Symphony No. 1 (Haydn)
Symphony No. 1 in D major, Hoboken I/1, was written in 1759 in Dolní Lukavice, while in the service of Count Morzin（PDF）. Though identified by Haydn himself as his first symphony, scholars are not sure if it is indeed the very first symphony Haydn wrote, or if it is even the earliest he wrote of the ones that have survived to posterity. In contrast to the certainty that No. 1 was written in 1759, H. C. Robbins Landon（web link） can't rule out either No. 2 or No. 4 (or both) could have been composed in 1757 or 1758.
Symphony No. 1 is scored for 2 oboes (or possibly flute), bassoon, 2 horns, strings and continuo. Like many of the earliest symphonies by Haydn and his contemporaries, it is in three movements:
- Presto, 4/4
- Andante in G major, 2/4
- Presto, 3/8
The first movement opens with a Mannheim crescendo（PDF） which is in contrast to the rest of the symphony, which is more Austrian in character.
The first movement has "frequent passages where" the violas are "used with some ingenuity and quite separately from the bass line."
Symphony No. 6 (Haydn)
Haydn wrote this, his first symphonic work for his new employer Prince Nikolaus Eszterházy, in the spring of 1761, shortly after joining the court. The Eszterházys maintained in permanent residence an excellent chamber orchestra and with his first contribution for it in the symphonic genre, Haydn fully exploited the talents of the players. In this, Haydn was consciously drawing on the familiar tradition of the concerto grosso（PDF）, exemplified by the works of Antonio Vivaldi, Giuseppe Tartini（web link）, and Tomaso Albinoni（web link） then much in vogue at courts across Europe. All three symphonies (Nos. 6, 7 and 8) feature extensive solo passages for the wind, horn and strings, including rare solo writing for the double bass and bassoon in the third movement of No. 6. The work is scored for flute, 2 oboes, bassoon, 2 horns in D, violin I, violin II,viola, cello, double bass, and harpsichord ad libitum.
It has been commonly suggested that Haydn's motivation was to curry favour both with his new employer (by making reference to a familiar and popular tradition) and, perhaps more importantly, with the players upon whose goodwill he depended. Typically during this period, players who performed challenging solo passages or displayed unusual virtuosity received financial reward. By highlighting virtually all of the players in this regard, Haydn was, literally, spreading the wealth.
Symphony No. 22 (Haydn)
The composition date of 1764 appears on the autograph manuscript, which survives. Haydn composed the work during his tenure as Vice-Kapellmeister（PDF） at the court of Prince Nicolaus Esterházy（web link）. As Vice-Kapellmeister Haydn was in charge of all but religious music in the Esterházy household; in particular he was the leader of the orchestra and was expected to compose symphonies for it to perform. This ensemble numbered about fifteen players. The intended audience (except on special occasions such as the Prince's name day) consisted only of the Prince and his guests; thus "very often Haydn's orchestra would have outnumbered the listeners." (Jones 1990:18).
Jones suggests that the first performance venue may have been what is today called the "Haydnsaal", a large hall at the family palace in Eisenstadt "having a very resonant acoustic". Other candidates were somewhat smaller halls in the other primary Esterházy palaces, at Vienna and Kittsee.
The nickname "The Philosopher"
The name ("the Philosopher") is not on the original manuscript and is unlikely to come from Haydn himself. "Le Philosoph" appears on a manuscript copy of the symphony found in Modena dated 1790; thus the nickname dates from the composer's own lifetime. The title is thought to derive from the melody and counterpoint of the first movement (between the horns and cor anglais), which musically allude to a question followed by an answer and paralleling the disputatio system of debate. The piece's use of a muted tick-tock effect also evokes the image of a philosopher deep in thought while time passes by. As Jones notes, the nickname "becomes less appropriate as the symphony proceeds and earnestness gives way to high spirits."
The work is scored for two cor anglais (English horns), two horns, and strings. The use of the cor anglais in place of the (related, but higher-pitched) oboe is more than unusual; indeed McVeigh (2009:386) suggests that it is "the only symphony in the entire history of the genre to use this scoring". The horns play a prominent role in all but the second movement, and Haydn's choice of E flat major may have been dictated by the fact that the valveless horns of the time sounded best when played as E flat instruments (that is, with E flat crooks inserted).
Form[edit]
The symphony is in four movements:
This slow-fast-slow-fast sequence of tempos corresponds to the sonata da chiesa（PDF） of the Baroque era, although the musical language of the piece is classical. As with other early Haydn symphonies that use this tempo scheme, all of the movements are in the same key. The first, second, and fourth movements are in sonata form and the third is the customary minuet and trio in ternary form（web link）.
