Orchestra: Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

Conductor: Bohm, Karl

Composer: Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus

Symphony No. 28 in C major, K. 200

Venue: Grosser Musikvereinssaal, Vienna

Date of Concert: 1970

Playing Time: 00:20:04

Television Director: Arnbom, Arne

Catalogue Number: A05500502

Filmed mainly in Vienna's splendid Musikvereinssaal, the Mozart symphonies conducted by Karl Bohm are all interpreted by one of the world's foremost orchestras, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, whose principal conductors have included Wilhelm Furtwangler, Bruno Walter, Herbert von Karajan, Claudio Abbado and, of course, Karl Bohm. "Thanks to Bruno Walter's exemplary performances, particularly of Mozart's works, I grabbed on to Mozart and fell in love with him so much that I had only one wish: to conduct Mozart, Mozart, Mozart" (Karl Bohm).

Like the "Little" G minor Symphony, K. 183, the Symphony in C major, K. 200 is also one of the early "Salzburg" symphonies. Its originality places it on a par with the G minor work. The onward-rushing, sharply profiled theme prefigured an evolution which led to a more individual characterization of the melodies and to a more thorough exploitation of their combinative possibilities. While the muted strings and "sigh" motifs of the Andante point to techniques Mozart was to perfect in later works, the final sprightly Presto recalls the structure of the opening movement, thus rounding off the work in an admirable fashion.

Karl Böhm was universally acclaimed for his Mozart interpretations. Though Wagner was one of Bohm's first loves, his friendship with Richard Strauss led to a deep knowledge and appreciation of Mozart. In his autobiography, Bohm wrote that "Richard Strauss revealed to me the ultimate secrets of this, in my opinion, greatest of all musical geniuses, Mozart." Bohm's discovery of these secrets transformed his Mozart interpretations into unforgettable events.