Haydn Seek

Haydn’s Sacred Music – A unique listening opportunity

For this, the 50th essay in this series, I would like to diverge from the tyranny of linear chronology for an hour or two and explore an interesting idea that has paid handsome dividends to me, and might do so for you, also.

1764, which we have now got to, produced one of Haydn's more interesting symphonies, No. 22, 'The Philosopher'. It is a Sinfonia da Chiesa, which, as we discussed previously, is a form, not a required venue. That said, there is no reason that a Sinfonia da Chiesa cannot be used in church, and in fact many of them were. There are a couple of features of this work that make it particularly appropriate for this context: for example, it is the only symphony known to exist by any composer which eliminates the oboes and replaces them with English Horns. For those who aren't familiar with the Cor Anglais, it is a tenor oboe which is pitched in F instead of C, so it sounds a perfect 5th lower than an oboe. Of course, this instrument is neither a horn nor is it English, but we are stuck with it, since it has been so-called since before Haydn's time! The instrument was truly an Austrian specialty, receiving more attention and use there than practically anywhere else. We have already seen it being used by Haydn in chamber music and divertimentos. It has been said that the Cor Anglais was to Haydn what the Basset Horn was to Mozart. The symphony #22 is written in E flat Major. This was a very usual key for works using Cors Anglais since it fits their range perfectly.

Now to the non-linear part. In 1767, after the death of Werner, Haydn, now responsible for masses and other sacred music too, composed a Mass that today we call the Great Organ Solo Mass, or in German, Grosse Orgelsolomesse. It is a beautiful piece of work, named for its main feature of obbligato organ solos throughout, played by Haydn himself in the original. It is mainly in E flat Major. Instead of the usual two oboes, Haydn uses two Cors Anglais. Seriously, do you think I could resist putting these two works together towards making a complete Mass? I think not! There are a variety of other works involved in choreographing a full Mass, and since Haydn didn't write in several of these genres, I reverted to some other composers. This is certainly not inauthentic, the music director in that time would have done exactly the same thing. Sacred music was freely circulated between abbeys, and between them and the various churches in the region there was no shortage of choices. And as I mentioned at one time, styles ranging from Baroque to 'Modern' were used side-by-side with no one being the least upset. So now I will make a listing of what I chose for my own, personal Missa longa of circa 1768.

Composer                                 Work

Hasse     Concerto #2 in G for Solo Organ - Allegro

Altenburg     Concerto in C for 7 Trumpets & Timpani – Allegro

Haydn     Hob XXII: 04 Mass in Eb 'Grosse Orgelsolomesse'

Kyrie    Kyrie eleison

Gloria     Gloria in excelsis Deo

              Gratias agimus tibi

              Quoniam tu solus sanctus

Haydn     Hob I: 22 Symphony in Eb - Adagio

Hasse     Concerto#2 in G for Solo Organ - Grave

Altenburg     Concerto in C for 7 Trumpets & Timpani - Andante

Haydn     

    Credo    Credo in unum Deum

                  Et incarnatus est

                  Et resurrexit

Haydn     Hob I: 22 Symphony in Eb - Presto

Haydn     Sanctus

Haydn     Benedictus

Agnus Dei    Agnus Dei

                    Dona nobis pacem

                                        Communion

Haydn     Hob I: 22 Symphony in Eb - Finale: Presto

Altenburg     Concerto in C for 7 Trumpets & Timpani - Vivace

Hasse         Concerto #2 in G for Solo Organ - Allegro assai

This could have been played/performed at any of the great abbeys or larger churches. The seven trumpets (Clarini) is an admitted extravagance which I used to please myself. Possibly the Empress was there for a visit. One can use any of several pieces for clarini & timpani, or none at all if it suits. As for the recordings used, they are pictured below. I had a variety of personal reasons for choosing just these, the only one relevant to performance is that the Hogwood symphony doesn't use harpsichord continuo, and in this case that is a good thing although not a deal breaker. Any recording you have will work. The vital pairing for the success of this listening adventure is the Mass and the Symphony.

