68th Symphony (Haydn)

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The Symphony in B flat major Hoboken directory I: 68 wrote Joseph Haydn probably 1774/75.

General

Joseph Haydn (painting by Ludwig Guttenbrunn, around 1770)

The symphonies No. 66 , 67 and 68 were printed in 1779 by the publisher Johann Julius Hummel (1728–1798) in the order No. 67-66-68 as "Opus 15". In this work, Haydn places the minuet in the second position and the slow movement in the third position for the last time in a symphony (previously in the symphonies B-flat , No. 32 and No. 44 ). In Symphony No. 68, the considerable extension of the slow movement is probably the cause of this change.

To the music

Instrumentation: two oboes , two horns , two bassoons , two violins , viola , cello , double bass . On the participation of a harpsichord - continuos in Haydn's symphonies have different opinions.

Performance time: approx. 20 to 30 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 drafted in the first half of the 19th century (see there) and can therefore only be transferred to Symphony No. 68 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

B flat major, 3/4 time, 158 bars

Beginning of Vivace

The first theme consists of contrasting parts ("contrast theme"): The movement opens on the string piano, with the violins in thirds initially playing a three-bar rhythmic staccato motif with tone repetition, which also changes into a three-bar, slightly chromatic legato turn. The whole orchestra ( tutti ) replies to these first six bars, which “could come from the world of opera buffa ” with chord strokes, a double beat motif and a virtuoso violin run upwards. The theme is repeated, the first half as a variant with part leading in oboes and bassoons.

The following fortissimo block from bar 20 picks up the upbeat tone repetition in the upper parts as well as the rhythmic figure from the top of the theme in the bass and increases to the tremolo.

Similar to the first theme, the second theme announced by the tone repeater of the 1st violin also sounds from bar 33 in the dominant F major with its "delicate" double strokes, the oboes and the accompaniment in staccato (2nd violin, viola) and Pizzicato (bass) operatic. From bar 44, Haydn changes again with chord strikes and staccato eighth notes to forte and finally in tremolo to fortissimo. The final group from bar 56 is based on the rhythmic motif that already appeared at the beginning of the first fortissimo block from bar 20 in the bass, and which is now brought in alternation between lower and upper voices.

The development begins with the rhythmic turn from the head of the first theme in D major and then goes from G minor to a longer contrasting passage with the staccato eighth notes in the violins in the piano on the one hand and the staccato eighth notes in the bass in the forte on the other (violins here in the tremolo). Haydn changes through different keys. The action breaks off in bar 87 in A major, which has a dominant effect on the following appearance of the second theme in D minor. The D minor chord from bar 94 is briefly converted into a dominant seventh chord in bar 95 by changing from F ( third of D minor) to E flat (seventh of F major). This “tonal trick” makes the beginning of the reprise surprising and abrupt.

The recapitulation from bar 96 is varied in the instrumentation when the first theme is repeated. The first topic goes straight into the second topic. The second Forteblock (corresponding to bar 44) is more than twice as long as in the exposition. The exposition, development and recapitulation are repeated.

Second movement: Menuetto

B flat major, 3/4 time, with trio 56 bars

In the main theme of the minuet, the parallel oboes and violins play a rural- style, upbeat melody in sweeping, swaying, even movement. At the beginning of the second part, the pendulum figure that had ended the first part is repeated three times, after which the oboes and bassoons come out solo in a question-and-answer turn. After the first part has been taken up again, a coda ends the minuet with the pendulum motif enriched with an appended third.

The trio is also in B flat major. It is characterized by the alternation of its opening motif in strings (piano) and tutti (forte) (similar structure in the trio of Symphony No. 92 ). The opening motif is kept downwards in the first part, at the beginning of the second part alternating upwards (brass and bass) with downwards (remaining strings).

Third movement: Adagio cantabile

E flat major, 2/4 time, 126 bars

Beginning of the Adagio Cantabile

The Adagio cantabile is particularly long, especially when all repetitions are kept. The position of the slow movement and minuet, which is reversed in relation to the usual sequence of movements, is probably related to the weight of the adagio.

The beginning of the movement is only intended for the two muted violins: The 1st violin, with its sweeping melody, leads the part. The ascending, opening E flat major triad is followed by a repeated phrase-like figure (falling line in thirty-second notes with tone repetition in sixteenth notes ). The 2nd violin accompanies staccato assai in a steady sixteenth-note movement (mostly broken thirds). Except for a few accents, the theme is in the piano. The steady, ticking accompanying figure of the 2nd violin, which is reminiscent of the slow movement of Symphony No. 101 (“The Clock”), is decisive for the further structure of the movement.

The theme of the 1st violin continues with the mechanical ticking accompaniment of the 2nd violin. The restrained atmosphere is suddenly interrupted several times by the unison of the whole orchestra, which the pendulum figure picks up in the caesuras of the melody.

