39th Symphony (Haydn)

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The Symphony in G minor, Hoboken directory I: 39 wrote Joseph Haydn 1765 during his tenure as Vice- Kapellmeister to Prince I. Nikolaus Esterházy .

General

Joseph Haydn (painting by Ludwig Guttenbrunn, around 1770)

The Symphony no. 39 Haydn composed around 1765 I during his tenure as Vice-Kapellmeister to Prince Nikolaus Esterházy. Earlier sources dated the symphony somewhat later: around 1768 or around 1767, possibly in connection with the appointment of a fourth horn player in Esterhaza in March of that year.

The composing of symphonies with a wild character and gloomy timbre also occurred around this time with some of Haydn's contemporaries (e.g. Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf , Johann Baptist Vanhal ). This was a novelty in the development of the symphony at the time. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart probably heard some of these works during his stay in Vienna in 1773 and was thus probably influenced in the composition of his Symphony in G minor K. 183 , which also uses four instead of the usual two horns.

The symphony No. 39 is classified differently in connection with the Sturm und Drang period or even with strokes of fate:

"One thinks to feel a feeling of rebellion against the unpredictable fate in the sudden pauses and surprising modulations of the implementation."

Ludwig Finscher (2000), on the other hand, rejects classification in the Sturm und Drang context:

"Haydn's minor symphonies have nothing to do with the youth movement of the literary Sturm und Drang, which only had a short life and was hardly received in terms of content in Esterhaza as in the entire Habsburg court culture (...) - but very much to do with the general tendency, Enriching , deepening and even getting the language of the symphony to speak through minor keys and the adoption of elements of the operatic language such as orchestral tremolo , syncopation chains , large intervals , sharp contrasts, recitative formulas. "

According to Howard Chandler Robbins Landon, the quality of the two middle movements, especially the Andante, falls behind the corner movements. The Andante was described by Robbins Landon as a "disappointment" compared to the previous movement and the instrumentation as "primitive", while other authors emphasize this contrast as effective:

“Haydn postponed phases of relaxation throughout the opening movement and saved it for the second movement, which is thereby considerably enhanced; another "trick" in this symphony. "

“The Andante was wrongly criticized for its“ shallowness ”in the context of a minor symphony, but that now seems anachronistically romantic: There is no law according to which every minor symphony by Haydn must give the impression of being“ thoroughly composed ”, as is the case with the “Farewell Symphony” or No. 44 in E minor is the case. The sentence can boast numerous clever and funny effects (...). "

If the symphony was actually composed in 1765, it represents Haydn's first "minor symphony". Another special feature is the use of four instead of the usual two horns, on which Haydn only otherwise only uses No. 13 , No. 31 and No. 72 fall back. The other three symphonies, however, are all in major, and in No. 39 Haydn, in contrast to the major symphonies, rarely used all four horns in parallel. The horns in No. 39 are tuned to G and B in pairs. Therefore they can be used almost without restriction on the G minor scale as well as on the parallel key (B flat major).

To the music

Instrumentation: two oboes , two horns in Bb, two horns in G, two violins , viola , cello , double bass . At that time, bassoon and harpsichord were used to reinforce the bass voice, even without separate notation , although there are different opinions in the literature about the involvement of a harpsichord continuo .

Performance time: approx. 15 to 20 minutes (depending on compliance with the prescribed repetitions).

With the terms of the sonata form used here for the structure of the sentence, it should be noted that this model was only designed at the beginning of the 19th century (see there). 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 assai

G minor, 4/4 time, 115 bars

Beginning of Allegro assai, 1st violin

The beginning of the movement is unusual in two respects: on the one hand, due to the rule piano instead of the forte beginning of symphonic movements that was usual at the time. On the other hand, the expected structure of the sentence is disturbed by a periodically structured theme: the strings - accompanied by the horns - begin with a four-bar, symmetrically structured antecedent based on a two-bar, memorable motif with an upbeat and tone repetition. Essential parts of the rest of the sentence are derived from this motif, which is why it is referred to in the following as the “main motif”. However, the postscript does not follow immediately, but a one-bar general pause, so that the listener initially gets the impression that the music has stopped. In the aftermath, only the violins piano are represented, which answer the idea of ​​the main motif. However, even after briefly reaching the closing tonic (bar 9) , the voice-leading 1st violin does not come to rest, but changes to the dominant D major and repeats its opening phrase three times "questioningly". After another general pause, the four-bar antecedent is repeated and then continued as a forte passage of the entire orchestra over B flat major, C minor and E flat major with virtuoso sixteenth runs. From bar 31 a new motif follows, which can be derived from the main motif through its tone repetition. The motif appears staggered between the violins and the viola, cello, double bass and bassoon, sometimes with dissonances (small seconds in bars 38/39). The motif of the final group (bars 40 ff.) Can also be thought of as derived from the main motif because of the characteristic repetition of the notes.

