47th Symphony (Haydn)

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The Symphony in G major Hoboken directory I: 47 wrote Joseph Haydn in 1772 during his tenure as Kapellmeister to Prince I. Nikolaus Esterházy . The symphony is sometimes given the nickname “ Palindrome ” because the minuet and trio are to be played as a mirror image (forwards and backwards).

General

Joseph Haydn (painting by Ludwig Guttenbrunn, around 1770)

The autograph of Symphony No. 47 is dated from 1772. At that time Haydn was Kapellmeister to Prince Nikolaus I Esterházy. The nickname "palindrome" occasionally used for this symphony does not come from Haydn. It refers to the structure of the minuet and trio, where the first part has to be played exactly backwards and thus results in the second part (see below).

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart noted the beginnings of the first movements of the symphonies No. 47, No. 62 and No. 75 , possibly with the intention of performing them at one of his concerts. Influences from the first movement of the symphony No. 47 can be seen in the beginning of the piano concerto KV 456 , the second movement in the wind serenade KV 361 and the third movement in the wind serenade KV 388.

"The Symphone G No. 47 is a typical work from 1772 and at the same time one of Haydn's most brilliant and convincing."

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 in 1772 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)

G major, 4/4 time, 159 measures

Beginning of the first movement

The movement (in the autograph without tempo designation) begins with a march-like-martial contrasting theme due to its dotted rhythms, in which the winds, with their fanfare-like signal motif of tone repetition (forte), alternate with unison interjections of the strings (piano). The signal motif in the winds is layered like a terrace: with signal 1 only the 2nd horn plays, with signal 2 additionally the 1st horn as a dissonant second , with signal 3 also the 2nd oboe (as an octave), with signal 4 the In addition, the 1st oboe as a fourth (horns now as a fifth) and at Signal 5 oboes and horns play as a fifth. The tension that has built up only dissolves in bar 10 in G major. The dialogue between winds and strings continues on piano, interrupted by four bars with eighth staccato runs in the violins.

In bar 25 there is a forte block with the marching motif from the string figure. The marching motif is processed in a contrapuntal way by shifting it as well as moving it in free inversion in the instruments. The block changes to the double dominant A major, which heralds the arrival of the second theme in the dominant D major. The second theme consists of contrasting, light dance triplet movements of the strings over a striding staccato movement in the bass, after a few bars the winds join in with the singing. The final group contains a lively, aspiring motif and rapid violins.

The development modulates the dialogue from the first theme through different keys (E minor, F sharp minor), with the 1st violin taking on the role of the (now silent) winds. From bar 69 the triplets from the second theme are placed next to the dotted rhythm of the first theme. After a long organ point in B minor, over which the again partly dissonant dialogue between winds and strings takes place from the first theme, the second theme appears in E minor. Its triplet movement is lengthened and intensified over the increase to the forte up to the unison.

Haydn designed the recapitulation in a special way by introducing the first theme in the unexpected G minor, leaving the listener in the dark at first as to whether the recapitulation has already begun or whether it is still about to be developed (similar to the first movement of Symphony No. 24 ). The unison figure of the strings is now shifted a minor third up and is also changed in the following repetitions. Due to the clouding of the minor key, the theme now seems somber and threatening, "that is, whether a pleasant figure has torn off her mask and is showing a changed, horrific aspect for the first time." The second theme then sets over a sustained seventh chord of the winds - as if it hadn't happened in G major. Haydn then changed the order of the parts from the exposition: The second theme is followed first by the dialogue between winds and strings according to bar 12 (now extended and forte), then the staccato eighth-note figure of the violins according to bar 18, which is now in the Final group leads.

“The first movement is a very strange structure. With its marching rhythms and the horns that have come to the fore right from the start, it seems as if it is a "great" C major symphony, but whose large line-up, as in all symphonies of this group, is missing. Throughout the entire movement, different typesetting techniques and possibilities of form formation are practically systematically demonstrated through dialogizing sound groups and simple sequences, and thematic work is also systematically dispensed with; The thematic thoughts - march, " schubertisch ", relaxed triplets, signal - are clearly separated from each other. "

Second movement: Un poco adagio, cantabile

D major, 2/4 time, 178 bars

The main theme of the variation movement, in which the violins play with mutes as in other slow movements of Haydn's symphonies from this period, is structured in ABA 'form. For the first time, Haydn uses the form of variation in a slow symphony movement. The A section consists of two five-bar phrases only for strings in double counterpoint of the octave (i.e. the two unison voices of the violins and low strings can be swapped one octave apart, similar to the second movement of Symphony No. 70 ). The B-part from bar 11 with a more dense sentence structure, in which the winds begin with “wonderful timbres”, comprises a four-bar phrase and a six-bar extension. The section A 'as a variant of A again only stands for strings, in it the upper and lower parts are reversed compared to the A section. This element of swapping voices is retained in all variations. Furthermore, in variations 1 to 3 there is a "speeding up", ie smaller note values ​​in each variation (scheme of the figural variation):

  • Variation 1 (bars 31–60): with sixteenth notes;
  • Variation 2 (bars 61–90) with sextoles (sixteenth note triplets);
  • Variation 3 (bars 91–120) with thirty-second notes.

