| Symphony in D major | |
|---|---|
| No. 101, "The Clock" | |
| by Joseph Haydn | |
 Portrait of Haydn by Thomas Hardy, c. 1791 | |
| Key | D major |
| Catalogue | Hob. 1/101 |
| Composed | 1793-94 |
| Performed | March 3, 1794 Hanover Square Rooms, London |
| Movements | three |
The Symphony No. 101 in D major (Hoboken 1/101) is the ninth of the twelve London symphonies written by Joseph Haydn. It is popularly known as The Clock because of the "ticking" rhythm throughout the second movement.
Haydn completed the symphony in 1793 or 1794. He wrote it for the second of his two visits to London. Having heard one of his symphonies played in London with an orchestra of 300-strong, his Clock Symphony has that large scale grandeur written in it. [1] On 3 March 1794, the work was premiered with an orchestra of 60 personally gathered by Haydn's colleague and friend Johann Peter Salomon, who also acted as concertmaster, in the Hanover Square Rooms, as part of a concert series featuring Haydn's work organized by Salomon; a second performance took place a week later. [2]
As was generally true for the London symphonies, the response of the audience was very enthusiastic. [3] The Oracle reported that "the connoisseurs admit [it] to be his best work." [4] Additionally, the Morning Chronicle reported:
As usual the most delicious part of the entertainment was a new grand Overture [that is, symphony] by HAYDN; the inexhaustible, the wonderful, the sublime HAYDN! The first two movements were encored; and the character that pervaded the whole composition was heartfelt joy. Every new Overture he writes, we fear, till it is heard, he can only repeat himself; and we are every time mistaken. [5]
The work has always been popular and continues to appear frequently on concert programs and in recordings. [6] An average performance lasts about 27 minutes.
It is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani and strings.
The work is in standard four-movement form, as follows:
The opening movement starts with a minor introduction consisting of 23 measures. A rising scale motif opens the Adagio, similar to the opening of the main theme of the Presto, and connects the Adagio to the main movement. [7] The main theme of the Presto is meant to catch attention — the rising scale motif begins and ends on the dominant, and two broken chords follow — the tonic and the second degree minor, and ends on the tonic. [8] This phrase also consists of 10 bars, broken into two parts of an odd 1+4 bar distribution. After the main theme, this phrase returns and starts the modulation by the usage of the A diminished chord, leading to E minor, which finally leads to E major, the dominant of A major. The secondary theme has a similar rhythmic pattern, also beginning with scales in the violins but descending this time, but it has more subtlety. A triumphant codetta concludes the exposition. The development begins with the secondary theme motif reoccurring in different instruments in counterpoint, and transitions into the different motifs of the main theme, also playing contrapuntally. The development turns toward conclusion with the secondary theme once more, and ends with a long falling scale. The recapitulation is straightforward, and the triumphant coda finishes this grand movement. [9] The Morning Chronicle said, "Nothing can be more original than the subject of the first movement, and having found a happy subject, no man knows like Haydn how to produce incessant variety, without once departing from it." [8]
The second movement, from which the symphony gets its name, begins with plucked strings and bassoons. [10] Towards the middle of the movement, there is a dark, fierce passage in G minor, followed by Haydnesque humor and finally the clock theme once again. Michael Steinberg said, "Haydn has a gratifying number of different clocks in his shop, offering 'tick-tock' in a happy variety of colors." [11]
In 1793, Haydn had given his employer Prince Esterházy an elaborate musical clock, for which he wrote 12 short pieces, one of them being the basis for the third movement. [12] This movement, a minuet, is one of Haydn's longest. [13] The trio evokes a bungling village band, with more Haydnesque humor, similar to what Beethoven would use in the trio of his Pastoral Symphony. [14] Many scholars, publishers, and musicians, not knowing Haydn's humor, would often "correct" the trio. [15]
The finale of the work is a monothematic rondo-sonata. [16] This means that the main theme and the secondary theme are similar, or in this case, almost identical, and the main theme is played every time a theme ends. Haydn vastly changes the main theme with each occurrence — something that is not done in rondo works. Even the bridges in between themes are similar to the main theme. [9] Haydn also builds a fugue into the last movement. [17]
Symphony No. 22 in E♭ major, Hoboken I/22, is a symphony written by Joseph Haydn in 1764, under the auspices of the benign Prince Nikolaus Esterházy. Its nickname is "The Philosopher".