The implementation (bars 51–81) is also based on the main motif. After modulations over C minor and G major, a section in fortissimo follows from bar 61 with a new motif (broken triad up + eighth down) that is played imitatively between the two violins. This is followed by the motif of the final group (bars 68–73). Haydn disguised the entry into the reprise: The first movement of the main theme sounds in the strings in E flat major, then in F minor and finally (as the beginning of the reprise) in the tonic in G minor (bar 82). This results in the line upwards Eb-FG, however, when listening, the falling bass line gives the impression of a chromatic line downwards. The piano passage of the two violins is then answered by the energetic unison of the whole orchestra. After each appearance of the first sentence of the main theme in D minor and D major, the passage with the motif according to bars 31 ff. And the final group follow, as in the exposition. The exposition, development and recapitulation are repeated.

The unusual structure, especially the "eerie" beginning of a sentence with its pauses, is often emphasized in the literature:

“Such a tentative, perplexed movement beginning is not only unique in Haydn's work at this time. For the first time in the history of music, the arduous start of the musical flow has been presented so convincingly and vividly as here. It is as if, before the development begins, it is first checked whether it is even possible to develop a musical process with this thematic material. A topic is set, but it is only with difficulty and after an attempted change that it succeeds in setting the process of form in motion with it. "

“As in Symphony No. 13, Haydn only uses the horns for the theme of the first movement (...) as the dominant background of the first four thematic bars, the uncanny character of which is underlined by the following longer pause, which interrupts the theme, so that the As a result of this procedure and the unusual key, the beginning of the movement must have seemed confusing to listeners, which was certainly Haydn's intention. "

“Haydn's Symphony No. 39 in G minor begins with a somber theme - antecedent, to which a general pause is immediately added. Haydn's unmistakable feeling for the “dramaturgical value” of the general pauses would be worth a separate treatise and runs through his work like a red thread. The foundation stone for this stylistic device is laid in the early symphonies. "

Second movement: Andante

E flat major, 3/8 time, 100 bars

Compared to the other movements, the Andante does not strike any “dramatic” notes. With its instrumentation for strings only, the movement contrasts with the previous Allegro assai. The movement is characterized by flowing triplet movement in the leading violins (mostly 1st violin) and striding eighth notes in the bass. The first theme (bars 1–8) is based on a one-bar motif with tone repetition and a final turn, whereby the subsequent clause of the theme (bars 5-8) is a triplet variant of the antecedent. The short transition section that follows (bars 9–16) changes from forte suggested figures and piano triplets. The section from bars 17-22 in the dominant B flat major can be interpreted as a second “theme”, but with its two-bar, less melodic structure (Forte chord and subsequent piano triplets), it is more like a motif. After an ascending unison run in the forte, the final group is reached in bar 26, which is also characterized by triplets.

The development (bars 31-64) begins with a hesitant approach to the first theme, which is then spun and modulated from bar 35. It is only interrupted by the Forte suggested figure known from bar 10. The recapitulation (bars 65 ff.) Is structured similarly to the exposition. A small coda ends the movement with the figure running out of the first theme in pianissimo. The exposition, development and recapitulation are repeated.

Third movement: Menuetto

G minor, 3/4 time, with trio 52 bars

The minuet, with its chromatic, separate melody line and some accentuated lead, has an eerie, gloomy character and is consistently in the forte. In contrast, the more dance-like trio in B flat major has an almost radiant timbre due to the vocal wind instruments (oboes and horns in B flat) with triad turns. The part for the 1st horn is exceptionally demanding.

Fourth movement: Allegro molto

G minor, 4/4 time, 95 bars

The Allegro molto follows on from the first movement with its impressive expression and “dramatic tone”. Due to the large intervals, the dynamic opposites, the tremolo underlay of the main theme at the beginning of the sentence and the z. Sometimes virtuoso runs create an almost wild character. As in Allegro assai, in Allegro molto there is only one main theme and an almost continuous, propulsive eighth note movement. The melody in the leading violin is characterized by long jumps into which the bass makes characteristic interjections from a broken chord downwards. 2. Violin and viola accompany with tremolo, the wind instruments (except bassoon) with sustained chords. From bars 9–13 there are rapid runs down, which structurally, however, can still be counted as the main theme. In the further course of the movement, several motifs / phrases are strung together: A section with semiquavers and sharp forte-piano contrasts (bars 14–19) are followed by trill figures (bars 20–25), a “jumping” bass figure (bars 26–25). 28); the final group (bar 29 ff. or - depending on the view - bar 31 ff.) again contains virtuoso sixteenth runs and a closing phrase with trills.

