86th Symphony (Haydn)

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The Symphony Hoboken Directory I: 86 in D major was composed by Joseph Haydn in 1786. It belongs to the series of "Paris Symphonies" .

General

Joseph Haydn (painting by Ludwig Guttenbrunn, around 1770)

The symphony No. 86 belongs together with the symphonies No. 82 to 85 and 87 to the so-called Paris symphonies . These are commissioned compositions for the Paris “Le Concert de la Loge Olympique” .

What is remarkable about No. 86 is the slow movement with an unusually free structure and an almost meditative gesture, while the other movements have a pompous, extroverted character. The last movement shows a particular density of thematic work. Howard Chandler Robbins Landon rates Symphony No. 86 as one of the best of Haydn's symphonies.

To the music

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

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

With the terms used here for sonata form, 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. 86 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: Adagio - Allegro spiritoso

D major, 3/4 time (Adagio) / 4/4 time (Allegro spiritoso), 213 bars

Adagio (bars 1–21): After a simple triad motif in a gentle piano, an upbeat motif that is indicated from bar 2 develops, which initially continues piano, from bar 8 then moves in forte to fortissimo tutti . The three upbeat eighths no longer appear in ascending order, but as a full-bar tone repetition (knocking). There are also ascending and descending runs in the strings. After two bars of gentle knocking, tremolo begins in bar 16 on an E major seventh chord, which leads to the dominant A major. With the opening motif on the stabilizing basis of A major, the introduction ends with its sharp dynamic and motivic contrasts in the piano and continues without a break into the Allegro ( attacca connection).

Allegro spiritoso (bars 22–213): The hammering repetition of eighth notes - staccato is characteristic of the entire movement , which creates an energetic propulsive force.

Beginning of the theme of the Allegro spiritoso

The first topic is made up of two contrary parts. The first part (hereinafter referred to as motif 1) consists of a two-bar piano motif that is repeated a whole step lower (see note example). Motif 1 is also differentiated in itself: in the first bar the first violin leading the part plays legato (half note and eighth phrase), in the second bar it plays staccato (ascending triad). The harmony is unstable: the first bar acts like a lead to the harmony of the second bar (also bar 3 to bar 4 of the theme), although the third appears there instead of the fundamental in the bass (bar 23: g for E minor, bar 25: f in D minor). The second part of the theme is based on motif 2 performed fortissimo by the whole orchestra with five notes: two upbeat sixteenth notes down, three eighth notes as a tone repetition. This motif is vigorously repeated using the subdominant G major and the dominant A major. Immediately, motif 3 follows in the rhythm of two sixteenth notes - one eighth note (but now ascending), followed by motif 4 from a descending sixteenth note movement (both motifs are repeated).

With a smooth transition (continued energetic tone repetitions in the forte), the first theme in bar 37 moves on to the following section, which combines motif 3 with syncopation and a bass movement of quarters and half notes. Surprisingly, motif 1 of the first theme now gets a second appearance (from bar 54 from B minor to A major), so that the listener does not initially know whether the movement is monothematic (based on only one theme). After a turn leading to A major, however, the “correct” second theme begins in bar 64, which is typically performed on a gentle piano with the first violin leading the voice. However, it has no singing character, but is based on a two-bar sigh motif with accents and chromatics .

After the tremolo section in forte / fortissimo from bar 74 with initially chromatically ascending melody, the final group follows with motif 3 in string unison (depending on the view, the beginning of the final group could already be set in bar 74).

The implementation starts with piano motif 1 in B minor and then goes on in A minor, G major and E major to the stabilizing sharp major. The oboes and flutes add small splashes of color that resemble countermovement. From bar 104 the whole orchestra resumes forte and processes motif 2 and motif 3 with several key changes: starting from F sharp minor, e.g. B. Reached B major and C major. Abruptly in bar 125 there is a piano performance of the second theme in F sharp minor; the entire musical movement ebbs away (two full-bar leads in the piano, bar 130 ff.), but then begins again with motif 1 in staggered use as well as constant eighth repetitions from bar 136 and increases via octave tremolo to A with chord melodies to forte (bar 144 ff .). This section can already be seen as a transition to the recapitulation (bars 151 ff.).

