79th Symphony (Haydn)

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The Symphony in F major Hoboken directory I: 79 wrote Joseph Haydn in 1784 during his tenure as Kapellmeister to Prince I. Nikolaus Esterházy .

Composition of the symphonies no.79, 80 and 81

Joseph Haydn (painting by Ludwig Guttenbrunn, around 1770)

The symphonies no. 79, 80 and 81, which were probably composed in 1784 and (like no. 76, 77 and 78) were conceived as a "series" for the public market, have an unclear genesis and confused publication history: Haydn offered the symphonies in October 1784 The publisher Boyer, but in 1784 nos. 80 and 81 appeared together with the overture to the opera Armida by the publisher Forster, and at the beginning of 1785 they were announced by the publisher Toricella in Vienna, who had to sell them to Artaria due to financial difficulties they appeared in March. In Paris, Le Duc distributed the edition of Artaria on commission at the end of 1785, and probably also around 1785 unauthorized editions appeared in Hummel and (only No. 80 and 81, the third work was a symphony by Karl von Órdonez) in Guera in Lyon and Paris.

Haydn wrote in a letter of October 25, 1784, possibly addressed to the Parisian publisher Nadermann:

"Since your Wohledelgeb. Last year I accepted three symphonies from my composition, so again I offer to submit three completely new, very diligently worked symphonies, neatly and correctly written, for 15 Ducatas by the end of November. "

According to Anthony van Hoboken (1957), the low price of 15 ducats for the three symphonies may be due to the fact that the works had already been accepted by Artaria and Haydn was still trying to get “some profit” from them.

In Haydn's draft catalog he only entered Symphony No. 81 following No. 76, 77 and 78. Anthony van Hoboken (1957) suspects that No. 81 was the first to be completed and No. 79 the last.

"(...) III Symph. À 11 with 1 flute and 2 bassoons, from D minor, F. and G. Always wonderful, but for experienced orchestra (...)."

“Again the three works are as different from each other as possible, but at the same time one has the impression that Haydn wants to try out how far one can go in adapting to a not very sophisticated taste and how far one can go with his specific symphony -Type, especially with the sonata movements. It begins very harmlessly, perhaps too harmlessly, with the F major symphony I: 79: a sonata movement that is formally very simple and built from nothing but conventional, hardly individualized formulas, entertaining, but no longer, a graceful ornamental adagio that shortly before the listener falls asleep, is driven away by an allegro that consists only of a rondo theme with a short coda ; a minuet that - this is a common feature of the three symphonies - takes up the tones of the dance menu, but carries it out very symphonically; finally a rondo, the first couplet of which in F minor merges into a short development, while the second couplet is developed in a detailed sequence of lines. "

To the music

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

Performance time: approx. 20 to 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 Symphony No. 79 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 con spirito

F major, 4/4 bars, 155 bars

Beginning of the Allegro con spirito

The first, vocal theme (bars 1–8) in periodic structure is presented piano with voice guidance from bassoon and 1st violin. Bars 1 and 2 (corresponding to 5 and 6) are kept legato , bars 3 and 4 (corresponding to 7 and 8) have a detached, rhythmic figure with sixteenth notes, which is characteristic for the further structure of the sentence: Already in the forte block In measure 9, the Drehfloksel appears as a variant, partly in unison of the whole orchestra, partly in the upper and lower parts. The phrase is then initially combined from bar 19 with a four-fold tone repetition to form a new motif, before it makes a dominant appearance from bar 24 with rhythmic, relaxed accompaniment of accents and syncopation .

The second theme ( dominant in C major, from bar 29) begins as a signal-like unison triad downwards and is characterized by its motif of four-fold tone repetition (similar to bar 19) and trill flakes, but occurs again at the end of the theme (bars 36/37) the rotary locomotive to it. After further accents, from bar 43, there is another passage with the rotary flax, which is repeated echo-like in the piano. The final group (from bar 52, forte) takes up the figure of three ascending notes from the end of the previous forte passage (bar 46) and ends the exposition with three chords in C major.

The development (from bar 61) repeats the chords from the end of the exposition in A major and D minor and then takes up the first theme in B major ( subdominant ). The forte block from bar 9 with the rotating flask in unison begins in G minor and then changes from A major to D minor, where the second theme briefly appears from bar 82. Abruptly breaking off to Eb, Haydn then isolates the rhythmic closing phrase of the second theme, first in the piano of the 1st violin, then in the forte unison of the entire orchestra. With this closing phrase, Haydn also leads on to the recapitulation.