At the beginning of the development, only the two violins play a two-part piano in a melodic motif that contrasts with the previous event, is derived from the main theme and based on a broken chord downwards. The first bar has a dominant effect or a lead to the following bar. The motif is sequenced upwards. From bar 48, the whole orchestra starts with the head of the main theme, which is led in sharp alternation from forte and piano to C minor, C major, A major and D minor. After the “jumping” bass motif and a chromatic bass line, the development ends as a series of runs upwards that alternate between G minor and D major.

The recapitulation (bars 70 ff.) Is structured in a similar way to the exposition, but the section with the rapid downward runs (corresponding to bars 13 ff.) And the “jumping” bass motif is left out. The exposition, development and recapitulation are repeated.

See also

Individual references, comments

  1. ↑ Information page of the Haydn Festival Eisenstadt, see under web links.
  2. ↑ a b c Ludwig Finscher: Joseph Haydn and his time . Laaber-Verlag, Laaber 2000, ISBN 3-921518-94-6
  3. ^ A b Howard Chandler Robbins Landon: Symphony No. 39 in G minor. Ernst Eulenburg Ltd., Volume No. 551, London / Zurich without a year (pocket score, foreword and audit report from 1959)
  4. ^ Nicholas Kenyon: Symphony No. 39 in G minor. Text contribution to the recording of the symphonies No. 35, 38, 39 and 59 with the English Concert and Trevor Pinnock: Joseph Haydn. The "Sturm & Drang" Symphonies. Volume 1: "Fire". Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Hamburg 1989 (cassette).
  5. ^ Howard Chandler Robbins Landon: The Symphonies of Joseph Haydn. Universal Edition & Rocklife, London 1955, pp. 293, 294.
  6. ↑ Nicholas Kenyon on the first movement.
  7. ^ "On the other hand, No. 39, although a complete entity in itseif, contains relatively weak middle movements which prevent it from being considered a masterpiece. ”(Robbins Landon 1955, p. 297).
  8. ^ "After the dramatic tension of the first movement, the Andante is a great disappointment; the wind instruments are omitted, and the bare, primitive instrumentation takes us back to the earliest slow movements in which a harpsichord was necessary to fill in the harmonies. There are passages in which the viola climbs above the violins in a most peculiar manner, as in meas. 23 ff .; perhaps the viola should be put down one octave here. "(Robbins Landon 1955, p. 296)
  9. ↑ a b c d : Anton Gabmayer: Joseph Haydn. Symphony No. 39 in G minor, Hob.I: 39 "Il mare turbito". Information to accompany the concert on May 29, 2009 at the Haydn Festival Eisenstadt, www.haydn107.com/index.php?id=32, as of June 2012.
  10. ↑ a b James Webster: Hob.I: 39 Symphony in G minor. Information text on Joseph Haydn's Symphony No. 39 as part of the “Haydn 100 & 7” project of the Eisenstadt Haydn Festival, see under web links.
  11. ↑ 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).
  12. ↑ There is no clearly contrasting “second theme”, ie the sentence has a monothematic structure.
  13. ↑ Finscher (2000) speaks of a "melting of the thematic period into a small motif particle" . Finscher points out that the main theme is similar to that of the first movement of the string quartet in G minor, K. 516 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart .
  14. ↑ a b c The repetitions are not kept in many recordings.
  15. ↑ See also Robbins Landon (1955, p. 295): “To give the second part of the melody a still more individual twist, Haydn stretches the last phrase with its characteristic octave skip, so that the theme simply dies away to nothing. The structure of the three component parts (4 + 6 + 4) is also c1ever1y veiled by the insertion of rests. Having achieved such a restless, almost frustrated atmosphere, Haydn creates a still more unified tension by employing this one theme throughout the movement. "
  16. ^ Wolfgang Marggraf : The symphonies of the years 1766–1772. The main clauses. http://www.haydn-sinfonien.de/text/chapter4.1.html , accessed June 16, 2012
  17. ^ Michael Walter: Haydn's symphonies. A musical factory guide. CH Beck-Verlag, Munich 2007, ISBN 978-3-406-44813-3 , p. 41
  18. ↑ See also above regarding the different evaluations in the literature.
  19. ↑ Kenyon (1989) speaks of the "a little edgy melody."

Web links, notes