25th Symphony (Haydn)

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The Symphony in C major Hoboken directory I: 25 wrote Joseph Haydn to 1760/61. The work stands out due to its unusual sequence of movements.

General

Joseph Haydn (painting by Ludwig Guttenbrunn, around 1770)

The Symphony Hoboken Directory I: 25 was composed by Joseph Haydn around 1760/61. The work occupies a special position within Haydn's symphonies: on the one hand, it is not included in either the so-called “draft catalog” or in Haydn's 1805 catalog raisonné. These are important documents for checking the authenticity of Haydn's authorship. As a result, doubts were occasionally expressed as to whether the symphony was even by Haydn. In the meantime, however, his authorship is considered sufficiently secure. On the other hand, the sequence of sentences is unusual: the Adagio is something in between an independent sentence and an introduction. Due to the relative brevity and the character, it was assumed that the symphony may have been a prelude to a cantata or a stage work.

After Michael Walter, Haydn tries here for the first time to create a connection in the corner movements through similar musical ideas (both movements begin with motifs in half notes and in both movements the development also begins in half notes between the violins).

To the music

Instrumentation: two oboes , two horns , two violins , viola , cello , double bass . 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. 15 minutes (depending on compliance with 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: Adagio - Allegro molto

Adagio: C major, 4/4 time, bars 1 to 23

The Adagio begins seriously in the pianissimo of the strings with the suggestion of a fugue : a motif with an ascending sixth and a line falling in syncopation occurs offset between the violins and the bass in an unstable key. In the further course, however, it no longer plays a role in its complete form, the following event has a more theatrical gesture: In bar 7 the character swings abruptly into a moving passage with forte piano contrasts and key changes, bar 12/13 brings a new motif with echo-like minor repetition in the piano, bars 14/15, pick up the rising sixth from the beginning of the sentence in unison, but this remains on a fermata . The following serious, calm passage is reminiscent of the baroque beginning of the sentence. With a sequence of trill figures, the action on the dominant G major (which had already been reached three times) comes to rest.

Allegro molto: C major, 2/4 time, bars 24 to 187

The Allegro molto, with “its lively, divertiment-like style”, represents a strong contrast to the Adagio. Except for the brief second theme, a separate figure only for the violins, the movement is consistently forte. The first theme with horn fanfare is based on triad melody, the transition to the second theme contains upbeat phrases derived from the first theme under tremolo and emerging unison figures. The final group is characterized by descending chords in half notes and the repeated twist of ascending tremolo and cadencing motif.

The development does not begin with the first theme, as is usually the case, but as a falling C minor line of the staggered violins. The head of the first theme appears in bar 94 as a dummy reprise. The following longer passage (beginning with a syncopation line reminiscent of the beginning of the Adagio) in A minor contains new material: Accompanied by the tremolo of the 1st violin, oboes, viola and bass on the one hand and 2nd violins on the other play in dialogue. Furthermore, a section follows with the upbeat phrases, the emerging unison figures and - underlaid by an organ point on the dominant G - the second theme.

The recapitulation is somewhat varied and shortened compared to the exposition, in that the passage with the opening phrases is omitted. The exposition, development and recapitulation are repeated.

Second movement: Menuet

C major, 3/4 time, with trio 50 bars

With its dotted rhythms, triplets and trills , the minuet has a baroque, ceremonial-courtly character. In the first part the violins are performed in parallel. At the beginning of the second part, the 1st oboe and 1st violin imitate the voice of the 2nd oboe and 2nd violin.

The trio is also in C major. In the first part the solo horns and oboes play a question-and-answer dialogue. In the second part they first continue the thematic material together. The revival of the first part is limited to its “question” about the horns, which is now partially divided between both instruments, and a cadenced final turn. The strings accompany in pizzicato .

Third movement: Presto

C major, 2/4 time, 113 bars

Beginning of Presto with the four note motif and the staccato scale motif

The movement begins with a contrasting theme consisting of a piano four-note motif in half notes (strings with staggered use of violins and viola / bass) and staccato scale motif in unison (oboes and strings) in eighths. The four-note motif is reminiscent of similar motifs in the final movements in Symphonies No. 3 and No. 13 . In bar 8 the motif is repeated as an extension with eighth notes underlaid in the bass. Syncope, rapid runs and tremolo lead to the final group, which consists of an upbeat question-answer motif, again with staggered use between the upper and lower voices.

The development begins (as in the Allegro molto) with the four-tone motif in the staggered use of the violins and repeats it again with counter-movement of the violins. The following passage in C minor contains an oboe motif that is reminiscent of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's overture to the oratorio La Betulia liberata .

In the recapitulation from bar 57, the opening theme appears immediately with the winds, offset between upper and lower voices and together with the eighth accompaniment. It has also been expanded to include a new motif with tone repetition and trills. The final group has also been expanded to include an insertion of the four-tone motif. The exposition, development and recapitulation are repeated.

Individual references, comments

  1. ↑ Information page of the Haydn Festival Eisenstadt, see under web links.
  2. ^ A b 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. 91.
  3. ^ Howard Chandler Robbins Landon: The Symphonies of Joseph Haydn. Universal Edition & Rocklife, London 1955, pp. 217 to 218.
  4. ↑ James Webster: Hob.I: 25 Symphony in C major. Information text on Symphony No. 25 of the Haydn Festival Eisenstadt, see under web links.
  5. ^ Antony Hodgson: The Music of Joseph Haydn . The Symphonies. The Tantivy Press, London 1976, ISBN 0-8386-1684-4 , p. 63
  6. ^ Lessing (1989 p. 91) with reference to Howard Chandler Robbins Landon .
  7. ^ Michael Walter: Haydn's symphonies. A musical factory guide. CH Beck-Verlag, Munich 2007, ISBN 978-3-406-44813-3 , p. 24.
  8. ↑ 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).
  9. ↑ a b The repetitions of the parts of the sentence are not kept in many recordings.

Web links, notes

See also