The recapitulation (from bar 101) is different from the exposition and partly continues the processing from the development: On the first theme the flute is part of the part, the ending is in the contrasting F minor and then spins the material up to bar 116, where the second theme (F major) begins. Then the motif is processed from four-fold tone repetition with the rotary flax (from bar 19), first in the hesitant piano, then forte in polyphonic use. The three-note motif of the final group is now also subjected to processing (from bar 133, initially combined with the turntable in the bass). After repeating the passage according to measure 43, the regular final group ends the movement. The exposition, development and recapitulation are repeated.

Second movement: Adagio cantabile - Un poco allegro

B flat major, 3/4 time, 106 bars

In the Adagio cantabile a main theme is introduced and then repeated six times, almost unchanged or gradually varied.

  • Presentation of the periodically structured theme in the strings. The theme is characterized by its dotted rhythms, the multiple pauses and the accents in bars 3 and 7. The theme is similar to the main theme of the second movement from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Symphony in E flat major, K. 543 .
  • Variation 1 (bars 9 to 16): Flute with part leading, the winds fill the pauses in the first half of the theme.
  • Variation 2 (bars 17 to 25): Part leading in flute and strings, first half of the theme in the dominant F major (with seventh) and underlaid by continuous tone repetition in viola / bass.
  • Variation 3 (bars 26 to 32): like Variation 2, but winds fill the pauses in the first half of the theme.
  • Variation 4 (bars 33 to 40): Beginning forte in the whole orchestra, then figuration of the theme in the 1st violin.
  • Variation 5 (bars 41 to 48): As Variation 3, but the roles of wind instruments and violins interchanged in the first half of the theme, second half with figuration of the theme in flute and 1st violin.
  • Variation 6 (bars 49 to 56): Like variation 5 with gradually different instrumentation (e.g. flute in theme bar 4, bassoons in theme bar 5/6).

The Adagio ends as a declamatory phrase of the 1st violin. Surprisingly, the change in tempo to “un poco allegro” is followed by a new, rondo-like theme in the structure ABA´, whereby the A-part and B are repeated with A´. With its prelude and tone repetition, the theme is somewhat reminiscent of the beginning of the first movement of Haydn's Symphony No. 39 . After the presentation of the rondo theme, from bar 85, a short multi-part piano spinning of the strings follows, before the theme is brought forward again in the whole orchestra, as at the end of the A 'section. Haydn designed the end of the movement in such a way that the music in pianissimo initially slows down and seems to break off before a few strong chord strokes in fortissimo abruptly close the movement.

The combination of an adagio with a “sweeping” Allegro appendix is ​​unique in all of Haydn's symphonies.

Third movement: Menuetto. Allegretto

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

The minuet is characterized by alternation and a combination of even quarter and eighth note movements in phrasing of 4 + 2 bar units. The first part begins with an upbeat voice leading in flute, 1st oboe, 1st violin and bass. The other instruments accompany, 2nd violin and viola in a separate eighth note movement. In the following bars, the quarter-note, partly the eighth-note movement is dominant (in bars 5–8 the horns also emerge solo). The last two-stroke repeats the final turn of the previous four-stroke echo-like in the piano. The middle section begins again as a four-measure with D minor opacity in the first measure. From bar 17, first the bassoons, then the first oboe stand out as a soloist with a passage similar to that of the horns before. When the main part is taken up again, the distribution of voice leading and accompaniment has been changed (now leading part: flute, 1st oboe, violins, eighth notes in bassoon, viola, bass).

"An expression of bucolic cheerfulness also fills the minuet, in which a few subtle wind solos stand out: first for the two horns, then for the two bassoons and finally for an oboe."

The dance-like folk song trio (also in F major) is characterized by the change of trio line-up in three instruments (piano) and a whole orchestra (forte). In the first part, consisting of two four-bar phrases, the "trio" consists of 1st oboe, 1st violin and accompanying 2nd violin (in continuous eighth notes similar to the previous in the minuet). The second part initially shortens the phrases to two-beats and swaps the oboe for the flute in the trio. When the main part of the instrumentation is taken up again, the flute makes short interjections in the “trio passage”. With its prelude and tone repetition, the theme of the trio shows similarities to the final movement from Mozart's Horn Concerto KV 412 and to the Allegro part of the second movement.

Howard Chandler Robbins Landon emphasizes the sentence: If Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord , thinking of the years before 1789, should have chosen a piece of music that contained everything that was noble, beautiful and typical of that era, then it would be his choice may have fallen on this “miracle of a minuet”.