The first movement is the highlight of the symphony and features horns answered by cors anglais over a walking bass line. The violins play with mutes. H. C. Robbins Landon calls it "surely one of the settecento's supremely original concepts". Played with all the indicated repeats, it lasts about 10 minutes, almost half the duration of the symphony as a whole.
As McVeigh notes, the opening theme of the third movement echoes that of the first, resembling an extended rendition of it in minuet tempo. The trio section features writing in the high register for the two horns.
A historical cor anglais. Image from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica
The last movement is one of the earliest examples of a "hunting finale" that would later be used in symphonies such as No. 65 and No. 73 "La Chasse".
Another version of the piece, well known in Haydn's time, was published by the Venier firm in Paris.[6] This version has three movements with the second movement of the original version coming first, followed by a different movement that is marked andante grazioso in 3/8 and concluding with the same finale as in the original version. The second movement (catalogued as H. I:22bis) is thought to be spurious, and arrangement as a whole not Haydn's own. H. C. Robbins Landon suggests that this arrangement was likely made to the original composition due to the "strangely original" adagio and the existence of cors anglais, which were not available in many areas. It is precisely these elements that make this symphony so popular, so this version is seldom performed in modern times.
Symphony No. 26 (Haydn)
The Symphony No. 26 in D minor, Hoboken 1/26, is one of the early Sturm und Drang（PDF） Symphonies written by Joseph Haydn. It is popularly known as theLamentatione.
Since Haydn's day, the symphony has been known as "Lamentatione" because of the Christus motif of the opening movement's second theme. As with all the nicknamed symphonies, the title is not Haydn's own.
The Symphony No. 44 in E minor, Hoboken 1/44, was completed in 1772 by Joseph Haydn. It is popularly known as Trauer (English: Mourning). Late in life, Haydn asked for the slow movement of this symphony to be played at his funeral.
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Haydn wrote the symphony for Easter week. H. C. Robbins Landon has dated it to 1768 (possibly 1769). In the absence of the original autograph, it is impossible to verify the date of composition although this dating is consistent with the work's appearance in the Entwurf Katalog (Haydn's own catalogue of his works). An earlier tradition suggested the symphony had been written for Christmas (at the time a much less significant religious holiday), but the oldest original extant manuscript indicates clearly that the symphony was indeed intended for Easter celebrations.
It is an early example of the Sturm und Drang style that characterised much of his symphonic output to 1774 or 1775.
Because of its association with Easter week, Haydn incorporates a melody derived from an old plainsong chant of the Passion of Christ（PDF）, interpolating (as the second theme) this familiar liturgical setting to contrast with the furious opening theme. The same lament is also picked up in the second movement, reinforcing the symphony's link to the Passion through evocation of a melody that would have been familiar to audiences of the time.
Nickname (Lamentatione)
Since Haydn's day, the symphony has been known as "Lamentatione" because of the Christus motif of the opening movement's second theme. As with all the nicknamed symphonies, the title is not Haydn's own.
Movements
The work is in three movements, ending with a minuet and trio. It is scored for two oboes, two bassoons, horns, timpani, continuo (harpsichord) and a string section containing first and second violins, violas, cellos and double basses. Although no independent part for the double bass exists, it would have followed the cello part in octaves.
- Allegro assai con spirito, 4/4
- Adagio, 2/4
- Minuet e Trio, 3/4
Symphony No. 31 (Haydn)
Symphony No. 31 in D major was composed in 1765 for Haydn's patron Nikolaus Esterházy. It is nicknamed the "Hornsignal" symphony, because it gives a prominent role to an unusually large horn section, i.e. four players. Probably because of its prominent obbligato writing for the horns, in Paris, the publisher Sieber published this symphony as a "symphonie concertante" around 1785
The backdrop of this and other early Haydn symphonies was a patron who loved music and wanted his household music to be performed by top musicians – but whose budget did not accommodate anything like the orchestras of the size seen in modern times. Personnel fluctuated, and thus also the forces Haydn had available to work with. Haydn himself sought to retain the best instrumentalists, and he did so in part by writing interesting and challenging solos for them in his early symphonies.
Prince Nikolaus's had included a large horn section (four players) earlier in the 1760s, but one horn player, Franz Reiner, left in 1763 and was not replaced. A further loss is reported in the a letter by Haydn dated 23 January 1765 (the earliest preserved letter of the composer). This informs the Prince of the death of a horn player named Knoblauch. Haydn suggested a replacement, but his suggestion was not accepted. The same letter serves an illustration of Haydn's role as lobbyist for his men (see Papa Haydn): he requests that the Prince provide a fringe benefit for the musicians by covering the cost of their medications. This too was (temporarily) turned down.
