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Mozart worked at Colloredo's court because his father worked there, and it was considered natural that the son would follow the father's footsteps. That is, his father Leopold considered it natural. Wolfgang had little interest in such employment, for he was certain that he would not be properly appreciated. In addition, there was the question of income. At Salzburg, Wolfgang earned only a pittance, and to be paid so little for a job he loathed was the worst of insults. In a letter to his father in 1778, the twenty-two-year-old Wolfgang wrote, "the Archbishop can never pay me enough to compensate for the slavery of Salzburg." A later letter charged that Colloredo "glorifies himself through his dependants, robs them of the service and pays them nothing for it!" Perhaps the Archbishop heard rumors of Mozart's opinions, or, just as likely, Mozart did not trouble to hide his feelings. In either case, the employer was equally displeased with the employee. Their infamous final encounter in 1781 was a festival of insults on either side, resulting in Wolfgang's expulsion from the court, propelled through the door by a kick in the seat of the pants. The young composer described the experience as "a happy day for me!"
It would seem impossible for any artist to create great works in such a hateful environment, but the fact is that Mozart's Salzburg years were highly productive. The symphonies, concertos, and masses that he composed in Salzburg stand amongst his finest creations. Even the lesser-known works of this period are still marvelously crafted. His Symphony no. 34 in C was completed August 29, 1780. In contrast to Mozart's later habits, the symphony has only three movements, rather than the soon-to-be-customary four. Yet at this point in his career, Mozart still tended toward this more concise Italianate approach. It was for the ambitious and demanding Viennese that he would begin to include dance-like minuets as the third of four movements in his symphonies. Despite its relative brevity, the Symphony no. 34 is yet bright and festive, thanks in part to its hearty contingent of trumpets and timpani. Perhaps that celebratory character caused the work to be chosen for a concert given for Emperor Joseph II in Vienna April 3, 1781. It was only two weeks after the young composer's arrival in the imperial capital, and two months before his ignominious (but much desired) dismissal from the archbishop's employment.