43rd Symphony (Haydn)

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The Symphony in E flat major Hoboken directory I: 43 wrote Joseph Haydn to 1770/71 during his tenure as Kapellmeister to Prince I. Nikolaus Esterházy . It bears the nickname "Mercury", which did not come from Haydn.

General

Joseph Haydn (painting by Ludwig Guttenbrunn, around 1770)

Haydn composed Symphony No. 43 around 1770/71 while he was employed as Kapellmeister by Prince Nikolaus I Esterházy. The nickname "Merkur" appears for the first time in 1839 in the handwritten directory of Haydn's works by Aloys Fuchs. The origin is unknown. Jean Pang suspects that the title could be due to a mix-up with Symphony No. 50 , the opening movements of which were used as an overture to the puppet opera Philemon and Baucis : The first character to appear there is Mercury.

“The name did not even help the symphony to become more popular, because in the vicinity of such great works as “ La Passione ” and “ Maria Theresia ” , the “ Mourning ” - and the “ Farewell Symphony ”, the“ Mercury ”symphony ekes out a shadowy existence , regardless of some of the beautiful details that can also be found in it. She embodies more of a chamber music type, is less dramatic. "

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. 25 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 1770 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

E flat major, 3/4 time, 254 bars

Beginning of the Allegro with phrase 1 and 2

The Allegro begins with an extensive complex of themes (“first theme”, bars 1 to 26), which consists of four phrases separated by pauses. All close on the tonic in E flat major. Phrases 1 and 2 are four bars and work together like a periodically structured theme. They are composed of a forte chord strike of the tutti and a vocal piano turn of the strings. Haydn delayed the appearance of contrasting, new material by adding two more, each longer phrases: First with the six-bar phrase 3 enriched by [[Chromatik}]], then with that with twelve bars (of 6 + 6 bars ) again extended Phrase 4 only for strings, which even manages without the dynamic contrast of the forte chord strike. Both phrases have a "searching" gesture. The complex of topics does not end until measure 26. Haydn created the contrast to the following, energetic forte block all the more sharply: The violins begin with rapid tremolo runs, followed shortly thereafter by the bass and brass section in "foaming surf of the entire orchestra." This elongated, Relatively static sentence beginnings are evaluated differently in the literature: Charles Rosen criticizes:

“Such a series of weak tonic closings is only acceptable as long as one does not expect the phrase to have any tendency to articulate form or necessary continuation. The relaxed beauty of this opening is evident, but a style that accepts it at the price of such a slack correspondence between cadence harmonies and grand rhythmic movement can only produce dramatic impact through the extraordinary. The later Haydn is dramatic without exertion, in a completely natural way and with the most everyday material. In this section we can observe Haydn's struggle: not only the forte chords at the beginning of each phrase, but also the increasing extension of the phrase length represent attempts to force a feeling of increased energy. He is still not granted more success; the fast rhythm in bar 27 is not convincing because it is not what it wants to be, a rhythmic acceleration, but just an additional excitement in the violins. "

James Webster rejects Charles Rosen's criticism:

“The extended theme in the first sentence deceived even such a good critic as Charles Rosen (…). Admittedly, the theme seems to revolve a little aimlessly around the first inversion of the tonic triad, but that is precisely Haydn's intention. It goes on for too long, refuses too ostentatiously to do something, so that we become increasingly restless, more and more the need to hear something new. Haydn also presents it to us at the end, when the violins plummet with a sudden forte in tremolo sixteenth notes and the harmonic rhythm increases. This then leads to an extremely powerful cadence that closes the first topic and leads to an energetic transition. "

The forte block after the first theme is characterized by the tremolo of the violins, except for a rhythmic question-and-answer motif with strong intermittent jumps. As expected, the second theme from bar 60 is in the dominant B flat major and is played piano by the strings. It is a variant of the first theme (or of phrase 1 and 2), where the forte chord strike and the rests are missing. The subsequent section up to the end of the exposition is again held in a lively, rapid expression: the violins start again in sixteenth notes , now as staccato runs upwards, then a bass motif with a “jagged” eighth note accompaniment of the violins follows. This bass motif is repeated piano, with the accompaniment of the 1st violin changing to rhythmically relaxed tone repetition in syncopation . The "jagged" eighth note movement then comes to the fore with additional syncope accompaniment in a dialogue between the high and low strings and finally even dominates in the string unison. A short, soaring B flat major triad motif closes the exposition.

