20th Symphony (Haydn)

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The Symphony Hoboken directory I: 20 in C major composed Joseph Haydn to 1758/60.

General

Joseph Haydn (painting by Ludwig Guttenbrunn, around 1770)

Joseph Haydn probably composed Symphony No. 20 in C major around 1758/60 while he was employed by Count Morzin. The early work is in the festive C major style “with timpani and trumpets”. No. 32 , No. 33 and No. 37 of Haydn's early symphonies also belong to this type, with timpani and trumpets partly added later and partly not by Haydn (see below).

According to HC Robbins Landon , these early C major symphonies for “large” orchestras are characterized by a rather impersonal atmosphere that is reminiscent of the cold elegance of baroque Austrian monasteries.

To the music

Instrumentation: two oboes , bassoon , two horns in C, two trumpets , timpani , two violins , viola , cello , double bass . It is questionable whether the trumpet and timpani parts for this symphony come from Haydn. At that time, a bassoon was used to reinforce the bass voice, even without separate notation. On the participation of a harpsichord - continuos are competing views in Haydn's symphonies.

Performance time: approx. 20 minutes (depending on the tempo and after observing the prescribed repetitions)

With the terms of the sonata form used here, it should be noted that this scheme was designed in the first half of the 19th century (see there) and can therefore only be transferred to a work composed around 1760 with restrictions. - The description and structure of the sentences given here is to be understood as a suggestion. Depending on the point of view, other delimitations and interpretations are also possible.

First movement: Allegro molto

C major, 2/4 time, 177 bars

Beginning of the Allegro molto

The symphony begins forte throughout the orchestra as a symmetrically structured question-and-answer structure and cadencing “appendix” with trills (bars 1 to 12, “first theme”). An eighth note movement with broken chords splits off from the extension and establishes the dominant G major with a scale running motif over syncopation of the 1st violin. The second theme, which contrasts with the previous, stormy and noisy events, is performed piano by the strings and is characterized by swaying movement with a falling line. Another contrast occurs in bar 44 with an abrupt turn to G minor. The final group with tremolo and chord melodies takes up the festive character from the beginning of the movement.

The development initially modulates the head of the first theme piano. Then the scale motif is processed in a longer forte passage (key change, in the bass under tremolo of the upper parts). In bar 101 the parallel tonic in A minor is reached, where the second theme appears. Then Haydn prepares the entry into the reprise with the swaying figure from the second theme above an organ point on G, using a short, effective minor obscuration.

The recapitulation is structured largely like the exposition. Both parts of the sentence (exposition as well as development and recapitulation) are repeated.

“As with many such works, the introductory Allegro molto is in the unusual 2/4“ final measure ”, which is actually more common for finals; its form is more ordered and "predictable" than most of Haydn's symphonic Allegro movements. "

Second movement: Andante cantabile

G major, 2/2 time (alla breve), 84 measures

Beginning of the Andante cantabile

The movement is only for strings and has three layers: the 1st violin carries the melody with a cantilena that develops from small motifs , the 2nd violin accompanies it in continuous eighth notes, viola and bass in pizzicato . This creates a special, serenade-like timbre. The movement is divided into regular melodic phrases: The four-bar first melodic phrase ("main theme") is characterized by bars and pauses. The next phrase is also four measures, carries on the idea of ​​the theme and leads to the dominant D major. A motif with a falling figure in dotted rhythm (but without a prelude) follows as an insert in D major, before the previous melody is continued. The “second theme” from bar 19 is introduced by a pendulum figure and leads to the only forte extension with full bar notes. The final group repeats a motif (with eighth note movement also in the 1st violin) in minor and contains another sweeping gesture in full-bar notes.

The middle section (“development”) initially continues the material of the “upbeat” cantilena, then that of the “second theme”. The recapitulation from bar 59 is structured like the exposition, but the “second theme” and “final group” are greatly shortened.

“The slow movement is kept in an unusual“ serenade style ”and is labeled Andante cantabile alla breve; it has a uniform structure (regular melodic phrases, quarter accompaniment and pizzicato bass) and is only slightly widened and accelerated towards the end of each half. To put it with Tovey : There is nothing wrong with this sentence, but one is grateful that Haydn did not use this style so often. "

"The delightful serenade-like Andante cantabile of Symphony 20 occupies a special position, whose very clearly structured melody, developed from small motifs, unfolds into impressive cantability via the incessant eighth-note figuration of the second violin and the pizzicati of the violas and basses that mark the focal points"

"This Andante cantabile is somewhat reminiscent of the serenad-like slow movements in Haydn's early string quartets: a graceful cantilena of the 1st violin, grounded by a continuous eighth note movement of the 2nd violin and pizzicati of the low strings [...]."

Third movement: Menuet

C major, 3/4 measures, with trio 54 measures

In the festive minuet, which is already reminiscent of Haydn's later style, the upbeat triplets, the sweeping ascending and descending chord breaks and the forte piano contrasts stand out. The upbeat triplets and dynamic contrasts are also continued in the trio (F major), which, like the andante, is only intended for strings: the first part begins with a ceremonial, clockwise ascending F major chord, followed by a piano -Answer of the strings with staggered entry of the violins. This dialogue is then continued at the beginning of the second part of the trio, alternating lower and upper voices.