Prince Nikolaus brought the horn section back to full strength in May 1765, when hornists Franz Stamitz and Joseph Dietzl were engaged to fill the missing places he "Hornsignal" Symphony evidently was written to celebrate this event. (Other four-horn symphonies from roughly the same time are No. 13, No. 39, and the misnumbered No. 72.)The exact date of the symphony is not known, other than the year. However, the symphony must have been premiered no earlier than May (since that is when Stamitz and Dietzl arrived) and before September 13, 1765. The latter date is known since the symphony includes a flute part, and the flautist (Franz Siegl) was dismissed on this date for having carelessly started a fire while shooting birds; it was only the following year that Haydn was able to persuade his patron to reinstate Siegl.
The work is scored for one flute, two oboes, four horns, and strings. David Wyn Jones remarks on these numbers: "given that the Esterházy orchestra as a whole was no more than 16 or 17 players, [four horns] amounted to a quarter of the orchestra, a proportion that not even Mahler or Strauss contemplated. (This deliberate imbalance of sonority is often regularized in modern performances by increasing the number of strings or by telling the horn players to play down.)"
The symphony is in four movements, marked as follows:
It is the first movement that shows off the horn section most dramatically, although not with the hunting calls he would later be known for in The Seasons or La chasse. Here, Haydn begins with a military fanfare including all four horns:
This is followed immediately by a solo horn playing a posthorn signal. The recapitulation at first omits the fanfare, beginning with posthorn signal, but the fanfare returns in the codas of both the first and last movements.
The slow movement has a siciliano rhythm and feel with solo passages for violin and cello against pizzicato bass accompaniment. Full orchestration (including all four horns) is retained for tutti passages, recalling the style of a concerto grosso.
The finale is a theme with seven variations. The variations here and in No. 72 are the first to appear in the Haydn symphonies.Most of the variations are written to show off a particular instrument or section of the orchestra, in the following order: oboes, cello, flute, horns, solo violin, tutti (all players), and double bass.There is a final coda, marked Presto, whose final notes repeat the horn fanfare of the opening movement of symphony.
Symphony No. 44 (Haydn)
The work is in four movements and is scored for two oboes, bassoon, two horns (in E and G), continuo (harpsichord) and strings:
- Allegro con brio, 4/4
- Menuetto: Allegretto, 3/4
- Adagio, 2/4
- Finale: Presto, 2/2
The piece is typical of Haydn's Sturm und Drang (storm and stress) period. The first movement, which is in sonata form, begins with a four-note motif played inunison which occurs throughout the movement.
The second movement, unusually, is a minuet in E minor and trio in E major; thus the work is one of the few symphonies of the Classical era to place the Minuet second (others include Haydn's 32nd and 37th, and his brother Michael's 15th and 16th). The minuet is in the form of a "Canone in Diapason" between the upper and lower strings with the lower strings trailing the upper strings by a single bar. Haydn would later use a similar double canon with the lower strings trailing the upper strings by one measure in the famous "Witches Minuet" of his D minor quartet from Op. 76.
The third movement is slow, also in E major, and with strings muted. The finale, like the first movement, is in sonata form and is dominated by a figure which opens the movement in unison. It is quite contrapuntal, and ends in E minor rather than finishing in a major key as was usual in most other minor key works of the time (including Haydn's next symphony, the Symphony No. 45, The Farewell).
Since all of the movements have the same tonic, the work is homotona
Paris symphonies
The Paris symphonies are a group of six symphonies written by Joseph Haydn commissioned by the Chevalier de Saint-Georges（PDF）, music director of the orchestra Le Concert de la Loge Olympique, in behalf of its sponsor, Count D'Ogny, Grandmaster of the Masonic Loge Olympique. Beginning on January 11th, 1786 the symphonies were performed by the Olympique in the Salle des Cent-Suisses of the Tuileries, conducted by Saint-Georges .
The symphonies are:
- Symphony No. 82 in C major, The Bear (1786)
- Symphony No. 83 in G minor, La Poule ("The Hen") (1785)
- Symphony No. 84 in E flat major, In Nomine Domini (1786)
- Symphony No. 85 in B flat major, La Reine ("The Queen") (1785)
- Symphony No. 86 in D major (1786)
- Symphony No. 87 in A major (1785）
Parisians had long been familiar with Haydn's symphonies, which were being printed in Paris as early as 1764. H. C. Robbins Landon writes: "All during the early 1780's Haydn's symphonies were performed at the various Parisian concerts with unvarying success, and numerous publishing houses — among them Guera in Lyon, Sieber, Boyer, Le Duc and Imbault in Paris, etc. — issued every new symphonic work by Haydn as soon as they could lay hands on a copy."
