61st Symphony (Haydn)

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The Symphony in D major Hoboken directory I: 61 wrote Joseph Haydn in the year 1776th

General

Joseph Haydn (painting by Ludwig Guttenbrunn, around 1770)

The autograph of the symphony is dated from 1776, when Haydn was employed as Kapellmeister by Prince Nikolaus I Esterházy .

To the music

Instrumentation: flute , two oboes , two horns , two bassoons , timpani , two violins , viola , cello , double bass . On the participation of a harpsichord - continuos are competing views in Haydn's symphonies.

In April 1776, the flautist Zacharias Hirsch was accepted into the princely chapel, which is probably related to the use of the flute, which Haydn previously prescribed in Symphony No. 41 , composed around 1768 .

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 1776 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: Vivace

D major, 4/4 time, 201 bars

Beginning of Vivace

The first theme consists of four components: forte chord strike of the whole orchestra (motif 1), rhythmic third figure of the 1st violin with alternation of legato and staccato (motif 2), rhythmic figure of violins and viola, also with alternation from legato and staccato (motif 3) and (after repeating motifs 2 and 3) final turn in staccato eighth notes with participation from the bass (motif 4). The theme is repeated with the participation of the winds. The forte block of the entire orchestra beginning in bar 17 takes up the chord beats (motif 1) and the rhythmic motif 2 and then establishes with motif 3 as a contrast variant with alternation of piano and forte (with hammering tone repetition in horns and timpani) the dominant A major. A second Forteblock with another variant of motifs 1 and 2 swings surprisingly to A minor in bar 37.

The second theme is detailed, whereby the “enchanting orchestration” of the accompaniment is striking: First, oboes and bassoon play as a repetition of notes, supported by grounding chords of the strings in pizzicato, only a simple accompanying figure as a fully formulated four-bar cadenza (A major, D major , E major, A major). This harmony sequence is repeated a first time, with the solo flute now filling the harmonies with a sweeping, even eighth note movement, and the other woodwinds accompanying the other woodwinds in reclining tones. The strings then repeat the passage a second time, with the first violin taking over the flute part. The eighth note movement is then spun on for a long time with various small motifs. The final group from bar 71 takes up the tone repetition from the beginning of the second theme (or from the first Forteblock) (initially in the oboes, then also in the horn) and sets a chromatically ascending one Line (initially in the strings, then also with flute).

The broad development surprisingly lets Haydn begin as a full-bar general break. Then the flute begins with its figure from the second theme, followed by the abrupt change to forte with the first theme in the subdominant G major. Its final turn with the second becomes independent into a long string passage, where the music almost comes to a standstill with a “perdendosi” (Italian = losing oneself) in B minor. Forte starts the first theme with new momentum with motifs 1 and 2 in E minor, Haydn then sequences motif 2 downwards and then processes various other motifs from the exposition (motif from the conclusion of the Forte block after the second topic, the final group motif as well as for one measure the eighth note movement from the second theme). Haydn heralds the recapitulation with the chromatically ascending line from the final group motif.

In the recapitulation (from bar 135) the winds now play along with the forte performed first theme from the start, but the theme is not repeated and the forte block 2 is left out. In the second theme, the 2nd horn accompanies with a deep tone repetition, also in the tone repetition of the final group. The rest of the recapitulation is structured similarly to the exposition. The exposition is repeated, the development and recapitulation are not.

"As in the adjacent symphony No. 66 , the first movement (...) has operatic features: one could well imagine it as an overture to an opera buffa ."

Peter Brown emphasizes the orchestration of the movement and says that the 19th century was less inclined to give Haydn the insipid nickname “Papa” had it known this movement.

Second movement: Adagio

A major, 3/4 time, 136 bars

The strings introduce the eight-bar, periodically structured first theme, which, like the rest of the movement, is very vocal. The violins play with mutes (as is customary in the slow movements of Haydn's symphonies of the period). The entry of winds in measure 9 with its flute solo leads in measure 13 to another vocal, four-measure motif, which is mainly reserved for the strings. The 2nd violin accompanies in evenly running sixteenths, which also determine large parts of the rest of the movement. The motif with which Haydn changes to the dominant E major is repeated twice and spun on the second repetition. After an accent passage, the extended second theme follows in bar 36, which consists of three motifs (bars 36 to 44). The special, romantic-looking timbre , reminiscent of Franz Schubert , comes about through the participation of winds and the harmony changes and the major-minor contrast. The theme is repeated, and the exposition ends with the repeated closing of the theme (motif 3).

At the beginning of the development, Haydn changes from the dominant E major to the subdominant D major, hints at the first theme, touches on elements of the second theme in F sharp minor and finally comes back to E major, which dominantly prepares the recapitulation .

The recapitulation from bar 85 is structured similar to the exposition. The first theme is spun on differently in the postscript with a separated sixteenth note movement, the flute solo is missing. The exposition is repeated, the development and recapitulation are not.

The "cantilena adagio (...) of elegant beauty" is emphasized by various authors.

"The Adagio is the earliest example of an important thematic type in Haydn's late slow movements: the 'wonderful' chorale-like melody in three-time."

