Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart completed his Symphony No. 40 in G minor in 1788, one of only two minor key symphonies he wrote, late in his career just three years before his death. At this time Mozart was in poor health, deeply in debt, and facing financial problems, so it is remarkable he composed one of his most prominent works. The symphony was written directly after No. 39 and just two weeks before No. 41. Mozart created two versions of No. 40, one without clarinets and one with clarinets replacing the oboes for their mellower tone, except during sustained dissonant sections where the oboes' harsher tones had more impact