The work was composed for a large Parisian orchestra called Le Concert de la loge Olympique (Orchestra of the 'Olympic' (Masonic) Lodge). This organization consisted in part of professionals and in part of skilled amateurs. It included 40 violins and ten double basses, an extraordinary size of orchestra for the time. (Haydn's own ensemble at Eszterháza was never larger than about 25 total.) According to Robbins Landon, "The musicians wore splendid 'sky-blue' dress coats with elaborate lace ruffles, and swords at their sides." They performed in a large theater with boxes in tiers. The performances were patronized by royalty, including Queen Marie Antoinette, who particularly enjoyed the Symphony No. 85, giving rise to its nickname.
The individual responsible for commissioning the symphonies from Haydn was Claude-François-Marie Rigolet, Comte d'Ogny (i.e., Count of Ogny), an aristocrat still in his twenties (his life dates were 1757-1790). The Count, who played in the cello section of the orchestra, was the Intendant Général des Postes (postal service superintendent) and grew up in a very musical household. His father kept a great collection of musical manuscripts, used as the library of the Concert des Amateurs dissolved in 1781, and its successor, the Concert Olympique. Patronage of music may have been an extravagance for the Count, since at his death he left a huge debt of 100,000 livres.
The actual negotiations with Haydn were carried out at Ogny's request by Joseph Bologne the Chevalier de Saint-Georges, celebrated conductor of the Loge Olympique orchestra. Haydn was paid 25 louis d'or for each symphony plus 5 louis for the French publication rights; the sum was apparently very satisfactory from Haydn's point of view, since the lack of copyright laws had generally prevented him from profiting much from his popularity as a composer.
According to the composer Giuseppe Maria Cambini（PDF）, who participated in the orchestra, the finest musicians in Paris performed in the premieres of the symphonies, and received them with "rapture". Edited by Saint-Georges, the symphonies were published in Paris by Sieber. The works were very popular with public and press, and were soon published in London and Vienna.
The anonymous critic of the Mercure de France particularly praised Haydn's ability to write "monothematic" sonata expositions (as they are now called; seesonata form): "this vast genius, who in each one of his pieces knows how to draw developments so rich and varied from a unique theme (sujet)—very different from those sterile composers who pass continually from one idea to another for lack of knowing how to present one idea in varied forms".
Modern critics also appreciate the works. Robbins Landon calls them "a remarkable fusion of brilliance, elegance, and warmth." Charles Rosen writes "There is not a measure, even the most serious, of these great works which is not marked by Haydn's wit; and his wit has now grown so powerful and so efficient that it has become a sort of passion, a force at once omnivorous and creative
Symphony No. 91 (Haydn)
The Symphony No. 91 in E-flat major, Hoboken 1/91, is written by Joseph Haydn. It was completed in 1788 as part of a three-symphony commission by Comte d'Ogny for the Concerts de la Loge Olympique. It is occasionally referred to as The Letter T referring to an older method of cataloguing Haydn's symphonic output MP3
The autograph manuscript bears a dedication to D'Ogny, but Haydn also gave Prince Krafft Ernst von Oettingen-Wallerstein a copy as if it were an original.
The work is in standard four movement form and scored for flute, two oboes, two bassoons, two horns, continuo (harpsichord) and strings. It is the last symphony that Haydn composed that is not scored for trumpets and timpani.
- Largo - Allegro assai
- Andante
- Minuet
- Vivace
The first movement opens with a slow introduction which Haydn works into the opening allegro assai. The Allegro's first theme is derived from an idea Haydn used in his cantata Arianna a Naxos, Hob. XXVIa/2, composed the same year. The theme is chromatic, legato and in two-part inverted counterpoint. The second theme is dancelike. Both the themes are closely linked with the opening largo.
The slow movement consists of a set of three variations on a theme. Listen to the bassoon and the accompanying string filigree in the first variation and the series of trills near the end of the movement.
The minuet includes a trio in the bassoon accompanied by plucked strings.
The finale opens quietly and builds gradually to a close.
