37th Symphony (Haydn)

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The Symphony in C major Hoboken directory I: 37 wrote Joseph Haydn to 1757/58. Contrary to the usual numbering, it is one of Haydn's first symphonies.

General

Joseph Haydn (painting by Ludwig Guttenbrunn, around 1770)

Haydn composed Symphony No. 37 around 1757/58, making it one of his earliest symphonies. A copy of the symphony dated “1758” was found in the former archive of the Schwarzenberg princes in Český Krumlov . At that time Haydn was employed by Count Morzin.

The symphony is in four movements (which was not yet standard at the time), contrary to the sequence of movements that later became established, the minuet takes second place (also in the early symphonies "B" and No. 32 ).

According to Howard Chandler Robbins Landon , Haydn's earliest C major symphonies for "large" orchestra ( Nos. 20 , 32 and 37 with partly inauthentic trumpets and timpani, see below) are characterized by a rather impersonal atmosphere reminiscent of the cold elegance of the baroque remember Austrian monasteries.

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.

In a copy in the Thurn and Taxis Archive in Regensburg, the horns have been replaced by trumpets , and a timpani part has been added. It is not certain, however, whether the trumpet and timpani parts come from Haydn. The old Breitkopf & Härtel complete edition, in which the work was first printed as a score, does not contain any trumpets or timpani. The work edition published by the Joseph Haydn Institute Cologne expresses doubts about the originality of the oboe, trumpet and timpani parts.

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 1757/58 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: Presto

C major, 2/4 time, 168 bars

Beginning of Presto

The formal structure of the Prestos is, due to its construction from a few motif components for a symphony of this time, "already of astonishing cohesion". The first theme begins as a simple tonic - dominant - tonic - chord progression. The rhythmic motif with upbeat sixteenth notes in the 1st violin ("Motif 1") is decisive for the further structure of the sentence. In the second half of the subject, it is continued with the 2nd violin and viola / bass, while the 1st violin accompanies in syncope . The beginning of the sentence shows similarities to Georg Reutter's Servizio di tavola . The passage leading to the second theme is introduced by a unison triad fanfare and an upbeat motif consisting of a falling scale fragment in equal eighth notes ("Motif 2"). The passage then varies the rhythm of motif 1 with sometimes large leaps in intervals, with rapid sixteenth runs in between.

The second theme from bar 40 contrasts strongly with the previous noisy event: It is in G minor (minor dominant) and is only performed piano by the strings. The first half of the theme consists of an ascending line in full-bar notes, the second of a variant of motif 2 with forte-piano changes. The final group brings motif 1 in the dialogue of the violins and again motif 1 in viola / bass with syncopation from the violins.

The development is kept short with 13 bars and remains in the dominant. It is based on a six-bar phrase with elements from Motif 1 and Motif 2. The phrase is repeated piano in minor. The brevity of the development is “balanced” by the fact that the recapitulation (from bar 82) continues the processing of thematic material: Haydn has greatly lengthened the section between the first and second theme compared to the exposition. The section leads into different keys and processes motifs 1 and 2 (e.g. downward sequencing of motif 2 from bar 118). The section from the second topic (now in C minor) is structured like the exposition. Both parts of the sentence (exposition as well as development and recapitulation) are repeated.

"The opening Presto is, with all the clarity of its form, a fantastic mishmash of distant but related motifs, the form and formal function of which is constantly changing."

Second movement: Menuet

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

The simple, courtly minuet is characterized by the alternation of triplets and dotted rhythms as well as passages from the tutti and the violins alone.

The trio (C minor) with baroque features is only for strings in a three-part movement (1st violin, 2nd violin and viola with bass) and is kept piano throughout. Similar to Presto, a rhythmic idea is also characteristic here: the juxtaposition of three tied eighth notes and three staccato eighth notes. The two violins imitate each other's material several times.

Third movement: Andante

C minor, 2/4 time, 71 bars

Like the Trio, the Andante is in C minor, also has baroque features and is also (and as is usual for Haydn's early symphonies) only for strings. The movement is structured in two parts: In the exposition, both violins are initially part-leading, in the middle with the viola, and in the final section the 1st violin takes over the part, while the other strings accompany.