Fourth movement: Presto

C major, 3/8 time, 245 bars

The Presto is designed as a three-part Dacapo movement (ABA structure), with both A and B parts being in three parts. Since the middle sections have a development-like character, both parts are reminiscent of “sonata movements in miniature” .

Part A: C major, bars 1 to 87

  • First section (bars 1 to 30): The A section is almost entirely in the forte and is mostly played by the whole orchestra, with the violins mostly being performed in parallel. The upbeat theme is based on triad breaks, which are enriched with staccato and rhythmic phrases. The topic header is repeated from bar 9 and then goes on to continue spinning. A fanfare-like grinder figure on the violins ends the first section in the dominant G major.
  • The second section (bars 31 to 62) processes the material from the first section from G major. In bar 50, the tonic parallel in A minor is reached as a temporary caesura. With a contrasting piano passage only for the violins, Haydn switches back to G major.
  • The third section (bars 63 to 87) represents a “recapitulation” of the first section (from the repetition of the theme head according to bar 9).

Part B: C minor, bars 88 to 153, “Minore”: The B part is dominated by the strings and is mainly held piano.

  • In the first section (bars 88 to 110) the theme is presented with “stuttering” pauses and sometimes swaying character. The end stands out through forte-piano contrasts.
  • The second section (cycle 111 to 131) in turn continues the material from the first like an implementation. the violins are no longer performed in parallel, but rather play in dialogue or in countermovement.
  • The third section (bars 132 to 153) is a recapitulation of the first section.

Part A: C major, bars 154 to 245, "Maggiore"

  • This is followed by a written repetition of Part A. The movement ends with a small final fanfare from C major - chords.

Individual references, comments

  1. ↑ Information page of the Haydn Festival Eisenstadt, see under web links.
  2. ^ Howard Chandler Robbins Landon: The Symphonies of Joseph Haydn. Universal Edition & Rocklife, London 1955, p. 229: “Moreover, in these particular C major works, a certain pedantic character comes very much to the fore, lending a brittle, impersonal atmosphere to the whole: all three [Note: are meant No. 20, 32, 37] are totally devoid of any warmth, and are in many ways reminiscent of the magnificence, the pomp, and the cold splendor of some of the Austrian baroque monasteries (for which, indeed, they might very well have been composed). In part, this strange impersonality is due to the archaic, neo-baroque orchestration: as we have observed, this was difficult to apply to the bouncing pre-classical structure. Even in the rather impressive opening movement of No. 20, the trumpets and drums are used in a peculiarly uncharacteristic manner, almost as if they were pasted on top of the orchestral texture, much as ornaments were treated in inferior baroque architecture. "
  3. ↑ Sonja Gerlach, Ullrich Scheideler : Joseph Haydn. Symphonies around 1757 - 1760/61 . Published by the Joseph Haydn Institute, Cologne. Series I, volume IG Henle-Verlag, Munich 1998, page 104.
  4. ↑ Examples: a) James Webster: On the Absence of Keyboard Continuo in Haydn's Symphonies. In: Early Music Volume 18 No. 4, 1990, pp. 599-608); b) Hartmut Haenchen : Haydn, Joseph: Haydn's orchestra and the harpsichord question in the early symphonies. Booklet text for the recordings of the early Haydn symphonies. , online (accessed June 26, 2019), to: H. Haenchen: Early Haydn Symphonies , Berlin Classics, 1988–1990, cassette with 18 symphonies; c) Jamie James: He'd Rather Fight Than Use Keyboard In His Haydn Series . In: New York Times , October 2, 1994 (accessed June 25, 2019; showing various positions by Roy Goodman , Christopher Hogwood , HC Robbins Landon and James Webster). Most orchestras with modern instruments currently (as of 2019) do not use a harpsichord continuo. Recordings with harpsichord continuo exist. a. by: Trevor Pinnock ( Sturm und Drang symphonies , archive, 1989/90); Nikolaus Harnoncourt (No. 6-8, Das Alte Werk, 1990); Sigiswald Kuijken (including Paris and London symphonies ; Virgin, 1988-1995); Roy Goodman (e.g. Nos. 1-25, 70-78; Hyperion, 2002).
  5. ↑ The repetitions of the parts of the sentence are not observed in some recordings.
  6. ↑ a b c d James Webster: Hob.I: 20 Symphony in C major. Information text of the Haydn Festival Eisenstadt on Symphony No. 20 by Joseph Haydn, see under web links.
  7. ^ Wolfgang Marggraf : Haydn's earliest symphonies (1759–1761). The symphonies of the four-movement normal type. , Accessed April 13, 2013.
  8. ^ Walter Lessing: The symphonies of Joseph Haydn, in addition: all masses. A series of broadcasts on Südwestfunk Baden-Baden 1987-89, published by Südwestfunk Baden-Baden in 3 volumes. Volume 1, Baden-Baden 1989, p. 75.
  9. ^ Antony Hodgson ( The Music of Joseph Haydn . The Symphonies. The Tantivy Press, London 1976, ISBN 0-8386-1684-4 , p. 57): "The Menuet, however, has that confident stateliness that was to become a hallmark of Haydn's grander style. "

Web links, notes

See also