Please give this idea a try. If you like Mass music, and you want to branch out beyond the Ordinary, this could certainly give you something interesting to think about. This music was not static, it was alive and lively, and listening to it in ways that are closer to its roots presents it in just that way.

Thanks for reading!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1763 – The Music - part 3 – Diversity and tradition to go with the new

HOB	GENRE	KEY	Instruments
5:16	Divertimento (Trio)	C	2 Violins & Cello
5:17	Divertimento (Trio)	Eb	2 Violins & Cello
5:18	Divertimento (Trio)	Bb	2 Violins & Cello
5:19	Divertimento (Trio)	E	2 Violins & Cello
5:20	Divertimento (Trio)	G	2 Violins & Cello
7a:1	Concerto	C	Solo Violin & Strings (2 Violins, Viola, Cello & Violone)
7a:3	Concerto	A	Solo Violin & Strings (2 Violins, Viola, Cello & Violone)
7b:1	Concerto	C	Solo Cello, 2 Oboes, 2 Horns & Strings
23a:G9	Motet	G	"O coelitum beati"
23c:1	'Te Deum' Hymn	C	S-A-T-B, Chorus, 2 Trumpets, Timpani & Strings
24a:2	Cantata	G	"Destatevi, o miei fidi"

One of the things that we rarely read about, or possibly even think about, is the presence of chamber music at Eisenstadt and, later, at Esterházy. As we move into the Baryton Era that will become the obvious main event, but there is scarcely a mention of quintets, trios or even the famous string quartets ever being played. As I have pondered this a few scenarios have presented themselves, but the most likely is that non-orchestral music was in that odd position; too insignificant to document but too important to not have. And so we find these five late string trios.

I don't know about your feelings on this subject, but I really hate it when people make assumptions without evidence and then the product of that becomes 'The Holy Writ' forever and ever, Amen! So back in the 19^th century, someone (not a composer) decided that Haydn must have started with string trios as a primer for his string quartets, probably because he couldn't handle four instruments yet. And I read this canard even today in books of the 1970's and '80's, and liner notes even in the current millennium. The fact is that Haydn wrote his first quartets in 1757, and they demonstrated an amazing ability to write for four instruments. However, if we look at this audience/clientele for the first trios, we find amateurs and music students who would have been probably hard-pressed to

Wonderful performance on period instruments

round up a viola player for their practice sessions and impromptu performances in someone's salon. Added to the fact that string trios were one of the mainstays of the late Baroque, thus familiar, and we come up with a natural chamber music genre for Haydn to have concentrated on.

These are the final five string trios. Within a year he would begin composing Baryton music which would occupy 95% of his chamber music output time for the next decade. Although these works are still considered to be lesser works than the quartets (aren't ALL earlier works considered 'lesser'?), these five make for a very commendable hour or two of listening. Despite the fact that the recording industry hasn't served these works up for us overmuch, there are still at least a couple of recordings that let us share this interesting music.

Now we move on to some works that are just a little bit more well-known; that is, the concertos that Haydn wrote for his great soloists, Tomasini and Weigl.

One of my favorite violin concertos of this era is the first of the works that Haydn wrote to show off his lead violin and good friend Luigi Tomasini. 'Fatto per il Luigi' as it says on the manuscript, 'Made for Louis (Tomasini)'. And truly it is custom made to show off the strengths that he was known for, technical virtuosity in the outer movements (spiccato

One of many great choices

bowing, double-stopping, rapid jumps of a 10^th) and one of Haydn's trademark Adagio's for an inner movement, calculated to demonstrate Tomasini's widely reputed warm, rich, Italianate tone.

The second violin concerto of the year, Hob 3 in A major, doesn't jump right out on you like Hob 1, but its strengths lie in different areas. It is as technically demanding as the first, and also has an attractive inner Adagio, but it shines in the finale. One of the features that stands out is the fact that there is actual interplay between the soloist and the orchestra, and it would be hard to point out another concerto in this time frame that bears this feature. The orchestral accompaniment is composed in the manner that Haydn was using in his symphonies at the time too, and so it is more interesting than is usual. As a pair, these two concertos give ample opportunity to hear how capable a fiddler Tomasini was, and also to appreciate the distance that Haydn has traveled since his organ concertos of the mid'50's!

