90th Symphony (Haydn)

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The symphony No. 90 in C major was composed by Joseph Haydn in 1788. Along with the symphonies No. 91 and No. 92, the work was probably originally a reorder for the successful Parisian concert series of the “Loge Olympique”. Haydn then sold the three works a second time to Prince Oettingen-Wallerstein. The final movement of Symphony No. 90 contains a musical joke, since a long general pause falsely gives the impression that the symphony has already ended.

Composition of the symphonies nos. 90 to 92

Joseph Haydn (oil painting by Thomas Hardy, 1791)

The symphonies nos. 90 to 92 were written in 1788/1789, presumably on behalf of Claude-Francois-Marie Rigoley, the Count of Ogny (“Comte d'Ogny”) as a “reorder” of the successful symphonies nos. 82-87 for the Paris concert series the “Loge Olympique” (see Symphony No. 82 ). Haydn sold it a second time to Prince Oettingen-Wallerstein in 1789:

On January 16, 1788, Prince Kraft Ernst zu Oettingen-Wallerstein, an admirer of Haydn, wrote to his court agent von Müller in Vienna that he wished to receive three new symphonies by Haydn, but that no one else should own them, “because Jos. Haydn is the greatest symphonist and I am completely taken with his music. ” Haydn replied to Müller in a letter dated February 3, 1788 that he would only comply with the prince's request after his current assignments had been completed.

A good one and a half years later, Haydn wrote to Müller: “At last I am going to overthrow the 3 symphonies for Sr. Hochfürstl for you. Pass to the most gracious Prince Oeting v. Wallerstein. Because of the late submission, however, I obediently ask for forgiveness: because your wellbeing will see for itself how difficult it is (...) not to be able to hold words. From one day to the next I sought the kindest prince v. Satisfying Wallerstein alone prevented such a thing at any time against my will ... ”.

The court agent Müller sent Haydn's letter to the prince on October 21, 1789. He added that he would have the symphonies ordered follow in the next mail car. However, Haydn does not seem to have sent the original (the score he wrote himself) of the symphonies he had ordered, as was customary at the time for a princely client, but a copy. The prince probably objected to this, because on November 29, 1789, Haydn wrote to Müller about an alleged eye ailment: “Because of my duties, I should have sent in the Spartitur of their symphonies instead of copying. But since my eyes hurt so badly for most of the summer that I was completely unable to make any real savings, I would be forced to write these 3 illegible symphonies (...) by one of my compositional students in my room and afterwards to be copied by various copists (...) (...). I therefore let the Most Serene Prince ask for forgiveness in this matter; but should the very same immediate demand a saving, I will obediently overturn this (with a great deal of effort, in that I have not yet completely freed my eyes from pain). "

Haydn did not write that he had sent the autographs of the symphonies, which he composed in 1788/1789, to the Comte d'Ogny (see above), nos. 91 and 92 even with a dedication, including the autograph of nr. 90 a stamped reference to Count d'Ogny on the title page. The prince apparently found Haydn's apology about a visual impairment plausible, since he and his agent Müller did not yet know about the sale of the works to Paris.

Haydn received a golden tobacco box with 50 ducats from the prince and an invitation to meet him personally. These plans were then dashed by the death of Prince Nikolaus, Haydn's move to Vienna and his first trip to England. On the trip to London, Haydn only made a brief visit to Wallerstein.

To the music

Instrumentation: flute , two oboes , two bassoons , two horns , two violins , viola , cello , double bass . There are different opinions about the involvement of a harpsichord or fortepianos as a continuo instrument in Haydn's symphonies. The trumpets and timpani added afterwards are believed to be authentic.

Performance time: approx. 25 minutes.

When it comes 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). - 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. - A hallmark of the symphony is the alternation of strong tutti passages in the forte and solo sections for the woodwinds.

First movement: Adagio - Allegro assai

C major, 3/4 time, 227 bars

Haydn opens the Adagio introduction with a contrast between forte and piano: A unison -C in fortissimo including drum roll is followed piano by a hesitant figure, interrupted by pauses, made up of four descending eighth notes, two further forte chord beats and a four-bar piano cadence figure of the strings. This consists of a six-fold tone repeater, three descending eighth notes (derived from the previous eighth note figure) and a closing phrase. The throbbing tone repetition then appears as a “primer” in the bass (initially also with a low C on the horns) over questioning twists and turns of the bassoon and 1st violin.

Beginning of Allegro assai, 1st violin

The Allegro assai begins piano with the cadence figure of the introduction as an essential element of the first theme. It is the first time that Haydn (with this clarity) makes a thematic link between the introduction and the following quick main part. Furthermore, the knocking eighth-note impulse runs through almost the entire rest of the sentence. As in the introduction, the four-bar “repetition motif” is followed by a short dialogue figure, now between the oboes and the bass. The repetition motif is repeated piano and then goes from bar 32 abrut into a tutti block in forte with syncopation motif, runs, chord melodies and fanfares of the brass.