From bar 25, the action intensifies: Accompanied by continuous thirty-second notes in the bass, the other instruments first play chord strokes with accents and finally also take over the movement of the bass. After the tremolo-like outburst in fortissimo, which leads to the dominant B flat major, the music, which has been taken back into the piano, ebbs and announces the second theme.

On the second theme (from bar 34) in B flat major, the upper voices play a figure ascending in quarters that is somewhat reminiscent of the ascending triad from the beginning of the sentence. The ticking accompaniment in the bass breaks out here as well. The final group is characterized by their suggestions and double strike figures.

The development (from bar 48) uses a motif based on the double stroke motif of the final group in the first section, which is only intended for strings except for the end, and changes through different Bb keys. Once in measure 63, the horns were to come with accompanying sun shades play from bar 66 both oboes about the "babbling" thirty-second of the first and second violin "a tender duet, while constantly in the lower strings like the pendulum of a clock," the Staccato movement continues. Haydn then announces the recapitulation using the shortened version of the “Steigerungs-Passage” (corresponding to bars 25 ff.).

In the recapitulation (from bar 83) the first theme is slightly decorated. In the further course the passage is left out according to bars 12 to 15, followed by the solo 1st bassoon. The “Steigerungspassage” and the second topic correspond structurally to the exposure. In the final group, the oboes now accompany the horns as well. The exposition, development and recapitulation are repeated.

“(...) the melody in the first violins seems to be arbitrary, repetitive and directionless. Meanwhile, the second violins advance in uninterrupted, almost mechanical sixteenth notes, apparently separated from the brooding overlying melody (...) - apart from the occasional forte interjections of the full orchestra on the same sixteenth note motif, which, however, never come exactly when they "should" . The effect is both amusing and confusing. As the movement progresses, the rigid distinction between melody and accompaniment becomes more complex, while the expression becomes more serious (although initially not for too long), until all humor is left behind in the strongly modulating development. Yet all of these discontinuities come back in the recapitulation. The sentence is not easy to "see through" in its entirety. Are the comic elements “theatrical” or of higher esprit, or a kind of Brechtian alienation? Do these dissimilar elements come together to form a satisfactory unit or do they not experience any integration? "

Fourth movement: Finale. Presto

B flat major, 2/4 time, 268 bars

Beginning of Vivace

The sentence is structured like a rondo :

  • Presentation of the refrain (bars 1 to 30), which is structured according to the ABA pattern (A and BA are repeated). The energetic, memorable theme is consistently performed in unison and forte by the entire orchestra. It is characterized by its fourth jumps, two to three tone repetitions, some suggestions and the dominant staccato.
  • The couplet 1 (clock 31 to 45, B-Dur, structure also ABA) includes a dialogue between the solo bassoon in deeper and the violins in high position.
  • Then the refrain is repeated as at the beginning of the sentence (bars 46 to 84).
  • In couplet 2 (bars 85 to 110, structure AB) in the subdominant E flat major, the 1st oboe and the 1st violin lead the part.
  • Haydn designed the third appearance of the chorus (bars 111 to 166) in a differentiated way: First the A part is performed as at the beginning of the sentence, then repeated as a variant: the bass plays the basic structure in dotted rhythm, with the 1st violin added as the counterpart. The B part is also initially played "normally" and then varied in a similar way. Finally, a shortened form of the variant from the A section ends the refrain.
  • Couplet 3 (bars 167 to 186, structure ABA) alternates in its dramatic character with an energetic bass figure, chord strokes and forte-piano - a contrast between G minor and D major.
  • In the fourth appearance of the refrain (bars 187 to 216) the theme is broken down into separate sixteenth-note figures.
  • In the coda, the initially stormy action ebbs away as the tone repetition of the 1st violin on the dominant note F. The 1st violin then starts again with the theme head, whereupon the other instruments, one after the other, imitate the characteristic fourth motif of the theme head. A stretta-like tremolo in fortissimo and numerous chord strokes end the movement.

“In the comical coda everything is repeated excessively (...): a high, dominant organ point fades away; one after the other in all instruments “echo solo” inserts on the main motif, which cleverly resolve this dominant; a tremolo rise and altogether "too many" cheering chords at the end. "

Individual references, comments

  1. ↑ Information page of the Haydn Festival Eisenstadt, see under web links.
  2. ^ A b c d e f g 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. 128 to 130.
  3. ↑ 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).
  4. ↑ a b c d James Webster: Hob.I: 68 Symphony in B flat major . Information text on Symphony No. 68 by Joseph Haydn of the Haydn Festival Eisenstadt, see under web links.
  5. ↑ a b c The repetitions of the parts of the sentence are not kept in some recordings.
  6. ^ Wolfgang Marggraf : The Symphonies of Joseph Haydn. The symphonies of the years 1773-1784. http://www.haydn-sinfonien.de/ , accessed June 24, 2013.

Web links, notes

See also