Now comes one of Haydn's most famous and favorite works, his first cello concerto, composed for his first chair cellist, Joseph Franz Weigl. I have recounted in this series

Of the many options, this one most pleases

the tenuous grip on existence that some of Haydn's works have had. The fact that many of these were concertos (Horn, Keyed Trumpet, Cello) does not seem like a coincidence to me; many solo performers held their 'signature works' very closely, and so few copies were ever made of them. The only extant set of parts for this one were discovered in Prague in 1962! Before that, it was known to exist from an entry in the Entwurf Katalog, but only as a 'lost cello concerto'. There are several reasons why this work rocketed to stardom. There aren't a lot of cello concertos, especially from this period. This may well be the finest concerto for any instrument composed in the 1760's. The finale contains many technical difficulties which, when performed well, demonstrate that the player is truly a master. Which Weigl was. He was a close friend of Haydn, and held Haydn's deep respect as a musician. So when it came time to give him a vehicle to strut his stuff, Haydn' did his very best, which was very good indeed!

Did you ever hear of a contrafactum? Well, I hadn't either, but apparently they were not

This has been also released by Sony

uncommon in 18^th century Austria (and elsewhere?). If you take the tune from an aria, lose the words and write new ones that are suitable sacred music, then add whatever else is needed to make a motet, or an Offertorium, or other small sacred work, that is a contrafactum. Hob 23a:G9, the Motet in G Major "O coelitum beati", is just such a work. The aria that is opens with has not been specifically identified, but it is believed to come from one of the early operas, possibly even one of the missing ones from Acide. The second part is a C Major "Alleluia" which has been definitely tied to Haydn in a very early edition. This is a very attractive piece of sacred music, deserving of far more than the single recording that I have been able to find so far.

As we saw in the discussion of the first performance of Acide at the marriage festival, there was a stop by the church for a celebration of a Te Deum. It is generally believed now that this was the work in question. This was a sacred poem dating from the early church, it has been set thousands of times, twice by Haydn. It is used in festive times to give praise and thanks. Like most of its kind, this Te Deum is in the 'Viennese Festive C Major' with trumpets and timpani along with soloists and a chorus. With this work Haydn demonstrated to the Prince that he was ready to fully take over for Werner when he passed on, which he would do 2-3 years later.

The secular cantata (Hob 24a:2), "Destatevi, o miei fidi" ("Awake, my faithful ones") is an Italian style tribute to Prince Nicholas on his nameday. True to the Italian tradition, it alternates arias and duets with bits of recitative, all being accompanied by the orchestra. The second main part, the duet for soprano and tenor is considered to be the most demanding vocal work that Haydn ever penned. Cantatas went out of fashion shortly after the 1760's, the name going on to describe all manner of vocal works. But this one (and the one he wrote for next year's nameday) are true to tradition, being constructed much like an opera or Scena, and must have pleased the Prince greatly.

So we say 'so long' to 1763. It was certainly a great year, not only for music, but also for Haydn's advancement in his career. Next time we will talk about something only a bit off the path.

Thanks for reading!

1763 – The Music part 2 – New things; Newer things

Hob I #	NC	HRL	KEY	Instruments
34	29	39	d	2 Oboes, 2 Horns & Strings
72	30	30	D	Flute, 2 Oboes, Bassoon, 4 Horns, (opt Timpani) & Strings
13	31	28	D	Flute, 2 Oboes, 4 Horns, (opt Timpani) & Strings

Even a composer who is out on the leading edge of current musical styles doesn't write exclusively in that fashion. Due at least in small part to his respect for earlier styles, one of the many things that Haydn carried forward into the Classical era was the Baroque 'sinfonia da Chiesa' or Church Symphony. Stylistically this class of works has a consistent layout. The first movement will be an Adagio, and if often the focal point of the entire work. In itself this differentiates it from Classical works, which try to achieve a balance between the opening movement and the finale. The order of the tempos is always slow-fast-slow-fast. The first fast movement was always a fugue in the Italian tradition. Traditionally all movements are in the same tonic key, although this was not as unusual in the Baroque when most works were monotonic anyway. It does sort of stand out by the 1760's though! Finally, there is a tendency in modern times to automatically think of a 'Church symphony' as being written for use in church. However, this is not the case, certainly not in the Austria of Haydn. Symphonies were indeed used in church, and aplenty. But they could just as easily be ones that began with a 'normal' sonata-Allegro as one of these. Think of the name, instead, as meaning 'written in the Church style' and it is easier to escape deception.