The upbeat main theme consists of two four-bar halves, the top of the theme with a falling line in dotted rhythm. From bar 9 the violins play the theme head in dialogue and at the end - when a knocking tone repetition movement in sixteenths occurs in the violins - it also appears in viola and bass. The tone repetition then continues in the bass, above which the violins and viola play a figure interrupted by pauses. After a surprising, ascending unison gesture in the forte, the final section follows in the tonic parallel in E flat major with triplets.

The development begins with the theme in E flat major in the 2nd violin. After just one bar, the 1st violin and material from the final section take over the part, while the other strings take up the continuous tone repetition in sixteenths. The passage from bar 35 with a new motif is characterized by strong forte-piano contrasts and key changes. From bar 40 the reversal of the head motif from the main theme in D flat major appears twice. The unison gesture heralds the recapitulation.

The recapitulation from bar 47 is slightly different from the exposition: After its first appearance, the main theme changes directly into the dialogue passage, and before the section with the tapping tone repetitions there is an insert with the strong forte-piano contrasts. Both parts of the sentence (exposition as well as development and recapitulation) are repeated.

Fourth movement: Presto

C major, 3/8 time, 82 bars

As usual for contemporary symphonies, the Presto is a quick and light-weight “sweep” which, compared to Haydn's final movements in other early symphonies, is striking because of its many dynamic contrasts (alternation between forte and piano). Already at the beginning of the movement (which with its chord strike and the interrupting pauses reminds of the beginning of the opening Presto) these contrasts are noticeable in the narrow space between the tutti (forte) and the violins (piano). After a "noisy" passage, which is introduced by a signal-like two-note figure, follows the small second theme of the strings (from bar 22) in the dominant G major, with the voice-leading 2nd violin (attached to the violin figure from bar 3 / 4) there is a phrase-like opposing voice opposite the 1st violin. The final group contains ascending triplet groups.

The short development varies in two phrases material of the transition, announced by the two-note signal figure. A variant of the material from the second theme (or the violin figure from the beginning of the sentence) leads to the recapitulation , which is structured similar to the exposition . Both parts of the sentence (exposition as well as development and recapitulation) are repeated.

Individual references, comments

  1. ↑ Information page of the Haydn Festival Eisenstadt, see under web links.
  2. ^ A b c d e f g h 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, pp. 103 to 104.
  3. ^ Howard Chandler Robbins Landon: The Symphonies of Joseph Haydn. Universal Edition & Rocklife, London 1955, p. 227: “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 [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. "
  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. ^ Anthony van Hoboken: Joseph Haydn. Thematic-bibliographical catalog raisonné, Volume I. Schott-Verlag, Mainz 1957, p. 41.
  6. ^ Robbins Landon (1955, p. 229).
  7. ^ Sonja Gerlach, Ullrich Scheideler: Symphonies around 1757 - 1760/61. In: Joseph Haydn Institute Cologne (ed.): Joseph Haydn works. Series I, Volume 1. G. Henle-Verlag, Munich 1998, 297 pages: Page X “In Symphony 37, the tradition of the oboes gives rise to doubts about their originality. They are missing in a considerable part of the sources (...). "Page 14:" It is questionable whether the trumpet and timpani parts for this symphony come from Haydn. "
  8. ^ A. Peter Brown: The Symphonic Repertoire. Volume II. The First Golden Age of the Vienese Symphony: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, and Schubert. Indiana University Press, Bloomington & Indianapolis 2002, ISBN 0-253-33487-X ; P. 42.
  9. ↑ Howard Chandler Robbins Landon ( Haydn: Chronicle and works. The early years 1732 - 1765. Thames and Hudson, London 1980, p. 285) makes a different classification, in which bar 82 is rated as a false recapitulation (sham recapitulation), In the recapitulation, according to this view, the direct quotation of the first theme is left out.
  10. ↑ a b c The complete repetitions are often not kept in recordings.
  11. ↑ James Webster: Hob.I: 37 Symphony in C major. Information text on Symphony No. 37 of the Haydn Festival Eisenstadt, see under web links.

Web links, notes

See also