8th Symphony (Haydn)

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The Symphony in G major Hoboken directory I: 8 composed Joseph Haydn probably in 1761 during his tenure as Vice-Kapellmeister to Prince Paul II Anton Esterházy de Galantha. . It is nicknamed "Le soir" (The evening).

General

Joseph Haydn (painting by Ludwig Guttenbrunn, around 1770)

Joseph Haydn wrote the Symphony No. 8 in G major “Le soir” (The evening) together with the symphonies No. 7 “Le midi” (The noon) and No. 6 “Le matin” (“The morning”) probably in the Year 1761. It is the only coherent cycle within his symphonies; it became known as "The Times of the Day". For more on the genesis of these symphonies, see Symphony No. 6.

To the music

Instrumentation: flute , two oboes , bassoon , two horns in G, two solo violins , two violins ripieno , viola , cello solo, cello ripieno, double bass solo, double bass ripieno. In addition to the separately notated solo instruments, the horn also takes on a short solo passage in the first movement. Probably one was Harpsichord - Continuo used because the autograph of Symphony no. 7 " Le midi " several times the word " basso continuo appear," which after the performance practice of the time quite clearly on a harpsichord continuo suggesting (and without this information was completely normal around 1760). Nevertheless, there are (in general) different opinions about the involvement of a harpsichord in Haydn's symphonies.

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

With regard to the sonata form used here, it should be noted that this model was only designed at the beginning of the 19th century (see there) and can only be used with restrictions for a symphony from 1761. - 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.

Heinrich Eduard Jacob describes the symphony as follows:

“First of all, the lively main theme that hums like a swarm of mosquitoes (...) and buzzes from instrument to instrument with its secondary themes. In the Andante in C major the winds are silent, only the bassoon still speaks into it; the world turns deep purple, the day is over, the violins are singing their evening song. But can it end without a thunderstorm? Sudden attack, really Haydn, a great Presto: La Tempestà. First, the violins subvert the sultriness in sixteenth-note figures; Quarter notes, separated by eighth pauses (...), indicate the first gusts of wind. Now the flutes are scattering a blue-white zigzag of lightning over the landscape, and now the tutti of the strings is there: in fortissimo thirty-second notes, the air masses chase one after the other, decreasing, increasing again until the storm has let off steam and the night falls peacefully. "

First movement: Allegro molto

G major, 247 bars, 3/8 time

Beginning of the Allegro molto

The violins begin piano with the dance-like, eight-bar and periodically structured first theme (main theme). After a short forte throw in by the whole orchestra in unison, which is answered by a soloist from the flute and violins, the violins repeat the theme as a variant, now with the accompaniment of the other instruments. Another five-bar motif (from bar 23), which is also repeated, is followed by a forte section of the entire orchestra with descending chords and runs. This leads from the tonic in G major to A major. After a short general pause as a caesura, the main theme begins as a variant in the dominant D major, in which the oboes and bassoon emerge alongside the strings. After a longer section with rapid runs in the dialogue of the instruments, the final group closes in bar 85 with its unison motif, which is reminiscent of the motif from bar 23.

The implementation allows the motifs from the main theme and its variant occurring in the various solo instruments. The tutti section from bars 122 to 142 is held in the forte with a chromatic downward movement of the strings in the tremolo . A mock revision with the main theme in C major begins in bar 143, before the actual recapitulation follows in bar 173 with solos from oboes, horns and bassoon. Surprisingly, however, there now follows a unison passage in the forte, which suddenly ends as a fallacy-like fermata on E flat. Up to bar 214 the solo flute plays a variant of the main theme in E flat major, then Haydn modulates back to G major. The following section up to the beginning of the final group in bar 231 is also characterized by runs on an alternation between tonic (G major) and dominant (D major). The exposition, development and recapitulation are repeated.

Overall, this movement has a lively, gigue-like character and therefore corresponds more to a final movement in other early classical symphonies. Compared to the other movements of this symphony (including symphonies 6 and 7), there are comparatively few solos here.

According to Ludwig Finscher, the Allegro molto is a treatise on the air “Je n'aimais pas le tabac beaucoup” from Christoph Willibald Gluck's comic opera “Le diable à quatre” from 1759. This allusion is likely from the court society that with the Viennese Musical life was familiar, immediately understood.