As at the beginning, variation 4 is kept in a calm eighth note movement. The winds are now involved from the start. The four-part variation, however, ends “openly” on a dominant seventh chord with fermata, followed by an extended coda in which the A part of the theme gradually fades into pianissimo.

Third movement: Menuet al Roverso

G major, 3/4 time, with trio 22 bars (without the parts to be played backwards)

First and second part of the minuet

The minuet and trio are designed as a palindrome: the first part of the minuet (bars 1 to 10), played backwards, results in the second part, as is the case with the twelve-bar trio. In the autograph only the first parts are noted with the instruction "al Roverso". In contrast to a Cancer canon , the minuet and trio are consistently homophonic .

The setting of accents in the minuet also makes the effect acoustically noticeable when playing backwards, especially when the forte accents occur on the otherwise unstressed third beat of the measure. In the trio (also in G major) the winds emerge as soloists.

The minuet was subsequently included in the piano reduction, probably for publication in 1774, in the piano sonata in A major Hob. XVI: 26 composed in 1773. The printing of the piano sonatas Hob. XVI: 21 to Hob. XVI: 26 is dedicated to Prince Nikolaus, which is possibly an indication that he particularly liked the workmanship of the symphony movement.

Fourth movement: Finale. Presto assai

G major, 2/2 time (alla breve), 283 measures

The rapid movement “begins with a gently scurrying theme” in the string piano, which initially shows a periodic structure of two four-measures, then continues as a ten-measure continuation. The leading part is the 1st violin, the 2nd violin accompanies it as a recumbent tone, viola and bass as a "rapidly pulsating quarter movement" that also runs through the rest of the movement. The tonic in G major does not seem to be consolidated at first; it only emerges decisively in the sudden unison chord breaks in the forte. From bar 27 the theme is repeated with a different continuation.

Also abruptly from bar 45 crashing D major triads break in with syncope accompaniment in the forte , which abruptly change to D minor and E flat major and are at the same time decorated with suggestions. This creates an "exotic" timbre. After a caesura (full-bar general pause with fermata) the third appearance of the theme follows, now in the dominant D major, whereby the continuation is again varied. The lively, noisy final group in the forte is based on a sequence of descending octaves.

The development first takes up the closing chord strokes from the end of the exposition and then adds the unison triad breaks in E minor, which had consolidated the tonic in G major at the beginning of the movement. From bar 134 onwards, the theme appears in the subdominant C major with a variant of the third continuation. The again abruptly following forte block with the suggested triad breaks and syncope accompaniment has now been extended, varied and contains some “hair-raising” dissonances in the horn. The unison triad breaks in D major lead back to the recapitulation.

The recapitulation from bar 186 is structured similar to the exposition, but brings the theme without repetition (and without the interrupting triad unison). The final group is supplemented by a coda.

Individual references, comments

  1. ↑ a b c Anthony van Hoboken: Joseph Haydn. Thematic-bibliographical catalog raisonné, Volume I. Schott-Verlag, Mainz 1957, p. 57
  2. ↑ a b c d Charles Rosen: The classic style. Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven. Bärenreiter-Verlag, 5th edition 2006, Kassel, ISBN 3-7618-1235-3 , p. 168.
  3. ^ A b c d e f g h i j 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 2, Baden-Baden 1989, pp. 74 to 76.
  4. ^ Antony Hodgson: The Music of Joseph Haydn: The Symphonies. The Tantivy Press, London 1976, pp. 74 to 75.
  5. ^ Klaus Schweizer, Arnold Werner-Jensen: Reclams concert guide orchestral music. 16th edition. Philipp Reclam jun. Stuttgart 1998, p. 133, ISBN 3-15-010434-3 .
  6. ↑ 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).
  7. ↑ a b c d e f James Webster: Hob.I: 47 Symphony in G major. Information text on Symphony No. 47 by Joseph Haydn of the Haydn Festival Eisenstadt, see under web links.
  8. ↑ a b c d Wolfgang Marggraf : The Symphonies of Joseph Haydn. The symphonies of the years 1766-1772. http://www.haydn-sinfonien.de/ , accessed May 29, 2013.
  9. ↑ a b c d e f Ludwig Finscher: Joseph Haydn and his time. Laaber-Verlag, Laaber 2000, ISBN 3-921518-94-6 , pp. 279 to 280.
  10. ^ Howard Chandler Robbins Landon: The Symphonies of Joseph Haydn. Universal Edition & Rocklife, London 1955, p. 326: “But how great is our astonishment to find that the whole is now placed in the tonic minor, by which process the theme undergoes a new and frightening transformation; the 'terraced' wind chords now assume an eerie, terrifying power, as if a pleasing figure had torn off its mask, revealing for the first time a twisted and horrible aspekt. "

Web links, notes

See also