The development starts with material from Phrase 1, which moves upwardly chromatically-hesitantly. Surprisingly, phrase 1 and (varied) phrase 2 of the first theme in the tonic in E flat major come in, and the subsequent sixteenth runs in the violins also suggest a premature entry into the reprise. In the subsequent bars, Haydn then changes through different keys, including minor clouding, and lets the “jagged” figure appear from the end of the exposition in a string dialogue (now between the violins) and in unison. The music comes to a standstill again, unexpectedly phrase 2 starts from the first theme, first in A flat major, then in F minor, until the tonic in E flat major is reached on the third attempt as the “correct” beginning of the reprise.

The recapitulation from bar 162 is initially designed a little differently from the exposition: In the first theme the horn takes part with a tapping accompaniment, and phrase 4 is more extended by stringing together the final turn of phrase 1. The subject immediately changes into the rhythmic question-answer motif (ie the tremolo block is left out). The staccato runs of the 1st violin after the second theme are downwards (instead of upwards as before). After that, the structure is similar to that in the exposure. The exposition, development and recapitulation are repeated.

“Starting with the lyrical theme in the first movement of a symphony, through the first general pauses and the surprising forte interjections, through the multiple“ false ”reprises in the development to the real recapitulation with development-like elements, this first movement is full of surprises and unexpected twists and turns. A gem of entertainment at the highest artistic level (...). "

Second movement: Adagio

A flat major, 2/4 time, 120 bars

The first theme is only performed by the strings piano, with the violins playing with mutes ("con sordini"), as in Haydn's other slow symphonic movements from this period. In addition to its tone repetitions, the upbeat theme is characterized by a differentiated rhythm. It has a periodic structure of two four-bar halves including an “appendix” of two bars. After the theme, from bar 11 with a forte accent, there is a change to a chain of tone repetition and second steps, which leads to the dominant E flat major.

In bar 21, the bass begins, accompanied by the horns, with a moving motif that is repeated shortly afterwards, offset by the violins (“second theme”). The three upbeat repetitive notes of this motif are combined with sigh-like holding in the following, longer passage. After a short general pause as a caesura and a phrase in thirty-seconds interrupted by pauses, the second "theme" starts again in bar 38, now filled with sound with wind accompaniment and continuous, carpet-like accompaniment of the 2nd violin in thirty-second. The thirty-second notes are, after the sixteenths entered in bar 12, the second "speeding up" in the movement. The movement comes to rest forte in a fermata. The short final group picks up the empty phrase, which is interrupted by pauses, as well as the continuous thirty-second accompaniment.

The development varies at the beginning, enriched with dissonances, the final turn in dotted rhythm from the first theme and then processes the sigh motif in a long passage. The development goes seamlessly into the recapitulation from bar 81.

In the recapitulation, the first theme is extended to twelve bars and immediately goes over to the second theme. While the horns tuned in Eb were able to play a relatively detailed accompanying figure in the exposition on the second appearance of the second theme (since the second theme appeared in the dominant E flat major), their voice is now reduced as they are supported by the Tonika A-flat major can only contribute to a limited extent. Otherwise the structure is similar to that in the exposure. The exposition, development and recapitulation are repeated.

"The whole sentence is filled with an expression of sensitivity that flows rhapsodically."

Third movement: Menuetto

E flat major, 3/4 time, with trio 58 bars

Beginning of the minuet

The solemn, lively minuet is sometimes highlighted as particularly successful in the literature. The parallel upper voices (oboes, 1st horn and violins) play the upbeat main theme with triple tone repetition and a second lead. In addition, the viola and bass, which are also led in parallel, accompany them like opposing voices with a continuously advancing quarter movement. A short coda , somewhat reminiscent of the beginning of the first movement, ends the minuet.

The trio is in C minor and is made up of two ten-bar parts. The first four bars of both parts are identical, the remaining six cadence in the first part to B flat major, in the second to E flat major. In contrast to the minuet with an ascending melody, the trio is characterized by falling lines.

