www.youtube.com Sir Charles Mackerras Prague Chamber Orchestra Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed his Symphony No. 38 in D major (the "Prague"), K. 504, in late 1786. It was performed in Prague on January 19, 1787,[1] a few weeks after Le nozze di Figaro opened there. Although Mozarts popularity among the Viennese waxed and waned, he was consistently popular among the Bohemians and had a devoted following in Prague. A piece appearing in the Prager Neue Zeitung shortly after Mozarts death expresses this sentiment: "Mozart seems to have written for the people of Bohemia, his music is understood nowhere better than in Prague, and even in the countryside it is widely loved." The Prague Symphony was written in gratitude for their high esteem. It had its premiere in Vienna, on December 6, 1786, and was performed in Prague a month later. The Prague Symphony was scored for full orchestra with the notable absence of clarinets but with the powerful backing of timpani and trumpets. The work has the following three movements: 1. Adagio—Allegro D major. Sonata form, preceded by introduction Adagio. 4/4 2. Andante G major. Sonata form. 6/8 3. Finale (Presto) D major.