4th Symphony (Haydn)

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The Symphony in D major Hoboken directory I: 4 composed Joseph Haydn in the period from 1757 to 1760 during his period of employment with Count Morzin.

General

Joseph Haydn (painting by Ludwig Guttenbrunn, around 1770)

Joseph Haydn composed the symphony Hoboken-Directory I: 4 around 1757 to 1760 while he was employed by Count Morzin. The symphony corresponds to the then common (early classical Italian) type with three movements; the final movement is unusual in the tempo of a minuet.

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 1759 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

D major, 4/4 time, 96 bars

Beginning of Presto

The Presto is held in the lively character of the then "modern" gallant type in the style of the Italian opera overture. In relation to the similarly structured opening movement of Symphony No. 1 , there is a little more thematic work, in the middle section ("development") stronger dynamic contrasts (piano to fortissimo), and the recapitulation is more different from the exposition.

The first theme contains a chord strike as characteristic elements as well as ascending and descending scale fragments that play around the root note D: first a falling sixteenth-note roller, then an ascending eighth-note figure in staccato (bars 1 to 2). In bar 3 the ascending line is continued with chord strikes in quarters and provided with a trill figure. This is repeated echo-like in the piano with the participation of the horns. Possibly this is a Serbian melody. In the forte passage from bar 7, several motifs / figures are connected one after the other (e.g. the question-answer motif in bar 12/13 and the running figure sequenced downwards : up in the bass, downwards in the 1st violin, bar 14 to 17). In measure 10, the scale fragments from measure 1 appeared again before. This is followed by a rising sixteenth-note figure, a horn fanfare on the dominant A and finally, after a unison staccato of the strings, the second theme.

The second theme (from bar 23) contrasts with the previous “stormy” section with its reserved character, the piano, the key of A minor and the instrumentation for initially only two instruments. The 1st violin plays a figure sequenced upwards, which consists of an upward octave jump and a falling scale fragment. In addition, the viola or 2nd violin play an ascending opposing voice (also a scale fragment, thus related to the first topic). In measure 27, the bass briefly takes the lead. The final group from bar 32 with syncopation and unison passages then again takes up the “stormy” character and has a reference to the beginning of the movement due to the multiple sixteenths roller - in particular the two final bars of the exposition are similar to the opening bars.

The development (bars 38 to 61) begins, as is usually the case, with the first theme in the dominant A major. In measure 43, Haydn changes abruptly back to the tonic in D major and then continues the trill figure from measure 3 offset in the violins. A first crescendo leads to fortissimo with tremolo and running figure. The dynamic with the trill figure suddenly changes back to the piano, where the action is repeated (a whole tone lower). Using a variant of the final group motif from bars 32/33, the action gradually calms down until the pianissimo movement subsides.

The recapitulation from bar 62 is partially changed compared to the exposition, especially in the transition to the second theme. The beginning of the forte passage (corresponding to bar 7) is now additionally underlined by an ascending, fanfare-like D major chord in the horn, but the horn fanfare according to bars 18/19 is missing, and the sequenced running figure is replaced by syncopation. The exposition, development and recapitulation are repeated.

Second movement: Andante

D minor, 2/4 time, 82 bars

Beginning of the Andante

The Andante is only intended for strings and is composed of three parts: viola and bass play a continuously pacing movement in regular staccato eighths. The 2nd violin also plays a steady striding movement in eighths "with stubborn stubbornness" , but shifted by a sixteenth in relation to the viola and bass and thus as a syncopation movement. The vocal, sustained melody ( cantilena ) played by the 1st violin unfolds above it . The movement's special, "ghostly" atmosphere is created because the movement is consistently piano (both violins) or pianissimo (viola, bass) and the violins also play with mutes. There are no repeated parts in the sentence.

The five-bar main theme in the 1st violin, which begins on the "carpet" of the accompaniment, consists of four figures: 1. a sustained reclining tone (similar beginning, e.g. in the Andante of Symphony No. 10 ), 2. a downward line in thirty-second notes, 3. a leading figure in dotted rhythm and 4. a sixteenth-note triplet. In the repetition one octave lower (bars 7 to 15) the final turn is extended. The further material of the movement is largely derived from the figures of the theme: The passage from bar 16 establishes the tonic parallel in F major, it contains a fourth motif (bar 16/17, also with recumbent tone and sixteenth note triplet) and a scale downwards (bar 21 / 22). This is followed by further small motifs / figures with the elements of the main theme, including a cloudiness according to F minor, which "brightens" as a falling chain of sixteenth triplets according to major. At the end of the (not repeated) first part, only the sixteenth-note triplet, exposed by pauses, remains.