"In the trio, Haydn proves to us that a single four-bar phrase (2 + 2), even if it is heard four times in a row, does not seem boring if it first prepares a cadence on the dominant, then one on the tonic."

Fourth movement: Allegro

E flat major, 2/2 time (alla breve), 202 measures

The first theme (main theme) is presented piano by the strings. It has a calm, somewhat lyrical character with an initially upwardly dynamic, then cautious, hesitant gesture. As at the beginning of the first sentence, the topic consists of phrases separated by pauses. The first two phrases are five measures, phrase 3 consists of the repetition of the ascending and forward-pushing headline including accents and merges seamlessly into the stormy forte block from bar 14 (here, too, there is a similarity to the first movement). The forte block is based on a motif consisting of a broken chord figure in eighth notes and a triple tone repetition in quarters, with the last quarter being decorated with an impact trill. After a caesura in F major, the parallel violins begin in the dominant B major piano with a sweeping, continuous eighth note movement, followed shortly after by the basses. The lively movement comes to rest in bar 48 in B flat major. Separated by pauses, the strings now play a calm cadenza leading to F major with full bar notes. The subsequent final section in the forte, which introduces the 1st violin with a "breakneck" figure, again has a lively, stormy character.

The development starts from the main theme in B flat major and then into a long, stormy forte block, which varies the rebound trill motif and otherwise mainly contains rapid eighth-note chains of the basses under the tremolo of the violins. Piano leads the sweeping, continuous violin movement back to the recapitulation.

The recapitulation from bar 105 is structured similarly to the exposition, but the forte block with the rebound trill motif is shortened. The exposition, development and recapitulation are repeated.

Unexpectedly, a coda follows (Haydn uses a similar effect in the last movement of Symphony No. 90 ). Starting from the rising head of the main theme, the “starts”, separated by one bar long general pauses, remain in partly chromatic delays consisting of half and full bar Notes stuck. Only the approach based on the final group leads the sentence to the end as Stretta .

See also

Web links, notes

Individual references, comments

  1. ↑ Information page of the Haydn Festival Eisenstadt, see under web links.
  2. ↑ Horst Walter: Mercury. In Armin Raab, Christine Siegert, Wolfram Steinbeck (eds.): The Haydn Lexicon. Laaber-Verlag, Laaber 2010, ISBN 978-3-89007-557-0 , p. 503.
  3. ^ A b c 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 2, Baden-Baden 1989, pp. 39-40.
  4. ↑ quoted in: 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. 128.
  5. ↑ 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).
  6. ↑ a b c d e f g h Anton Gabmayer: Joseph Haydn: Symphony No. 43 in E flat major, Hob.I: 43 "Merkur". Information about the concert on June 18, 2009 at the Haydn Festival in Eisenstadt. Accessed May 24, 2013.
  7. ^ A b Charles Rosen: The Classical Style. Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven. Bärenreiter-Verlag, 5th edition. 2006, Kassel, ISBN 3-7618-1235-3 , p. 166.
  8. ↑ a b c d e James Webster: Hob.I: 43 Symphony in E flat major. Information text on Symphony No. 43 of the Haydn Festival Eisenstadt, see under web links.
  9. ↑ Antony Hodgson (1976, p. 72): "false reprise"; James Webster: “This process is neither a 'false recapitulation' (which appears in the middle of the development) nor a formal error, but what I would call an 'immediate recapitulation'. This is a nifty variation on the older practice in which the development began with a double presentation of the main theme, first on the dominant, then on the tonic. "
  10. ↑ There are similar appearances of the first theme at the beginning of the development in the tonic in the symphonies No. 41 and No. 42 , which were written at the same time .
  11. ^ Howard Chandler Robbins Landon: The Symphonies of Joseph Haydn. Universal Edition & Rocklife, London 1955, p. 322: “Such movements as the minuets to Nos. 42, 43 or 56 are so compelling, their rhythm so infectious and their joy so positive that only a jaded musical palette indeed can resist their charm. "
  12. ↑ Antony Hodgson ( The Music of Joseph Haydn. The Symphonies. The Tantivy Press, London 1976, ISBN 0-8386-1684-4 , pp. 72-73): “The gem of this work is the Minuet; dogged, severe and utterly winning, with tremendous momentum. "