And so, I told you that so I could tell you this; Symphony #34 is a sinfonia da Chiesa. The lovely Adagio opening movement is nearly exactly as long as the remaining three movements combined. The overall tone of this movement is one of profound sadness. Despite the fact that there has never been any demonstrable indication that Haydn's personal feelings were transmitted into his music, I find it more than a little coincidental that Haydn's father, Mathias, died in September of 1763, which would be right at the same time that this work was composed. On the other side of the equation, noted Haydn scholar Elaine Sisman has suggested that this work was composed as incidental music for a play by Carlo Goldoni called The English Philosopher, so perhaps the music is merely reflecting a mood in the play. This would be more consistent with Haydn's known personality and ideals. The remaining three movements are all in sunny and bright D major, as different in mood from the opening as one can imagine. So the tonic D is seen throughout, and it is not unusual to see this work described as being in d minor/Major. It is one that deserves more recognition in any case, not least because it is Haydn's first minor mode symphony!

As we saw earlier, Haydn acquired two new horns to work with. We close out the year for symphonies with two marvelous works that feature his new horn chorus, #72 & 13.

Symphony #72 has always caused some confusion, witness the fact that it was numbered 72 by Mandyczewski, which number was unwittingly taken up by Hoboken, and you have the makings of a snarl. And when it was clearly recognized as earlier than the mid-1770's, it was then paired up with #31 (Hornsignal), which is yet again off-base. Finally enough evidence was uncovered to pair it up with its true mate, #13 in 1763. Note that with the addition of a bassoon in the present work they are scored identically.

The first movement Allegro is an absolute tour de force of horn playing and writing. It is suggested that Haydn was trying to justify to the Prince the cost of having four horns by writing music for them which showed them to best effect. If true, then he accomplished his goal. After a relatively plain opening, the four horns suddenly take off on a wild ride of scales and arpeggiated chords that is more ornate and demanding than any other horn work he wrote. It is not hard to see why, after this movement winds up, he gave the horns a bit of a break in the rest of the movement so no one had a lip blowout! The second movement is again unique, being like a combination of divertimento and concerto grosso. The solo violin (Tomasini) and the solo flute play the concertante parts while the strings manage the rest while the horns are resting their lips! The horns return in the highly experimental minuet. Since they are clearly scored to play echoes of each other, it becomes obvious that they were placed in pairs on opposite sides of the orchestra. The minuet itself is carried by the oboes, our visiting bassoon and the four horns, playing the parts of a larger-than-life Feldmusik. The finale is a theme and variations. It features the soloists accompanied by the strings. The first variation features solo flute, the second a solo cello, the third a solo violin and the fourth a solo violone. The fifth variation is scored for oboe, two horns and strings while the sixth variation is for flute, oboe, bassoon, four horns and strings. The movement ends Presto with a final flourish by the horns.

Our final piece of the year shows to be different in character from the similarly scored work discussed above. #13 is a very large, festive piece that makes the most of the bright sound of D major. In the opening movement, he shows off the horns in the texture in a different way than before. In the recapitulation, he brings the strings back in piano instead of the expected forte, and then turns the horns loose on a great run up the D major scale on their pure open notes, thus showing them off to best advantage. In the second movement Haydn once again gives the winds a rest and creates a beautiful cello concerto movement with just the strings. His cellist, Joseph Franz Weigl, had to be outstanding for some of the music Haydn wrote for him, and here he gets an opportunity once again to shine for the Boss. Here he plays an arioso part that has shed off the formal pretensions of the Baroque and is squarely part of the Classical tradition. The menuet relies heavily on dynamic contrasts in the lower accompanying instruments, alternating forte – piano – forte in a way that highlights the melody. The trio is a tiny showcase for the flute. The fourth movement is the sort of music that earned Haydn his fame among musicians. It could be a fugue, but it isn't, really. It blends parts of the fugue with elements of sonata form to create the fugato that would become the 'fugue' of the Classical Era. It is in no way my personal style to inject advanced music theory into these essays, but if you are interested then by all means follow up on this interesting item.

