Symphony A (Haydn)

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The Symphony in B flat major Hoboken directory I: 107 wrote Joseph Haydn to 1760/61. Contrary to its high number, it is an early work and therefore bears the number designation "A".

General

Joseph Haydn (painting by Ludwig Guttenbrunn, around 1770)

Joseph Haydn probably composed the symphony “A” around 1760/61. The work was initially only known in its version as the String Quartet Opus 1 No. 5. When the Austrian music researcher Eusebius Mandyczewski compiled a list of all symphonies in 1907 as part of a planned (but not completed) Haydn complete edition, he therefore disregarded it. The assumption that the string quartet version of an orchestral work may be available here was confirmed by the finds of parts in the so-called Fürnberg-Morzin collection (Haydn was employed by Count Morzin until the end of 1760 / beginning of 1761), which was composed of the string quartet Opus 1 No. 5 is identical. The missing voices were later found in the libraries of the Austrian monasteries of St. Florian and Göttweig. The symphony was first published in 1955 in a book on Haydn's symphonies by Howard Chandler Robbins Landon as a score and given the designation "A". Anthony van Hoboken gave her symphony number 107 in his directory of all Haydn works.

“The extent to which the wind instruments only serve to reinforce or fill the sound in this early stage of Haydn's symphonic work can also be seen from the fact that the quartet parts of Op. 1 No. 5 correspond exactly to the string parts of Symphony No. 107. The omission of the winds did not result in any changes in the musical structure. On the other hand, just imagine one of the “London” symphonies arranged just for string quartet in the same way, and one can appreciate the path Haydn will take from the modest, unpretentious instrumentation of this early symphony to the orchestral art of his later works. "

To the music

Instrumentation: two oboes , two horns , two violins , viola , cello , double bass . At that time, a bassoon was used to reinforce the bass voice, even without separate notation . On the participation of a harpsichord - continuos are competing views in Haydn's symphonies.

Performance time: approx. 15 minutes (depending on the tempo and if the prescribed repetitions are observed)

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 a work composed around 1760 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

B flat major, 3/4 time, 113 bars

Beginning of the Allegro

The first theme (bars 1 to 5) consists of three motifs: Motif 1 consists of a fanfare-like ascending B major chord with a range of two octaves , Motif 2 with a triad figure as well as sixteenth-notes downwards (the motif is repeated), Motif 3 with a unison scale downwards back to B as the “starting point” of motif 1. The theme contains a forward-pushing impulse due to its continuous eighth note movement, which is also characteristic for the rest of the sentence. After a short piano figure made up of pauses, a variant of the theme follows: The horns play the fanfare of motif 1, motif 2 is not repeated, instead motif 1 (again with horn), and Haydn arrives in a sequence from motif 2 Measure 15 in F major. A longer, three-part passage begins here, which is characterized by its rhythmically falling motif (alternation between eighth notes and sixteenth notes) and octave jump upwards (= motif 4). First motif 4 appears in the 2nd violin under the tremolo of the 1st violin in an upwardly sequenced dialogue with falling scale in oboes, viola and bass (similar to motif 3). From bar 23, the 1st violin gets the voice guidance with motif 4 (the 2nd violin plays partially offset), while the oboes on the one hand and viola / bass on the other hand play accompanying figures. The energetically repeated motif 5 from syncopation of the violins alternating with a pendulum figure in viola / bass leads to a brief caesura in the dominant F major, which heralds the second theme. The second theme is determined by its dialogue between the 2nd violin / viola and the 1st violin, including a variant of the previous pendulum figure. The energetic final group from bar 37 reminds of the beginning of the movement with its two aspiring gestures.

At the beginning of the development, Haydn sequences a combination of motif 1 and the pendulum figure of the second theme in the dialogue of the two violins downwards. From bar 53 tremolo sound surfaces dominate, leading to G minor via key changes. This key establishes itself for a short time with motif 4 and a dramatically rising seventh chord that dissolves back into G minor. Immediately follows the second theme in the subdominant E flat major, and the recapitulation heralds itself with a continuation of its material.

The recapitulation from bar 80 is mainly structured like the exposition. However, the theme is not repeated, and in the tremolo passage, motif 4 is replaced by a wind fanfare. Both parts of the sentence (exposition as well as development and recapitulation) are repeated.

Second movement: Andante

E flat major, 2/4 time, 73 bars

Beginning of the Andante

The Andante is only for strings and is consistently piano. The movement is made up of three parts: the 1st violin has the leading part, the 2nd violin on the one hand and the viola and bass on the other hand accompany with staccato eighth notes interrupted by pauses. The main theme is eight measures, consisting of two four-measure halves. Typical are the striding character, the strong interval jumps (e.g. octave jump already in measure 1) and the accentuated leads. The material of the rest of the movement develops from the main theme: From bar 9 onwards the theme continues to change to the dominant B flat major, the head of which is taken up again, but then continued differently. The final group from bar 22 ends the first part.

The middle section ("development") continues the material of the main theme from B flat major, from bar 42 with turbidity to F minor. The recapitulation from bar 52 is shortened compared to the exposition. Both parts of the sentence (exposition as well as development and recapitulation) are repeated.

"The Andante is a beautiful, finely crafted miniature that develops an astonishing variety from what is basically a simple idea (note especially the treatment of the downward octave jump at the beginning)."

Third movement: Allegro molto

B flat major, 6/8 time, 72 bars

The movement begins with the six-bar main theme, which consists of two motifs: an upbeat, advancing sixteenth note movement with alternation from legato and staccato as well as triplet “grinders” that dominate the second half of the subject. As in the Andante, the rest of the sentence is essentially shaped by the material of the main theme, in particular the almost continuous sixteenth note movement.

After the main theme, Haydn continues the upbeat sixteenth-note movement and changes to the dominant F major. The passage from bar 12, introduced with a triplet grinder, contains a syncopated opposing voice of the 1st oboe and 2nd violin, followed by an insert-like piano motif. The subsequent forte use is reminiscent of the previous syncopated opposing voice with the falling tone sequence of the 1st violin. The final group in the surprising piano also takes up the upbeat sixteenth note movement and the triplet grinder.

In the middle section (“development”) the sixteenth note movement is processed and guided through different keys. The continuous movement goes on in bar 43 without interruption in the recapitulation with the main theme in the tonic in B flat major. The recapitulation is structured like the exposition, but Haydn has added a coda in the forte in which the head of the main theme appears again. The exposition, the middle section and the recapitulation are repeated.

Individual references, comments

  1. ↑ Information page of the Haydn Festival Eisenstadt, see under web links.
  2. ^ Howard Chandler Robbins Landon: The Symphonies of Joseph Haydn. Universal Edition & Rocklife, London 1955, p. 200.
  3. ^ Anthony van Hoboken: Joseph Haydn. Thematic-bibliographical catalog raisonné, Volume I. Schott-Verlag, Mainz 1957, pp. 228 to 229..
  4. ^ A b 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 1, Baden-Baden 1989, pp. 19 to 21.
  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. ↑ a b c The repetitions of the parts of the sentence are not kept in some recordings.
  7. ↑ James Webster: Hob.I: 107 Symphony ("A") in B flat major. Information text on Symphony No. "A" by Joseph Haydn as part of the project "Haydn 100 & 7" of the Haydn Festival Eisenstadt, see under web links.

Web links, notes

See also