The middle section (bars 43 to 53) begins as a variant of the main theme, with the reclining tone being changed as a chromatically ascending line. This is followed by multiple repetitions of a motif with a pendulum figure and octave jump downwards.

The recapitulation from bar 54 is different from the first part (exposition). The elements of the main theme, which is extended to eight bars, are varied by the insertion of a downward-sequenced eighth note, and the theme is not repeated. In the passage with the fourth motif (corresponding to measure 16), Haydn surprisingly changes from D minor to D major in measure 65. At the end of the movement the sixteenth triplets appear in groups.

Anthony Hodgson speaks of a “very original” Andante and rates the syncopated voice of the 2nd violin as “extraordinary”. Robbins Landon, on the other hand, suggests that the syncope would have been more effective if it had been used more moderately. James Webster praises the phrase as "one of Haydn's earliest 'atmospheric' studies."

Third movement: Tempo di Menuetto

D major, 3/8 time, 126 bars

Haydn kept the final movement of this symphony unusually at the tempo of a minuet, but in 3/8 time and not in 3/4 time as is usual for a minuet. According to Walter Lessing, this is based on a Viennese custom. The energetic, dance-like main theme (bars 1 to 8) is reminiscent of the Presto theme with its beginning chord strike and the running figure, and the andante with the sixteenth-note triplet. The dynamic contrasts are still reminiscent of the first sentence: E.g. the theme is repeated as a variant an octave lower pianissimo immediately after its first run in the forte. Several motifs which contain the sixteenth note triplet follow the theme.

The middle section (“development”, bars 53 to 76) is based on the throbbing A of viola and bass as the organ point . "The dynamics going back from forte to piano and pianissimo, the sudden turn from D major to D minor, the halting melody of the violins and finally the addition of the two horns with a long octave on the note" a "to intensify the organ point - All of this is revealed by a precisely calculated, tense sound arrangement in preparation for the recapitulation, which begins after a short break in a liberating forte. "

The recapitulation is structured in a similar way to the exposition, but somewhat shortened (for example, the theme is not repeated), and the passage corresponding to bar 19 has been changed. In a coda-like manner, Haydn then lets the main theme sound again in its opening form from bar 114 and ends the movement with an extended, fanfare-like triad in unison. The exposition, the middle section and the recapitulation are repeated.

"The movement enchantingly combines folksy, robust melodies with the grace of the gallant style."

Individual references, comments

  1. ↑ Information page of the Haydn Festival Eisenstadt, see under web links.
  2. ↑ 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).
  3. ^ A b c d e Walter Lessing: The Symphonies by 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. 16.
  4. ↑ According to Lessing (1989 p. 16), the “stronger intellectual cohesion” in comparison shows “a clear advance compared to the corresponding movement in the first symphony” , and Arnold Werner-Jensen & Klaus Schweizer (1998: Reclams Konzertführer Orchester Music. 16. Edition. Philipp Reclam jun. Stuttgart, p. 122) speak of a "pronounced topic formation" .
  5. ↑ a b H. C. Robbins Landon ( The Symphonies of Joseph Haydn. Universal Edition & Rocklife, London 1955, pp. 213, 214.) writes based on the South Slavic music researcher Kuhac: “In No. 4 he uses, according to Kuhac, an opening melody based upon a Kolo from Servia; a similar melody was later used in the first movement of Symphony No. 15. "
  6. ↑ In the first, similarly structured movement of Symphony No. 1, there is a corresponding passage in A minor.
  7. ↑ a b The repetitions of the parts of the sentence are not kept in some recordings.
  8. ↑ Michael Walter ( Haydn's symphonies. A musical work guide. CH Beck-Verlag, Munich 2007, ISBN 978-3-406-44813-3 , p. 26.) quotes Howard Chandler Robbins Landon.
  9. ^ Antony Hodgson: The Music of Joseph Haydn . The Symphonies. The Tantivy Press, London 1976, ISBN 0-8386-1684-4 , p. 48: “The central Andante (…) is highly original and the composer's use of syncopation is extraordinary. (...) The restless effect can well be imagined, the more so since the whole movement is required to be played piano. "
  10. ↑ Robbins Landon (1955, p. 214): “In No. 4 / II the second violin moves througout in a syncopate rhythm which (...) would have been more effective if it had been used with greater moderation. "
  11. ↑ James Webster: Hob.I: 4th Symphony in D major. Information text on the Symphony in D major Hob. I: 4 of the Haydn Festival Eisenstadt, see under web links. Accessed January 24, 2013.

Web links, notes