Symphony No. 94 (Haydn)
The Symphony No. 94 in G major (Hoboken 1/94) is the second of the twelve so-called London symphonies (numbers 93–104) written by Joseph Haydn. It is usually called by its nickname, the Surprise Symphony
MP3 I. Adagio Cantabile - Vivace Assai
Haydn wrote the symphony in 1791 in London for a concert series he gave during the first of his visits to England (1791–1792). The premiere took place at theHanover Square Rooms in London on March 23, 1792, with Haydn leading the orchestra seated at a fortepiano.MP3 I. Adagio Cantabile - Vivace Assai
The Surprise Symphony is scored for a Classical-era orchestra consisting of two each of flutes, oboes, bassoons, horns, trumpets, plus timpani, and the usual string section consisting of first and second violins, violas, cellos, and double basses.
A typical performance of the Surprise Symphony lasts about 23 minutes
Haydn's music contains many jokes, and the Surprise Symphony includes probably the most famous of all: a sudden fortissimo chord at the end of an otherwisepiano opening theme in the variation-form second movement. The music then returns to its original quiet dynamic, as if nothing had happened, and the ensuing variations do not repeat the joke. (In German it is commonly referred to as the Symphony "mit dem Paukenschlag"—"with the kettledrum stroke").
In Haydn's old age, George August Griesinger, his biographer, asked whether he wrote this "surprise" to awaken the audience. Haydn replied:
No, but I was interested in surprising the public with something new, and in making a brilliant debut, so that my student Pleyel, who was at that time engaged by an orchestra in London (in 1792) and whose concerts had opened a week before mine, should not outdo me. The first Allegro of my symphony had already met with countless Bravos, but the enthusiasm reached its highest peak at the Andante with the Drum Stroke. Encore! Encore! sounded in every throat, and Pleyel himself complimented me on my idea.
The work was popular at its premiere. The Woodfall's Register critic wrote: "The third piece of HAYDN was a new Overture [i.e. symphony], of very extraordinary merit. It was simple, profound, and sublime. The andante movement was particularly admired."
The Morning Herald critic wrote:
The Room was crowded last night.... A new composition from such a man as HAYDN is a great event in the history of music. — His novelty of last night was a grand Overture, the subject of which was remarkably simple, but extended to vast complication, exquisitly modulated and striking in effect. Critical applause was fervid and abundant."
The symphony is still popular today, and is frequently performed and recorded.
Like all of Haydn's "London" symphonies, the work is in four movements, marked as follows:
- I. Adagio – Vivace assai
- II. Andante
- III. Menuetto: Allegro molto
- IV. Finale: Allegro molto
The first movement has a lyrical 3/4 introduction that precedes a highly rhythmic main section in 6/8 time. As with much of Haydn's work, it is written in so-called "monothematic" sonata form; that is, the movement to the dominant key in the exposition is not marked by a "second theme".
The second, "surprise", movement, the Andante, is a theme and variations in 2/4 time in the subdominant key of C major. The theme is in two eight-bar sections, each repeated. Haydn sets up the surprise, which occurs at the end of the repeat of the first section, by making the repeat pianissimo with pizzicato in the lower strings. Four variations of the theme follow, starting with embellishment in sixteenth notes by the first violins, moving to a stormy variation in C minorwith trumpets and timpani, then solos for the first oboist and flautist, and concluding with a sweeping and lyrical forte repeat in triplets. In the coda section, the opening notes are stated once more, this time reharmonized with gently dissonant diminished seventh chords over a tonic pedal.
The third movement is a minuet and trio, in ternary form in the tonic key (G major). The tempo, Allegro molto, or very quickly, is of note since it marks the historical shift away from the old minuet (at a slower, i.e. danceable, tempo) toward the scherzo; by the time of his last quartets Haydn had started to mark his minuets presto.
The fourth movement is a characteristically rhythmic, energetic and propulsive Haydn finale. The movement is written in sonata rondo form with the opening bars appearing both at the beginning and in the middle of the development section. The stirring coda emphasizes the timpani.
Toward the end of his active career Haydn wove the theme of the second movement into an aria of his oratorio The Seasons (1801), in which the bass soloist depicts a plowman whistling Haydn's tune as he works.
The same theme is also frequently adapted for the purpose of teaching musical beginners; see Papa Haydn.
The composer Charles Ives wrote a parody of the second movement in 1909, penning the words "Nice little easy sugar-plum sounds" under the opening notes. Ives was unhappy with concert audiences who unadventurously resisted difficult modern music—as is shown by other words in his parody: "Nice sweety silk bonnet melodies ... nice pretty perfumed sounds for the dress circle cushion chai[r] ears." Since the opening notes of Haydn's second movement are very simple, they were a suitable choice for Ives's purpose.
Donald Swann created a version of the Surprise Symphony 'with extra surprises' for the humorous Hoffnung Music Festival
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