Next time we will look at the other very fine works of this bountiful year. Symphonies are only the beginning!

Thanks for reading!

1763 – The Music part 1 – A great year for symphonies

NC		HRL	HOB		KEY	Instruments
26		27	12		E	2 Oboes, 2 Horns & Strings
27		29	40		F	2 Oboes, 2 Horns & Strings
28		7	16		Bb	2 Oboes, 2 Horns & Strings
29		39	34		d	2 Oboes, 2 Horns & Strings
30		30	72		D	Flute, 2 Oboes, Bassoon, 4 Horns, (opt Timpani) & Strings
31		28	13		D	Flute, 2 Oboes, 4 Horns, (opt Timpani) & Strings

Despite what Haydn, himself, thought of his talents, and despite the fact most Haydn fans tend to favor whichever genre he wrote in which they already love the most, the fact is it is his contributions to the development of the symphony which have immortalized him. We have seen his evolution from interesting journeyman to the point he occupies in 1763; unique master of a genre which is finally coming into its own. Serious musicians (including Haydn) up to now had always held every form of instrumental music, no matter how interestingly compiled, to be a lesser species than even the meanest vocal music. However, a major change of attitude was heading to be the cultural norm which would bowl it right over. Haydn was in the right place at the right time to be the beneficiary of this, perhaps even to help propel it along.

The first two works, which premiered in February at a concert in Vienna, are Hob 12 & 40. Number 12, in the less-than-common key of E major and with just three movements, appears to stem from the opera Acide, as mentioned earlier. The work opens with a very piano Allegro passage which has great warmth in the strings due to the key, which has a

A great choice for all three of these symphonies

distinctive tonal color on violins. The overall feeling throughout is one of chamber-like intimacy. The inner movement, in a somber e minor, nonetheless is in a 'siciliano' rhythm which invites the listener in. It reminds one of an Italian opera aria, perhaps a nod to its roots as an entr'acte. The finale, which would not have been related to Acide, is a high energy Presto which is indicative of the finale style which Haydn would use for the next few years. I have to admit, this is one of my favorite symphonies of the period.

Symphony #40 is a different animal altogether. Despite their synchronicity and identical scoring, these works each stands on its own. The opening Allegro appears to constantly gain momentum because Haydn decreases the note values as it moves ahead (called rhythmic diminution), which produces a palpable effect of propulsion. The slow movement is again based on the divertimento movement (Hob II:11) Man and Wife (Mann und Weib) which in this case is spun out in a scherzo-like way that has an element of dreaminess that is unique for the period, even for Haydn! As a final point of interest before we leave this work, the finale is a great Fuxian fugue in stile antico, the last time Haydn would use a fugue to end a symphony.

Our next symphony, #16, seems to have gotten the best of Robbins-Landon. He calls it #7, and dates it to 1758. But it is so good that he freely admits that it could be an early Esterházy symphony. And since then it has apparently been determined to be, in fact, exactly that. And it is good! Arguably the finest of Haydn's three movement symphonies. The first movement opens in double counterpoint an octave apart, and the two lines mirror each other throughout. In the Andante second movement, he turns off the winds and gives the melody to the violins. The interest lies in the fact that the cello doubles the violins at an octave lower. The only dynamic mark used is a piano at the beginning, which is unchanged right through to the end. This produces a great deal of tension in the listener which is unresolved right up to the final cadence. The finale is another Presto, one which contains perhaps the first indication of humor in a Haydn symphony. This is produced by the violins at the final section breaking the theme up between them and presenting it in the opposite manner of what the listener expects; just a bare bones duet in piano rather than a full forte finale. Music will never be the same!

Next time we will look at the final three symphonies of the year, which show us what Haydn could do when given a choir of horns to work with!

Thanks for reading!