After a caesura (short general pause) the second theme follows piano in the dominant G major. First the flute, then the 1st oboe, plays a periodically structured, eight-bar and vocal melody with a flowing eighth note movement and a sustained opening note. Through the sparse accompaniment of the strings, the theme contrasts effectively with the previous forte block. The final group from bar 66 initially takes up the repetition motif again, now as a variant with syncope and chromatics . After jumps in the octave in unison, rapid semiquaver runs begin, which increase with the addition of further instruments (fully composed crescendo ): first both violins, then with bassoon and viola, and finally with bass and reclining tones in the other winds. The repetition motif then has another appearance, followed by the syncope motif. The exposition ends with continuous tone repetition of the 1st violin, it is repeated.

In the first repetition, the tone repetition merges seamlessly into the repetition motif from the first theme, after the repetition (beginning of the development) into a knocking eighth carpet of strings, under which the bassoon and bass play a motif with three ascending eighth notes in a dialog-like manner. After the forte outbreak with minor cloudiness from bar 104, the second theme begins piano in bar 112, now in the subdominant F major. As in the exposition, first the flute, then the 1st oboe, leads the part. The second forte block from bar 131 leads into a polyphonic passage with an offset entry from the head of the repetition motif, initially in the 2nd violin also a variant of the motif with the three eighth notes (here ascending and sometimes as sixteenth notes). With fanfare-like note repetitions in the trumpets, the movement finally ends in E major (bars 137–146). As at the end of the exposition, Haydn uses a continuous tone repetition of the 1st violin as a return to the recapitulation, which extends from the previously accented E via F and F sharp to G (as the starting tone of the first theme) in hesitant pianissimo and in slowed movement (quarter instead of Eighth note, fully composed ritardando ).

The recapitulation (from bar 153) begins like the exposition with the first theme in C major. The following forte block is greatly shortened, the sequence of stressed tutti chords with a chromatically ascending line in the bass is new. With the second theme, the flute and 1st oboe swap the order in the voice guidance, when repeating with the flute, horns and trumpets now also expand the timbre. The final group is similar to that in the exposure. Haydn ends the movement with a coda in which the repetition motif is heard again in the surprising piano. The development and recapitulation are also repeated.

Second movement: Andante

F major, 2/4 time, 140 bars The movement is laid out as a major-minor variation with two contrasting theme sections.

Beginning of the Andante, 1st violin, bars 1–4
  • Theme A (bars 1–16 with two repeated subsections, F major): Presentation of the theme with a parallel bassoon and 1st violin part. Only accompany the other strings. The melody, built up periodically, has a calm, walking character.
  • Theme B (bars 17–38 with two repeated subsections, F minor): The contrasting section begins forte with dramatic, detached chord strokes of the tutti, but then shows more thoughtful piano passages with chromatics in the second subsection, beginning in A flat major. At the end of the section the music comes to a halt with pauses and forte-piano contrasts.
  • Variation A´ (bars 39–70, F major): theme initially as at the beginning, but then with an extended flute solo, accompanied only by the two violins in staccato .
  • Variation B´ (bars 71–98, first section repeated, F minor): with initially flowing, continuous movement in runs, then a variant of the second subsection, the "hesitant" passage is more extensive.
  • Variation A´´ (bar 99–120, F major): theme in the solo cello, accompanied only by the other strings, 1st violin in continuous sextoles .
  • Haydn's coda (bar 120–140, F major) begins with the theme of theme A in the solo woodwinds, which then freely carry on the material, with a special pizzicato string accompaniment and reaching A flat major and D flat major Build up timbre.

Third movement Menuet

C major, 3/4 time, with trio 86 bars

Beginning of the minuet, 1st and 2nd violin, bars 1 to 4

With 86 bars, the minuet is relatively long and laid out as a weighty movement. It begins without an act in the festive forte with a four-bar theme using the brass. The second four-bar contrasts piano with the solo oboe, which takes up the theme, accompanied only by the other winds. Then the festive tutti forte starts again. The second part, initially like a development, begins piano with the theme in the bass and leads into harmonic distant B-keys. In measure 23, the theme begins forte and lively (with a suggestion) in E flat major, and finally the solo oboe and the flute take over the vocal lead again. Eighth runs in the strings - first in unison and forte, then (only the violins) piano - lead to an effective return to the main theme (bars 45 ff.).

The trio is also in C major. Again the oboe emerges as a soloist. She plays a melody with chromatic leads, except for a forte interruption, only sparingly accompanied by the strings in staccato.

