Symphony 38 was composed in December of 1786 and was premiered the following month during Mozart's first visit to the city of Prague. As a result, the symphony is usually referred to as the "Prague" symphony. Mozart's music was extremely popular at the time of his visit, especially his most recent opera, The Marriage of Figaro, which had only moderate success in Vienna.
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| A PAGE OF THE ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT FOR THE PRAGUE SYMPHONY |
Symphony 38 is the only major symphonic work by Mozart that uses the three movement format as opposed to the Viennese four movement structure. The work begins with a long introduction whose length may be due to the absence of a minuet movement. Of particular note is the prominent use of wind instruments throughout the work which is thought to be an attempt to appeal to the Czech audience.
The Symphony 38 had a very successful premiere in Prague and remains part of the standard orchestral repertoire to the present day.