1763 – The Horn Also Rises

With the dawn of the year, the mad dash that was to be Haydn's life with Prince Nicholas began in earnest. As we saw earlier, January was marked by the wedding of the Prince's son, Anton. This ceremony alone required an opera, a (lost) cantata, music for the Feldmusik, and was also the most likely occasion for the composition of the first Te Deum, since as we have seen, one was celebrated immediately upon the return from Vienna. Nicholas' expectations for Haydn had to be high, since he represented the musical aspect of all that Nicholas aspired to. It was at this time that he acquired the nickname 'The Magnificent', and his pursuit of the arts had to live up to that same standard.

In February, back in Vienna, there was another grand party, this time at the Esterházy Palace on the Wallnerstrasse. Here again, we owe much to that party animal, Count Zinzendorf, to even know about this affair, and especially the fact that two new symphonies by Haydn premiered here, Hob 12 & 40. In the last essay, while discussing Acide and the two entr'acte's contained in it, I mentioned the good chance that they were eventually going to be reused in Symphony #12. And here, barely a month later, that brand new symphony premieres with what would be only one added movement (the Finale, it still lacks a minuet). All of which proves nothing, of course, but it does fire the curiosity though.

One of the ongoing challenges of maintaining a world class orchestra is the constant search for talent. Vienna, as the seat of the Empire, was a magnet for musicians, and in April Haydn and Nicholas struck gold with the hiring of one of the finest hornists of the time, Carl Frantz. Frantz was not only a premier hornist though, he also was highly skilled on the violin (a huge asset for a small orchestra) and he also played the baryton. This last item is remarked in passing, so no documentation exists to check the validity of my speculation, but I find it interesting to note that you can find explanatory notes later on (in 1765, to be exact) explaining that the Prince had been playing the baryton for a year or so at the time, but little further than that. My thought is that the hiring of Frantz served as a spur to Nicholas to learn the baryton. He already played the cello so it wasn't a huge step, and now he had a teacher at hand. If this is all true, then Frantz was not only responsible for inspiring Haydn into some of the finest horn music ever written, but also indirectly causing him to compose the huge corpus of baryton music too. So, a fortuitous April day in Vienna!

In July the Prince showed his appreciation yet again by giving Haydn a raise that amounted to a 30% improvement.

In August the fourth horn, Franz Reinert, was engaged, now giving Haydn the most amazing horn section one could imagine. Not only the quality, but the fact that 25% of the orchestra consisted of horns! In response to the added forces, and to give the new boys a chance to show off a bit, Haydn composed three works in 1763 that gave them an opportunity to showcase their wares. We will discuss them in more depth later, but the Cassation in D for 4 Horns (Hob. deest), and symphonies #13 and 72 are all outstanding examples of writing for the horn. I suspect that it was exhilarating for Haydn to suddenly have this opportunity, and he made the most of it.

It isn't a stretch at this point to say Haydn was working his way towards success! Where his strength seems to be showing is in the symphony, those from this year are rising rapidly to the level where they show Haydn to be the finest symphonist in town already. As we will see, he is making the genre his own, and comfortable enough in it to be using the famous Haydn wit to good effect. This is the Haydn we recognize readily, already becoming famous in distant places, as we shall see. Next time, we will begin to look at the music of 1763.

Thanks for reading!

 

1762 – The Music part 3 – At last, a real opera!

When one considers what Haydn thought of himself and his talents and destiny, the first of his Italian operas was certainly a long time coming. First and foremost, he considered himself to be a composer of vocal works. So far he had written a modest amount of sacred music and some arias for singspiels, along with a very few cantatas. But in later 1762, the word was out that the Prince's eldest son, Anton, would be married to Countess Marie Erdödy in January 1763.

As was usual, an opera was commissioned to celebrate the occasion, and Haydn was given the story of Acis and Galatea, a popular and frequently told tale. Like many (most?) operas of the day, this one was based on mythological characters, in this case from a known source, the Roman poet Ovid having told it in his famous Metamorphoses. It had been set as an opera many times, the most famous probably being that of Handel.

