6th Symphony (Haydn)

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The Symphony in D major Hoboken directory I: 6 wrote Joseph Haydn probably in 1761 during his tenure as Vice-Kapellmeister to Prince Paul II Anton Esterházy de Galantha. . It is nicknamed "Le matin" (The Morning).

"The times of day" cycle

Joseph Haydn (painting by Ludwig Guttenbrunn, around 1770)

Joseph Haydn wrote the symphony No. 6 in D major “Le matin” (The morning) together with the numbers 7 “Le midi” (The noon) and 8 “Le soir” (The evening) probably in 1761. It is the only coherent cycle within his symphonies; it became known as "The Times of the Day".

On May 1, 1761, Haydn signed his contract as Vice-Kapellmeister (later Kapellmeister) for the Esterházy family, which lasted for a nominal 48 years - until his death. Paul Anton Esterházy belonged to one of the wealthiest families of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and had an excellent orchestra. Albert Christoph Dies reported in his Haydn biography, published in 1810, after mentioning Haydn's employment with Esterházy: “This gentleman gave Haydn the four times of the day on the subject of a composition; he set them in the form of quartets in music that is very little known. ”This remark (despite the reference to quartets and not to symphonies) should relate to the present symphony cycle. That the works were little known was probably true around 1805 (when Dies asked Haydn). Judging by the number of copies that have survived, however, they were just as widespread in the 18th century as other early Haydn symphonies. Whether a fourth work (“La nuit”, the night) existed is controversial.

The titles for these three symphonies appear to be authentic, as the one existing autograph of Symphony No. 7 has the title “Le midi” in Haydn's handwriting. All three symphonies are evidently based on a programmatic content, which Haydn did not disclose, but which is suggested by the title. The beginning of “Le matin” z. B. is reminiscent of a sunrise, while the finale of “Le soir” with the subtitle “La Tempesta” depicts a summer thunderstorm.

It is sometimes assumed that the symphonies of the “times of day” cycle could be the first works that Haydn composed for his new position. This is countered by the high demands placed on the orchestra.

They differ from (most) previous symphonies

  • by adding a minuet as the third movement,
  • the extended line-up with flute and bassoon (at that time the bassoon was usually only used to double the bass part and was not notated separately in the score),
  • the numerous solos for a wide variety of instruments, which brings the works close to the baroque Concerto grosso . However, the separation of concertino / solo and ripieno (tutti) is no longer very pronounced.

Haydn probably wanted to win over his new music colleagues with the many opportunities to prove their technical skills and at the same time offer the prince a taste of his creativity.

With regard to the structure, the movements of Symphony No. 6 cannot be clearly classified in a scheme. The topics or motifs are hardly processed. So there are intermediate forms on the way from the old suite to new forms, such as the sonata form , of which terms are used in the following as an alternative.

To the music

Instrumentation: flute , two oboes , bassoon , two horns in D, violin solo, two violins ripieno, viola , cello solo, cello ripieno, double bass solo, double bass ripieno. . In the autograph of Symphony No. 7 "Le midi" appears several times the "indication basso continuo ", which is quite clearly an after the performance practice of the time Harpsichord - Continuo suggesting (and without this information in 1760 as usual was) - this is probably true also for the other two symphonies of the time of day trilogy, i.e. nos. 6 and 8 (and possibly also for other symphonies). Nevertheless, there are (in general) different opinions about the involvement of a harpsichord in Haydn's symphonies.

The following instruments appear as solos during the symphony (sometimes only for a few bars): flute, oboe, bassoon, horn, violin, viola, cello, double bass.

Performance time: Approx. 20-25 minutes (depending on compliance with the prescribed repetitions)

First movement: Adagio - Allegro

Adagio : D major, bars 1–6, 4/4 time

The movement begins with a slow introduction, in which the 1st violin begins pianissimo in dotted rhythm , the other strings and winds join in over the course of a crescendo ; the movement then ebbs over an organ point on dominant A in fortissimo with a fermata . The introduction is usually interpreted as sunrise.

Allegro : D major, bars 7 - 118, 3/4 time

As a soloist, the flute opens the Allegro with the antecedent of a dance theme, the follow-up of which is taken up by the oboes. The motif of the antecedent appears repeatedly in the course of the sentence, u. a. in the following, quite lively tutti section. A second theme cannot be clearly identified, rather numerous new small elements / motifs are presented, with Haydn establishing the dominant A major from bar 21 with a descending motif (after a general pause as a caesura). The motifs can be interpreted as bird calls. B. the short phrases of flute, oboe and bassoon from bar 35. At the end of the first part of the sentence ("Exposition"), which is repeated, the head of the main theme appears again.

The middle part (“development”) begins like the first part of the sentence with the main theme, which is presented by the flute and oboes in dialogue, but now from A major. Then the timbre changes a few times with abrupt changes between forte, piano, major and minor (e.g. “terrace-like” string tremolo in chromatic countermovement, bar 58 ff). The head of the main theme appears briefly in the tonic parallel in B minor (bars 73 ff.), Before a pizzicato passage leads back to the tonic and thus to the “recapitulation”. The horns begin with the main theme in bar 85, which turns out to be “too early” when, in bar 87, the solo flute, as at the beginning of the sentence, brings the theme in full dialogue with the oboe (the horns suddenly fall silent when the Flute). The rest of the process is similar to that of the first part of the sentence, but a little shortened. The middle section and “recapitulation” are also repeated.