Fourth movement: Finale. Allegro assai

C major, 2/4 time, 241 bars

Beginning of Allegro assai, 1st violin, bars 1–4

The strings first introduce the periodically structured first theme (= main theme) piano, then it is repeated with part leading in bassoon and oboe. The theme is based on two two-bar motifs: The memorable opening motif ("head motif") consists of interval jumps with dotted rhythm, the second motif of steady sixteenth-note movement. The transition (measure 16 ff.) Begins as a forte block of the tutti and contains rapid runs, brass fanfares and the head motif in the bass / oboes over tremolo of the violins (measure 30 ff.). A slightly chromatic tremolo passage leads to the “second theme” (bars 54 ff.), Which is derived from the head motif of the first theme: At the beginning, the 2nd violin plays the head motif, while the 1st violin has an opposing voice derived from it. Then the bass kicks in, with the 1st violin playing a “fanfare motif” with a march-like, dotted rhythm as the second opposing voice (the fanfare motif already appeared in the brass fanfare at bar 24). In the final group (bars 62–78) the fanfare motif in the brass section is first emphasized, the exposition ends with another rapid sixteenth note movement in unison (structurally similar to the final group in the first movement) and is repeated.

The development begins with the unison sixteenth note figure of the final group. Starting from G minor, Haydn touches on several keys (B flat major, C minor, A major, D minor) and uses different motifs from the exposition (e.g. in bar 89 in the strip from C minor die Closing group runs (violins), the fanfare motif (wind instruments) and a motif derived from the theme (bass). After a dialogue between bass and woodwinds, the head motif appears in bar 105 in the subdominant F major in the string piano, then in the tonic C major with the solo flute, accompanied by the violins with the fanfare motif. The following longer passage with the unison sixteenth runs from the final group leads back to the recapitulation, which begins abruptly in bar 142 with the main theme in the piano.

The recapitulation is much shorter than the exposition with only 26 bars: After the presentation of the main theme in the strings, there is a repetition with bassoon, which is structured like the “second theme” (from bar 54). Immediately afterwards, the final group starts, which only consists of the fanfare motif. In measure 167 the movement seems to have ended.

However, this is a “musical gag”: after more than four bars of general pause, ie while the audience usually begins with applause, a dialogue between the head motif (strings, bassoon) and fanfare motif (1st oboe) follows as a coda piano . From bar 196 the head motif moves through the woodwinds. The coda also takes up the other motifs of the movement and compensates for the brevity of the recapitulation with its unusual length (more than 70 bars). At the end of the movement, after a long passage with the unison sixteenth runs, the whole orchestra plays the head motif again, now accompanied by the exposed fanfare motif of the wind instruments. - Also for the second part of the sentence (development and recapitulation) repetitions are prescribed in the score.

Individual references, comments

  1. ^ Michael Walter: Haydn's symphonies. A musical factory guide. CH Beck-Verlag, Munich 2007, 128 pp.
  2. ↑ Representation and quotations from letters in the following, unless otherwise stated, from: Anthony van Hoboken: Joseph Haydn. Thematic-bibliographical list of works, Volume I. Schott-Verlag, Mainz 1957, p. 163 ff.
  3. ↑ a b c d Ludwig Finscher: Joseph Haydn and his time . Laaber-Verlag, Laaber 2000, ISBN 3-921518-94-6 , p. 346 ff.
  4. ↑ This is presumably faked, as the autographs are by no means illegible (Finscher 2000 p. 347).
  5. ↑ Walter (2007 p. 100) writes on the other hand: "When Prince Oettingen-Wallerstein discovered the fraud, he was annoyed, but did not blame Haydn for having tricked him."
  6. ↑ According to Marggraf (2009) it is uncertain for which commissioner Haydn composed the symphonies first ( Wolfgang Marggraf : The Symphonies of Joseph Haydn. - Between Paris and London: the symphonies of the years 1787-1789, accessed July 17, 2011)
  7. ↑ the horns play in C alto, that is, an octave higher
  8. ↑ 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).
  9. ^ Andreas Friesenhagen: Symphonies 1787 - 1789. In: Joseph Haydn Institute Cologne (Ed.): Joseph Haydn Works. Series I, Volume 14. G. Henle-Verlag, Munich 2010, page IX.
  10. ^ Haydn Festival Eisenstadt: Hob.I: 90 Symphony in C major. Informational text on Symphony No. 90 by Joseph Haydn. http://www.haydn107.com/index.php?id=2&sym=90&lng=1 , accessed July 17, 2011
  11. ↑ This repetition is not kept in many recordings.
  12. ↑ As with the first sentence, this repetition is often not kept.

Web links, notes

See also

List of Joseph Haydn's symphonies