The recapitulation begins like the exposition , but with the interjections of bassoon and oboe in motif 1. In the second appearance of motif 1 (bars 177 ff.), The bassoon and the flute are also involved with a phrase. Otherwise the recapitulation is structured largely similar to the exposition. The exposition, development and recapitulation are repeated.

Second movement: Capriccio. largo

G major, 3/4 time, 92 bars, trumpets and timpani are silent

This unusual movement begins with its four-bar theme (main theme, motif 1), which, with the detached, calm eighth note movement and the restriction to the basic harmonies (G major - D major seventh chord - G major), is a little melodious, rather thoughtful Makes an impression. The first bar consists only of an upward going, broken G major triad; At the transition from bar 2 to bar 3 there is a small crescendo with an emphasis on the lead to the D major seventh chord. The fifth up in the violin is also characteristic, which, together with the crescendo, acts like a beam of light breaking in briefly in melancholy. The melody line stretches out so far and encompasses a total of a duodecime. The main theme is repeated with minor opacity. Following:

  • 1st interlude (bars 9–32): In bars 8/9 ff. The 1st violin introduces the new motif 2 from a falling, one-bar figure with dotted rhythm. Motif 3 from bar 15 is related to this with a similar rhythm, but with an upward-striving line. The following measures take z. Partly back to motif 3, but also offer free play, especially the 1st violin with chromatic inserts. From bars 25-27 the hitherto calm atmosphere is abruptly interrupted by a forte tremolo soundscape that changes from the F major seventh chord to B major to G sharp (unison) and finally to A major. A final turn with chord strokes in dynamic contrasts between forte and piano ends the section.
  • Second appearance of the main theme (bars 33-40), which is wired repeatedly: the first time as at the beginning of the movement, but closing on a diminished chord (G sharp-HDF), the second time beginning in A minor and closing in C sharp major. These two final chords in particular create a special charm in the timbre with a dark, romantic impression.
  • Second interlude (bars 41–49): The bass begins in F sharp minor in a chromatic melody line, in which the flute sets another chromatic melody in countermovement. The section ends with another tremolo sound surface in fortissimo (similar to bars 26–28).
  • Third appearance of the main theme (bars 50–57). This is repeated as in the second appearance. The first run begins in E minor and has an “open” end on a D major seventh chord, while the second is designed as at the beginning of the sentence and closes in the tonic G major.
  • Third interlude (bars 58-70): After the short melodic motif 4 in the 1st violin, motif 2 (bars 60 ff.) And motif 3 (bars 64 ff.) Return, followed by free play of the 1st violin, that ends with a fallacy in E minor.
  • Fourth appearance of the main theme (bars 71–74): Analogous to bars 33 ff., But in G minor instead of G major.
  • Third interlude with motif 2 and free play of the 1st violin, bars 75–84. Measure 84–88 third tremolo sound surface in the forte with alternation from G major and C major.
  • End: Stop with three repetitions of a phrase in the 1st violin, end of the movement with the beginning of the main motif (ascending triad in G major) and a chord on G.

Third movement: Menuet. Allegretto

D major, 3/4 time, with trio 90 bars

The relatively long and extensive minuet follows the first movement with its powerful, pompous character. The first part is made up of three four-bar sections. The main motif consists of an upbeat sixteenth-note figure and a two to three tone repeater. The middle section has the character of a development, so that the movement corresponds more to a "miniature sonata form" than to the dance menu that was customary in the past. It begins with the main motif in the upper parts over a long sustained A on the horns; from bar 21 the motif appears in the parts offset from D minor. On an E major seventh chord, the music comes to a halt in measure 26 and then sinks back to the dominant A major before the main theme is taken up again from the beginning of the movement in the tonic D major. In the coda the action is first interrupted again on a diminished seventh chord before the final turn of the first part ends the minuet.