Second movement: Andante

C major, 129 bars, 2/4 time Special instrumentation in the direction of concerto grosso in this movement: besides bassoon and cello also two solo violins, otherwise no wind instruments. Solo cello and solo bassoon are often performed in parallel, which creates a special timbre. The following structure is suggested for the sentence:

First section ("Exposition"):

  • A part (bars 1–23): four bar theme with dotted rhythm, performed by the two solo violins; the theme is then taken up by the solo cello, continued from bar 11 in tutti, ending in bar 23 with a fermata on a D major seventh chord ;
  • B-part (bars 24–48): four-bar theme, also with dotted rhythm, played by the solo cello; Continued spinning throughout the orchestra; Tutti , u. a. with ascending G major scale in unison and a long three-stroke G (bars 36–38) of the 1st solo violin, ending in bar 48 in pianissimo on G.

Second section ("Implementation"):

  • A´ part (bars 49–63): theme of the A part with bassoon and cello in the dominant G major, then from the two solo violins in the tonic C major, then modulation to G minor;
  • B 'part (bars 64–91): fragment of the theme from the B part in the violins and cello with modulations and continued spinning, then again the ascending scale in unison, fallacy in bar 83 on A minor (tonic parallel); in unison with dotted rhythm (which also appeared as a short phrase in bar 5, for example) modulation back to C major;

Third section ("recapitulation"):

  • A part (bars 92-107) similar to the first section, but now ends with a fermata on a G major seventh chord;
  • B part (bars 108–129): similar to the first section, breathed in pianissimo with a prominent large C on the bassoon.

The exposition, development and recapitulation are repeated. Depending on the point of view and evaluation of the sections, you can also see a three-part song form in the sentence.

Third movement: Menuetto

G major, with trio 84 bars, 3/4 time

The minuet with its evenly continuous quarter movement is in two parts with the upper voice leading (flute, oboes, violins) and the striding bass part. At the beginning of the second part, the theme is continued in the tutti with a little chromaticism, then the wind instruments alone play a motif derived from the theme, which is repeated in minor. The topic is then taken up again. The last four bars can be seen as a coda .

In the trio (C major), as in the other symphonies of the cycle, the double bass (or violone) emerges as a soloist. In doing so, the “sedate instrument has to climb over a scale of more than an octave and a half”.

Fourth movement: La Tempesta. Presto

G major, 141 bars, 3/8 time. As in the Andante with two solo violins.

In this sentence a storm / thunderstorm (Italian: la tempesta) is represented. Quiet quarters of the tutti violins fall into the shimmering piano of the first solo violin ( tremolo on D) (can be interpreted as raindrops); the figure repeats itself with the second solo violin and the solo cello, before the flute starts the thunderstorm with a flash - a staccato eighth leaping downwards at large intervals. The following motif consisting of a quarter and four falling or rising thirty-second notes, played by the solo instruments up to the entire orchestra and underlaid by a tremolo, can be thought of as a storm. From bars 45 to 50 there is another “raindrop section” before the final group ends the first part of the sentence with the “storm”.

In the development section, first more "raindrops" follow, then a wild storm in which the 1st and 2nd violins toss each other the "gusts of wind", then a crescendo section with an ascending tremolo that ends in a dominant seventh chord before the raindrops to Transfer recapitulation to measure 92. The exposition, development and recapitulation are repeated.

See also

Web links, notes

Individual references, comments

  1. ↑ 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 .
  2. ↑ James Webster: On the Absence of Keyboard Continuo in Haydn's Symphonies. . In: Early Music Band. 18 No. 4, 1990, pp. 599-608, here p. 607.
  3. ↑ Examples: a) James Webster: On the Absence of Keyboard Continuo in Haydn's Symphonies. . In: Early Music Band. 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 ( inter alia Paris and London symphonies ; Virgin, 1988–1995); Roy Goodman (e.g. Nos. 1-25, 70-78; Hyperion, 2002).
  4. ^ A b Heinrich Eduard Jacob: Joseph Haydn. His art, his time, his fame. Christian Wegner Verlag, Hamburg 1952.
  5. ↑ a b c The repetitions of the parts of the sentence are not kept in some recordings.
  6. ↑ Ludwig Finscher: Joseph Haydn and his time . Laaber-Verlag, Laaber 2000, ISBN 3-921518-94-6 , p. 172.
  7. ^ Walter Lessing: The symphonies of Joseph Haydn, in addition: all masses. A series on Südwestfunk Baden-Baden from 1987-89. Volume 1. Baden-Baden 1989, p. 45.