Third movement: Menuet. Allegretto

D major, 3/4 time, with trio 78 bars

The strong theme of the rustic and harmoniously relatively simply structured minuet is characterized by its prelude, the structure of three-tone figures and the tone repetition. The first part is consistently in forte, just as predominantly the second part, which initially combines the upbeat repetition motif with a continuous eighth note movement in the dominant A major. With a variant of the opening motif in the oboe, which is repeated by the other winds, Haydn switches back to the tonic in D major, where the first part is taken up again in bar 32 like a reprise. Surprisingly, and separated by two general pauses, Haydn added a coda : First, the strings questioningly repeat the final turn of the first part in the piano, then the bassoon and strings spiral upwards as an eighth note movement, and another final cadence of the tutti from simple tonic dominant chords ends the minuet.

The trio is also in D major. The 1st oboe, together with both violins, plays a country-like melody with a sweeping, predominantly even eighth note movement, accompanied only by the cello and double bass. The fermata in the second half gives the oboist the opportunity to improvise a mini cadenza .

Fourth movement: Prestissimo

D major, 6/8 time, 228 measures

Beginning of Prestissimo

The Prestissimo, a "really funny and entertaining sentence" "with a bucolic dance character", "whose swirling movement is reminiscent of a tarantella ", is structured as a rondo :

  • Presentation of the three-part, memorable rondo theme ( refrain , bars 1 to 24), each with eight-bar sections according to the pattern ABA (A and BA are repeated). In the A section, the oboes make somewhat ironic, cuckoo-like interjections on the " hornpipe " theme as a reflection on each phrase.
  • The couplet 1 begins in dramatic D minor - of the whole orchestra with vigorous pounding-octave leaps Forte and replaced at the end of its first portion repeated by F Major. The second, non-repeated part consists at the beginning of an alternation of longer staccato eighth notes from the violins and hammering tone repetition interjections from the whole orchestra. In the second half, the hammering tone repetitions dominate, supported by chord strokes of the strings, which change over different keys (D major, G minor, E major) to A major. Haydn created the transition to the refrain in D major with an original passage: starting from the previous forte block, only the 1st violin remains in pianissimo. It plays a figure that falls chromatically over two octaves, getting stuck on the note a after each octave and then screwing up again to the entry of the after reaching the lowest point
  • Refrains (bars 77 to 100) in D major, which runs through without repetition.
  • Couplet 2 is in the subdominant G major and is characterized by the parallel voice leading of flute, 1st bassoon and (two octaves apart) violins. Haydn often uses this pastoral sound combination in his later symphonies. Like the refrain, Couplet 2 also consists of three eight-bar sections, each of which is repeated: section A, followed by variant A 'and section C, which consists of contrasting elements (energetic unison figure in E minor and piano answer by the strings, which ends in B minor). This is followed - similar to the second part of Couplet 1 - contrasts of short tutti interjections and longer passages of the 1st violin (now as a separate movement instead of staccato). With the transition figure of the 1st violin from the end of Couplet 1, Haydn reaches the tonic again and with it the refrain.
  • The chorus (from bar 181) runs through again without repetitions and changes from bar 200 to a coda, which is designed as an effective final stretto with hammering tone repetitions.

Individual references, comments

  1. ^ A b c d Howard Chandler Robbins Landon: The Symphonies of Joseph Haydn. Universal Edition & Rocklife, London 1955, pp. 345, 346, 706.
  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. ↑ Ludwig Finscher: Joseph Haydn and his time. Laaber-Verlag, Laaber 2000, ISBN 3-921518-94-6 , p. 281.
  4. ↑ a b c d e James Webster: Hob.I: 61 Symphony in D major. Information text on Symphony No. 61 by Joseph Haydn of the Haydn Festival Eisenstadt, see under web links.
  5. ↑ a b c d 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. 146 to 147.
  6. ^ 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 172): “This is one of Haydn's most skilful post - Sturm and Drang movements, not so much for its unity of themes or its logical working out of material, but for its orchestration. If the nineteenth century could have known Symphony No 61 (…) / I, it would have been less inclined to view Haydn as the insipid 'Papa'. "
  7. ↑ a b c Michael Walter: Symphonies. In Armin Raab, Christine Siegert, Wolfram Steinbeck (eds.): The Haydn Lexicon. Laaber-Verlag, Laaber 2010, ISBN 978-3-89007-557-0 , pp. 693-710.
  8. ^ A b c d Antony Hodgson: The Music of Joseph Haydn. The Symphonies. The Tantivy Press, London 1976, ISBN 0-8386-1684-4 , pp. 90 to 91.
  9. ↑ Antony Hodgson (1976 pp. 90 to 91): “The Adagio is ineffably peaceful. The youthful fires still glow but this is clearly the writing of a mature composer - as one might expect from a man by now in his mid-forties. The recognizable fingerprints are there: gentle sforzandi giving shape to the line, dynamic constrasts and flowing accompaniments; the wind instruments always encourage the shadows. "
  10. ^ Robbins Landon (1955, p. 346): "It is a genuinely witty and amusing movement."
  11. ↑ Anthony Hodgson (1776 p. 91): “The oboe afterthought to every phrase is doubtless a deliberate minor“ irritation ”that must have seemed hugely amusing to the early audiences. The same thoughtless approval is provided by the horns in their approbatory toots after the main phrases of the Finale of Symphony No. 99 (...). "

Web links, notes

See also