In the trio, also in D major, violin and bassoon play a swaying, rural melody offset in the octave. At the beginning of the second part the oboes and the flute answer.

Fourth movement: Finale. Allegro con spirito

D major, 4/4 time, 180 bars

Beginning of the Allegro con spirito, 1st violin

The movement is largely dominated by a two-bar motif, which consists of five tone repetitions in the first bar and a falling figure in the second bar ( "almost permanent implementation of the tone-repeating head motif" ). In particular through the dominant tone repetition, but also through the dominance of the work with motifs instead of (melodic) themes, the movement follows on from the Allegro spiritoso. The two-bar main motif is combined into a four-bar thematic unit using the question-and-answer principle and initially only presented by the strings piano. As a variant, it is then repeated an octave lower, before the entire orchestra forte and unison picks up the theme again from bar 9 and then continues upwards. From bar 21, the movement is loosened up by syncopation, while the motif continues in the bass. From bar 27, the harmony oscillates between A major and E major, with E as syncope in the bass for a relatively long time (bars 27–32). This section ends with a tremolo passage (bars 35 ff.).

The following second topic takes up the tone repetition from the first topic, but now with a characteristic stepping downward interval. Like the first theme, it is based on a two-bar motif, the melody is initially in the 1st violin, accompanied by the 2nd violin staccato and the bass pizzicato , from bar 44 a variant with oboe and bassoon follows.

In the forte, the whole orchestra begins again as a chromatically ascending tremolo line, which is repeated an octave higher in the second attempt. The final group is based on a tone repetition motif derived from the main motif, which appears echo-like or in a dialogue between the winds and the tutti. The exposition ends in the first run on the A major seventh chord with timpani roll and fermata , on the second run it goes seamlessly into the rather short development. First there is an abrupt change of key with the main motif in B minor. After another fermata on B, the second theme follows piano in G major, the theme is then modulated in a continuation to C major, E major, A minor and F sharp major . After a fortissimo section with staggered entry from the beginning of the main motif (bars 91-96), the end of the development is heralded by A major chord breaks, which is reached again in bar 102 with the A major seventh chord including fermata and drum roll.

The recapitulation (bars 103 ff.) Is initially similar to the exposition, but without the repetition of the theme in the forte as from bar 9. In bar 138, Haydn surprisingly changes abruptly to B flat major, which is a cadenza with whole notes from D minor leads back to the tonic in D major. The final group is similar to the exposition, but extended by a coda with organ point on D (bars 163–167). The development is therefore kept very brief, the recapitulation for it expanded like a development. Development and recapitulation are repeated.

Individual references, comments

  1. ↑ a b c d Ludwig Finscher: Joseph Haydn and his time . Laaber-Verlag, Laaber 2000, ISBN 3-921518-94-6
  2. ^ A b Wolfgang Marggraf : The Symphonies of Joseph Haydn. - The Paris Symphonies (1785/1786) Accessed April 29, 2012 (text as of 2009)
  3. ↑ Karl Geiringer ( Joseph Haydn. The creative career of a master of classical music. B. Schott's Sons, Mainz 1959) sees the form of the movement as “… a capriccio that tends towards sonata and rondo, but does not finally decide on either of the two forms. "
  4. ^ A b Howard Chandler Robbins Landon: The Symphonies of Joseph Haydn. Universal Edition & Rocklife, London 1955: p. 402.
  5. ↑ 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).
  6. ↑ Depending on your point of view, this energetic part can also be understood as no longer belonging to the topic.
  7. ↑ The sequence of three eighths in motifs 1 and 2 can be derived from the opening motif of the introduction.
  8. ↑ The last repetition of the development and recapitulation is not observed in many recordings, as is the case with the fourth movement.

Web links, notes, literature

See also