Symphony No. 31 in D major, K.297 "Paris"

The symphony unfolds in three movements, played without the usual four-movement minuet.

I. Allegro assai opens with a "coup d'archet," a loud unison upward flourish Mozart knew would grab the Parisian audience's attention immediately, followed by busy, sparkling string writing and prominent flutes, oboes, and clarinets, an unusually rich wind section for its time.

II. Andante is calmer and more lyrical, built from gently arching phrases traded between strings and winds, offering a breathing space of gracious melody.

III. Allegro begins softly, almost like a private joke, with a hushed opening rather than a bold restatement, before erupting into full orchestral energy. Listen for the way Mozart teases the audience by holding back the loud opening they might expect, then delivering it moments later. Throughout, listen for the interplay between the newly prominent clarinets and the rest of the winds, a novelty for Mozart at the time, and for the sheer speed and polish of the string passagework, written to show off one of Europe's finest orchestras.

Mozart composed this symphony in the spring and summer of 1778 during a difficult stay in Paris, hoping to win favor with French audiences and secure steady work. He wrote it for the Concert Spirituel, one of Europe's leading orchestras, and tailored it to their strengths, including a full complement of woodwinds with clarinets, instruments he had limited access to at home in Salzburg. The premiere took place in Paris in June 1778 under conductor Joseph Legros. Mozart reported in a letter to his father that the audience applauded loudly at the opening flourish and again during the finale, confirming that his calculated effects had worked. The symphony helped establish his reputation as a composer who understood both craft and audience psychology, and it remains one of his most frequently performed early symphonies.