Fourth movement: Finale. Vivace

F major, 2/4 time, 247 bars

The sentence is structured as a rondo:

  • Presentation of the dance refrain (bars 1 to 29), which is structured according to the ABA 'pattern (A and B-A' are repeated), in the string piano. The refrain is characterized by the alternation of double (mostly upbeat) eighth note repetitions and short, falling lines in sixteenths. The periodically structured A part ends in dominant C, which dominates in the B part. The B part is completed as a “stretched” lead, before a variant of the A part with a partially offset use of the head motif concludes the refrain.
  • The couplet 1 (bar 30 to 93) is on the pattern AAB (the second A-part is only by adding a Fagottstimme gradually varied) set up. It contrasts with the refrain through the change to F minor, the use of the entire orchestra in the forte and the dramatic character including tremolo. The upbeat head motif of the chorus is processed like a performance and occurs partly in polyphonic use. With the faltering opening motif, Haydn leads back to the refrain.
  • The refrain (bars 94 to 122, F major) now runs through without repeating the sections. The bassoon and the 1st violin lead the part.
  • The dance couplet 2 (bars 123-176) is in the subdominant B flat major and has the structure aababa. It is consistently in the forte and is characterized by its lively, continuous sixteenth note movement of the parallel violins (the upbeat tone repetition is reminiscent of the refrain). The transition to the refrain takes place with a variant of the head motif from the refrain in the piano of the violins and the opening motif (surprisingly also briefly in the forte).
  • As before, the refrain (bars 177–205) is guided by bassoon and 1st violin
  • The movement closes as a coda that picks up on the head motif, isolates the prelude again and “stalls” intensely, finally repeats the first half of the refrain in the forte and then lets the headline wander through the instruments again.

Individual references, comments

  1. ↑ Information page of the Haydn Festival Eisenstadt, see under web links.
  2. ^ Michael Walter: Haydn's symphonies. A musical factory guide. CH Beck-Verlag, Munich 2007, ISBN 978-3-406-44813-3 , p. 73.
  3. ↑ a b Ludwig Finscher: Joseph Haydn and his time. Laaber-Verlag, Laaber 2000, ISBN 3-921518-94-6 , pp. 309-310; 317-318.
  4. ↑ Not Nadermann, but Boyer had accepted and published the three symphonies Nos. 76, 77 and 78 a year earlier. Perhaps Nadermann, who succeeded Boyer in 1796, was already active in his publishing house, although he already had his own publishing house (van Hoboken 1957, p. 125).
  5. ↑ a b c Anthony van Hoboken: Joseph Haydn. Thematic-bibliographical catalog raisonné, Volume I. Schott-Verlag, Mainz 1957, p. 125.
  6. ^ Ernst Ludwig Gerber, Neus historical-biographical lexicon of the Tonkünstler (Leipzig 1812-14) with the additions published in the years 1792-1834 as well as the first publication of handwritten corrections and additions by Othmar Wessely (Graz 1966). Quoted in van Hoboken (1957: 127).
  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. ^ According to Howard Chandler Robbins Landon (1978 p. 566) a passage "breathtaking originality": "Even in a coll work like No. 79 in F, there are touches of beauty in every movement: the passage in the first movement at bars 123 ff. Is of breathtaking originality. "
  9. ↑ The repetitions of the parts of the sentence are not observed in some recordings.
  10. ↑ 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. 238 to 239.
  11. ^ A b Howard Chandler Robbins Landon: Haydn: Chronicle and works. Haydn at Eszterháza 1766 - 1790. Thames and Hudson, London 1978, p. 566.
  12. ^ Peter A. Brown: The Symphonic Repertoire. The first golden age of the Vienese Symphony: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert. Volume II. Indiana University Press, 2002 ISBN 025333487X , pp. 202-203.
  13. ^ Klaus Schweizer, Arnold Werner-Jensen: Reclams concert guide orchestral music. 16th edition. Philipp Reclam jun., Stuttgart, ISBN 3-15-010434-3 , p. 143.
  14. ↑ “If Talleyrand, talking of life before 1789, had wanted to choose one piece of music to sum up all that was dignified, beautiful and typical of the age, he might have chosen this miracle of a Menuetto in No. 79, whose stately beauty is graced by Haydn's most ingenious orchestration (cf. in the oboe line in bars 21 ff. Or the flute entrance at bars 58 and 60). "

Web links, notes

See also