In the Classical period, symphonies in G minor almost always used four horns, two in G and two in B♭ alto.

[2] Another convention of G minor symphonies observed in Mozart's No.

40 was the choice of the subdominant of the relative key (B♭ major), E♭ major, for the slow movement; other non-Mozart examples of this practice include J. C. Bach Op.

39 (1768/69) and Johann Baptist Wanhal's G minor symphony sometime before 1771 (Bryan Gm1).

[3] Isolated sections in this key within Mozart's compositions may also evoke an atmosphere of grand tragedy, one example being the stormy G minor middle section to the otherwise serene B♭ major slow movement in the Piano Concerto No.