Second movement: Adagio - Andante - Adagio

Adagio: G major, bars 1–13, 4/4 time, only strings with solo violin

The “singing lesson” with the solo violin and bass part

The movement begins pianissimo as a hesitant line in half notes (upper parts: ascending, lower parts: descending). In the forte, the solo violin begins with an ascending tremolo , which ends in powerful, repeated G major chords. This is probably meant as a parody of a singing lesson: The student (solo violin pianissimo) initially plays the ascending G major - the de-fis-ga scale (in the half notes) and then the "wrong" note b. This “mistake” (the note B as a third from G would mean the key of G minor, but the movement is in major) is immediately corrected by the teacher (solo violin forte): He repeats the “correct” de-f sharp scale in the tremolo -gah, whereby the “correct” b is particularly underlined in nine times repetition and the attunement of the other strings as well. This is followed by another rather calm, hesitant section, which is, however, loosened up by the ornamentation of the solo violin (trills, chord breaks). The Adagio ends on a D major seventh chord followed by a pause.

Andante: G major, bars 14 - 103, 3/4 time

The middle part of the movement is characterized on the one hand by its slow-paced movement of the entire orchestra ( tutti ) in regular quarters, on the other hand by solos for cello and especially the violin (which was played by the concertmaster at the time). The solos are mainly made up of triplets , those of the violin reach up to high registers (A in the three-stroke octave).

There is no recognizable processing of thematic material, rather this movement is characterized by the solos. The andante consists of two repeated parts, the first leading from the tonic G major to the dominant D major, the second then back to the tonic (from bar 73 onwards, with the re-entry of the motif from the beginning of the sentence in the tonic, one could possibly change from speak a "recapitulation").

Adagio: G major, bars 104–112, 3/4 time

The violins (solo violin and 1st violin) play - as at the beginning of the sentence - the excerpt from the G major scale (now “correct”), first ascending from d to b, then descending to the root G, whereby through the Characteristic dissonances ( seconds ) arise in front of the 2nd violin . The accompaniment in the bass is divided into eighths and sixteenths. The sentence breathes in pianissimo.

Third movement: Menuet

D major, with trio 64 bars, 3/4 time

In the rustic minuet, oboes, bassoon and v. a. the flute emerged as a soloist. The instrumentation of the trio in D minor is particularly surprising: in the first part the bassoon plays a characteristic motif to the accompaniment of a solo double bass (or violone) and gentle string pizzicati, in the second part it is supported by a solo cello and even a solo viola, later takes over again the bass.

Fourth movement: Allegro

D major, 2/4 time, 135 bars

The flute opens again as an ascending scale over an octave , which is the characteristic element of the movement. From bar 34 a falling motif appears in the dominant A major, which is led through the individual solo instruments. After a short rest on a diminished chord, the final section follows with its alternation of passages from the solo flute and the whole orchestra.

The second part of the movement begins in the dominant A major with the scale motif, now played by the solo violin. This also dominates the rest of the movement up to the “recapitulation” in measure 84.

Individual references, comments

  1. ↑ a b Jürgen Braun, Sonja Gerlach: Symphonies 1761 to 1763. In: Joseph Haydn Institute Cologne (ed.): Joseph Haydn works. Series I, Volume 3. G. Henle-Verlag, Munich 1990, page VII.
  2. ^ According to Kurt Pahlen ( Symphony of the World. Schweizer Verlagshaus AG, Zurich 1978) the work was lost. According to Braun & Gerlach (1990: VII) there is no need to look out for the work: Neither such a title has survived in Haydn's early symphonies, nor is there a symphony comparable in terms of scoring, form and content that could conclude the cycle. "
  3. ^ A b Howard Chandler Robbins Landon: Haydn, Symphony No. 6 in D major “Le Matin”. Ernst Eulenburg Ltd. No. 536, London / Mainz without a year (preface to the pocket score).
  4. ^ Howard Chandler Robbins Landon: The Symphonies of Joseph Haydn. Universal Edition & Rocklife, London 1955, p. 230.
  5. ↑ a b After Antony Hodgson ( The Music of Joseph Haydn. The Symphonies. The Tantivy Press, London 1976, ISBN 0-8386-1684-4 , p. 52) originally Violone .
  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, here p. 607.
  7. ↑ 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).
  8. ^ A b Heinrich Eduard Jacob: Joseph Haydn. His art, his time, his fame. Christian Wegner Verlag, Hamburg 1952
  9. ^ A b Anton Gabmayer: Joseph Haydn: Symphony No. 6 in D major, Hob.I: 6 "Le Matin". Text accompanying the concert on June 13, 2009 at the Haydn Festival in Eisenstadt, http://www.haydn107.com/index.php?id=32 , as of September 2010
  10. ↑ However, the hesitant introduction to the second movement also contains an ascending melody which, when first heard, could be interpreted as an onomatopoeic sunrise. However, a parody of a singing lesson should be meant (see there).
  11. ↑ The repetitions of the parts of the sentence are not observed in some recordings.
  12. ↑ Howard Chandler Robbins Landon (1955, p. 237) on this: “the sinewy, almost Corelli- like part-writing in the slow movement of No. 6 - the end of this movement is a truly noble and heartfelt tribute to the past glories of the baroque era (...). "
  13. ↑ Anton Gabmayer interprets what happened in the sentence as a description of a hunting process.

Web links, notes

See also