Symphony No. 97 (Haydn)

Last updated

The Symphony No. 97 in C major, Hoboken I/97, is the fifth of the twelve London symphonies (numbers 93-104) written 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 3 or 4 May 1792. First published in England, it made its way to the continent a few years later and was used by Ludwig van Beethoven as a model for a symphony in C major he never completed, and by Friedrich Witt for the Jena Symphony.

Contents

Movements

The work is in standard four movement form and scored for two flutes, two oboes, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani and strings. [1]

  1. Adagio — Vivace, 3
    4
  2. Adagio ma non troppo, 2
    2     in F major
  3. Menuetto e Trio. Allegretto, 3
    4
  4. Finale: Presto assai, 2
    4

The work begins with a slow introduction which deliberately avoids establishing C major. The musicologist Daniel Heartz has described the opening bars as a direct quotation from Così fan tutte, an opera by Haydn's close friend Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The quotation is of a solo oboe passage (in melody and harmony) marking the climax of the opera's plot, the moment Fiordiligi yields to Ferrando. It was while composing this symphony that Haydn learned, across the great distance from Vienna to London, of Mozart's unexpected death. While still in Vienna in 1790, Haydn had attended the rehearsals of the opera at Mozart's invitation. [2]

Following the introduction the first movement continues in faster tempo with a fanfare that emphasizes the three notes of the C major triad.

HaydnSym97m1 Xamp1.png

The second subject is a Ländler that makes use of pizzicato in the bass.

HaydnSym97m1 Xamp2.png

The second movement is a set of F major variations with an irregular episode in F minor and a coda. In the variation following the minore episode, Haydn used the unusual sul ponticello marking instructing the violins to play with the bow near the bridge creating a "glassy" or "metallic" sound. [3]

For the final eight bars of the Trio of the minuet, Haydn instructs the concertmaster ("Salomon Solo" in the score) to play an octave above the rest of the first violins. [3] Indeed, this minuet is extraordinary in Haydn's output: all of its repeats are written out because the scoring changes with each repeat.

A typical performance of the symphony lasts about 24 minutes.

Related Research Articles

<i>Eine kleine Nachtmusik</i> 1787 composition by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Eine kleine Nachtmusik, K. 525, is a 1787 composition for a chamber ensemble by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791). The German title means "a little night music". The work is written for an ensemble of two violins, viola, cello and double bass, but is often performed by string orchestras. The serenade is one of Mozart's most famous works.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Symphony No. 94 (Haydn)</span> Musical work of Joseph Haydn, composed in 1791

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Symphony No. 40 (Mozart)</span> 1788 work by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550 was written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1788. It is sometimes referred to as the "Great G minor symphony", to distinguish it from the "Little G minor symphony", No. 25. The two are the only extant minor key among Mozart's symphonies.

Symphony No. 103 in E♭ major is the eleventh of the twelve London symphonies written by Joseph Haydn. This symphony is nicknamed The Drumroll after the long roll on the timpani with which it begins. It is from 1795, and his second-to-last symphony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Symphony No. 104 (Haydn)</span> Musical work by Joseph Haydn, composed in 1795

The Symphony No. 104 in D major is Joseph Haydn's final symphony. It is the last of the twelve London symphonies, and is known as the London Symphony. In Germany it is commonly known as the Salomon Symphony after Johann Peter Salomon, who arranged Haydn's two tours of London, even though it is one of three of the last twelve symphonies written for Viotti's Opera Concerts, rather than for Salomon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Symphony No. 96 (Haydn)</span>

The Symphony No. 96 in D major, Hoboken I/96, was completed by Joseph Haydn in 1791 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 11 March 1791. Although it is the fourth of the twelve London symphonies by number, it was actually the first one written and performed. It is popularly known as the Miracle Symphony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Symphony No. 38 (Mozart)</span> 1786 symphony by W. A. Mozart

The Symphony No. 38 in D major, K. 504, was composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in late 1786. It premiered in Prague on January 19, 1787, during Mozart's first visit to the city. Because it was first performed in Prague, it is popularly known as the Prague Symphony. Mozart's autograph thematic catalogue records 6 December 1786 as the date of completion for this composition.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Violin Concerto No. 5 (Mozart)</span> 1775 composition by W. A. Mozart

The Violin Concerto No. 5 in A major, K. 219, often referred to by the nickname "Turkish", was written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1775, premiering during the Christmas season that year in Salzburg. It follows the typical fast–slow–fast musical structure.

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. 91 in E♭ major, Hoboken I/91, was written by Joseph Haydn. It was completed in 1788 as part of a three-symphony commission from Count d'Ogny for the Concert de la Loge Olympique, a successor to Haydn's series of "Paris symphonies". It is occasionally referred to as The Letter T referring to an older method of cataloguing Haydn's symphonic output.This triptych also includes Haydn's own Symphony No. 90 and Symphony No. 92.

Joseph Haydn's Symphony No. 46 in B major, Hoboken I/46, was composed in 1772, during his Sturm und Drang period.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Symphony No. 85 (Haydn)</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Symphony No. 79 (Haydn)</span>

Haydn's Symphony No. 79 in F major, was composed in 1784. The symphony is characterized by a strong and joyful opening theme, as well as varied rhythms throughout all four movements, especially in the minuet. The wind section alternates throughout the symphony between doubling the string section and playing independently. Of particular note are a number of long rests, which are characteristic of Haydn.

The Symphony No. 75 in D major is a symphony composed by Joseph Haydn between 1779 and 1781.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Symphony No. 67 (Haydn)</span>

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."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Symphony No. 56 (Haydn)</span>

The Symphony No. 56 in C major, Hoboken I/56, is a symphony by Joseph Haydn, composed by 1774. It is scored for 2 oboes, bassoon, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani and strings. This is the only symphony by Joseph Haydn where he calls for the usage of both C alto horns and trumpets. It is in four movements:

  1. Allegro di molto, 3
    4
  2. Adagio, 2
    4
  3. Menuet & trio, 3
    4
  4. Finale: Prestissimo, 4
    4

The six String Quartets, Op. 76, by Joseph Haydn were composed in 1797 or 1798 and dedicated to the Hungarian count Joseph Georg von Erdődy (1754–1824). They form the last complete set of string quartets that Haydn composed. At the time of the commission, Haydn was employed at the court of Prince Nicolaus Esterházy II and was composing the oratorio The Creation as well as Princess Maria Hermenegild Esterházy's annual mass.

References

  1. ↑ Antony Hodgson, The Music of Joseph Haydn: The Symphonies. London: The Tantivy Press (1976): 134–135.
  2. ↑ Heartz, Daniel (2009) Haydn, Mozart, and Early Beethoven. New York: Norton, pp. 470-471.
  3. 1 2 A. Peter Brown, The Symphonic Repertoire (Volume 2) (Bloomington and London: Indiana University Press, 2002): pp. 265–70, ISBN   025333487X.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.