Symphony No. 44 in E minor, Hoboken I/44, was completed in 1772 by Joseph Haydn. It is popularly known as Trauer. An apocryphal story relates that Haydn asked for the slow movement of this symphony to be played at his funeral.
The Symphony No. 94 in G major is the second of the twelve London symphonies written by Joseph Haydn. It is popularly known as the Surprise Symphony.
Joseph Haydn completed his Symphony No. 92 in G major, Hoboken I/92, popularly known as the Oxford Symphony, in 1789 as one of a set of three symphonies commissioned by the French Count d'Ogny. Instrumentation for the symphony is: flute, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, and strings.
The Symphony No. 100 in G major, Hoboken I/100, is the eighth of the twelve London symphonies written by Joseph Haydn and completed in 1793 or 1794. It is popularly known as the Military Symphony.
Symphony No. 93 in D major, Hoboken I/93, one of the twelve London symphonies written by Joseph Haydn.
The Symphony No. 98 in B♭ major, Hoboken I/98, is the sixth of the twelve London symphonies composed by Joseph Haydn. It was completed in 1792 as part of the set of symphonies composed on his first trip to London. It was first performed at the Hanover Square Rooms in London on 2 March 1792. Some musicologists and historians interpret this symphony as Haydn’s tribute to his friend Mozart who had died on 5 December 1791.
The Symphony No. 99 in E♭ major is the seventh of the twelve London symphonies written by Joseph Haydn. The symphony was written in 1793 in Vienna in anticipation for his second trip to London.
The Symphony No. 6 in D major is an early symphony written in 1761 by Joseph Haydn and the first written after Haydn had joined the Esterházy court. It is the first of three that are characterized by unusual virtuoso writing across the orchestral ensemble. It is popularly known as Le matin (Morning).
Joseph Haydn's Symphony No. 46 in B major, Hoboken I/46, was composed in 1772, during his Sturm und Drang period.
The Symphony No. 85 in B♭ major, Hoboken I/85, is the fourth of the six Paris symphonies written by Joseph Haydn. It is popularly known as La Reine.
The Symphony No. 86 in D major, Hoboken I/86, is the fifth of the six Paris Symphonies written by Joseph Haydn, and was written to be performed in Paris in 1787. He wrote it in Esterháza in 1786, but for an orchestra much larger, at the instigation of Count Claude d'Ogney.
The Symphony No. 80 in D minor, Hoboken 1/80, is a symphony composed by Joseph Haydn in 1784 as part of a trio of symphonies that also included symphonies 79 and 81. This symphony, along with the one that follows it, and the one that precedes it, were not written for Prince Nikolaus, but for a Lenten concert performed in Vienna in March 1785. It is one of the relatively few later symphonies by Haydn to begin in the minor mode. Symphony No. 80 is highly structured with both outer movements in sonata form. There is a common modulation pattern seen in all four movements.
The Symphony No. 73 in D major, Hoboken 1/73, is a symphony by Joseph Haydn composed in 1782. It is often known by the subtitle La chasse due to the hunting horn calls in the final movement, a popular trope in eighteenth century music.
The Symphony No. 60 in C major, Hoboken I/60, was written by Joseph Haydn. It is sometimes given the nickname Il Distratto or, in German, Der Zerstreute.
Symphony No. 67 in F major, Hoboken I/67, is a symphony by Joseph Haydn. It was composed by 1779. The Haydn scholar H. C. Robbins Landon calls this work "one of the most boldly original symphonies of this period."
The Symphony No. 55 in E♭ major, Hoboken I/55, is a symphony by Joseph Haydn, composed by 1774. It is scored for 2 oboes, bassoon, 2 horns and strings. It is in four movements:
The Symphony No. 34 in D minor was written by Joseph Haydn. According to traditional chronology it was written in 1765, shortly before Haydn's Sturm und Drang period began in 1766, during his social withdrawal at Esterháza. However, more recent chronologies place it two years earlier, in 1763, which if correct would suggest that it is the first minor-key symphony Haydn ever wrote, though there is some uncertainty around chronology, with Symphony No. 26 being the traditional candidate, and Symphony No. 39 another candidate.
Joseph Haydn's Symphony No. 15 in D major, Hoboken I/15, may have been written between 1760 and 1763.
The Symphony No. 42 in D major, Hoboken I/42, is a symphony by Joseph Haydn. The symphony was composed by 1771. It is scored for two oboes, two bassoons, two horns and strings.
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