flashing. Schickly Mix is about to go off the air 433 00:52:36,240 --> 00:52:40,320 and be replaced by the station manager's classical light list. 434 00:52:40,320 --> 00:52:43,840 I guess his son, Chip, finally got bored. 435 00:52:43,840 --> 00:52:46,960 Here it goes. 436 00:52:46,960 --> 00:52:49,600 What the? 437 00:52:49,600 --> 00:52:52,800 Wait a minute. I know this. This is the 438 00:52:52,800 --> 00:52:56,600 Webern three traditional rhymes, right? 439 00:52:56,600 --> 00:53:00,000 What's going on here? 440 00:53:00,000 --> 00:53:05,000 Hold on. I've got to find out what's going on here. 441 00:53:05,000 --> 00:53:11,000 I can't believe this is... 442 00:53:11,000 --> 00:53:16,000 Oh, okay. Here comes the end. 443 00:53:16,000 --> 00:53:23,000 That was 444 00:53:23,000 --> 00:53:26,000 Drei Volkstexti 445 00:53:26,000 --> 00:53:29,000 Hey, that's him! That's Chip! 446 00:53:29,000 --> 00:53:35,000 Undrei instrumenti op 17 447 00:53:35,000 --> 00:53:39,000 by Webern. 448 00:53:39,000 --> 00:53:45,000 Hey, Dad. How do you like them apples? 449 00:53:45,000 --> 00:53:50,000 Hey, the red light's off. I'm back on the air. 450 00:53:50,000 --> 00:53:53,000 Hey, Chip. Way to go. 451 00:53:53,000 --> 00:53:59,000 That is, I'm sure your father will appreciate your independent spirit. 452 00:53:59,000 --> 00:54:26,000 Well, we made it. 453 00:54:26,000 --> 00:54:33,000 That's Sickly Mix for this week. Our program is made possible with funds provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting 454 00:54:33,000 --> 00:54:37,000 and by this radio station and its members. Thank you, members. 455 00:54:37,000 --> 00:54:44,000 And not only that, our program is distributed by PRI, Public Radio International. 456 00:54:44,000 --> 00:54:51,000 We'll tell you in a moment how you can get an official playlist of all the music on today's program with album numbers and everything. 457 00:54:51,000 --> 00:54:55,000 Just refer to the program number. This is program number 151. 458 00:54:55,000 --> 00:55:02,000 And this is Peter Sickly saying goodbye and reminding you that it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that certain je ne sais quoi. 459 00:55:02,000 --> 00:55:31,000 You're looking good. See you next week. 460 00:55:32,000 --> 00:55:51,000 The. 461 00:55:51,000 --> 00:56:17,000 The. 462 00:56:17,000 --> 00:56:33,000 The. 463 00:56:33,000 --> 00:56:58,000 The. 464 00:56:58,000 --> 00:57:23,000 The. 465 00:57:23,000 --> 00:57:44,000 The. 466 00:57:44,000 --> 00:58:12,000 PRI Public Radio International.