Young Esterházy and the Countess were wed in Vienna on January 10, 1763. After banqueting with the Imperial Family, the entire retinue traveled back to Eisenstadt for a three day party that probably set the standard for three day parties in 18^th century Austria! The depth of planning and the activities provided are amazing. The road itself was illuminated, no small feat in those days. The entire palace was sumptuously decorated. A special ceremonial gate had been constructed and the guests were greeted with trumpets and drums while the grenadiers paraded nearby. After a Te Deum in the chapel, a feast for 120 guests capped off the day.

On Day One of the actual party, the morning was spent with a huge variety of entertainments for all interests, and after lunch, the company and orchestra, in specially made uniforms of maroon with gold trim, gave the opera, Acide. Copies of the libretto bound in taffeta, silver paper and parchment were handed to the guests. On the subsequent days, another opera buffa was given, and the entire affair was topped off by a masked ball for 600 guests! And this is just a taste of the splendor that Goethe called 'the Esterházy fairy-tale kingdom'.

The Music Room at Schloss Esterházy in Eisenstadt, where Acide may have premiered

This libretto by Giovanni Migliavacca had a few differences from the norm which make it uniquely suited for the occasion. There is plenty of tragedy in the original story (the hero gets crushed by a large boulder by his jealous rival, after all), but this version doesn't dwell on that aspect, in fact, Acis is raised from the dead by another Deity which provides the mandatory happy ending. It is the love between Acis and Galatea which dominates the action. It also has a few other things in its favor, such as being rather too brief for a true opera seria, and the characters were not true historical people. Ultimately, this would be called a festa teatrale instead.

Even though parts of the original 1763 production still exist, and other parts are found in the 1774 revival manuscript, it is sad to say that this work is a fragment. In fact, only nine of the parts still exist. One is a lively three movement overture, then there are arias for all three main characters and the fourth, Neptune (who was added in to the 1774 version). Finally, there remains a vocal quartet which is the finale in the current reconstruction.

Apparently, Acide was popular enough with the Esterházy court to remain in the repertoire until at least 1774. It achieved enough fame that bits and pieces of it have been discovered as far off as Paris and Berlin. The libretto exists intact because a copy of the handout to all the original guests managed to survive in the Esterházy archives. The overture itself differs in no way from a standard sinfonia of the time, with the exception of not having repeats marked.

Although we don't have many opportunities to compare Haydn's festa teatrale to his concurrent little comedies such as La Marchesa Nespola, musicologists say that Haydn seems more comfortable doing comedy than he was doing drama at that stage of his career. Whoa, what a surprise!! Despite the fact that he mastered the dramatic form in later times, I would venture to say that he was always more comfortable doing comedy. Even many parts of his London symphonies were comedy, after all.

I am aware of only one effort to record this lovely little work, so making a recommendation is really not much of a challenge. This disk by The Haydn Sinfonietta Wien / Manfred Huss is a worthy addition to your Haydn collection. There is nothing about it not to like. Huss has combined all the remaining parts into one work, with only one repetition, an aria that Haydn rewrote in 1774 for the new character, Neptune. Both versions are presented here, along with entr'acte's consisting of two movements of Symphony #12, which Huss gives a very plausible and convincing explanation as being the actual original entr'acte's, which were filled out into a delightful symphony later in 1763. All in all a fine production.

Next time we will move on into 1763, a particularly fine year.

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1762 - The Music - Part 2 – Nice to have a composer friend

Hob I:108       Bb    “Symphony B”    2 Oboes, Bassoon, 2 Horns & Strings

Hob I:14         A                                    2 Oboes, 2 Horns & Strings

Hob 7d:3        D                                    Concerto for Solo Horn, 2 Oboes & Strings

To continue on with the symphonies of 1762, we immediately run up on one of the irritating problems posed by the indiscriminate piracy of works at this time. The so-called ‘Symphony B’, Hob 108 in Bb, has found its way to N^o. 24 on the New Chronology Countdown, although traditionally it had been placed earlier based on style. The argument against ‘early’ consists of no Morzin Symphony having a written part for bassoon, despite there being two bassoons available and presumably playing the bass, while this work even includes an extended solo in the trio of the minuet. However, chronological arguments aside, a Parisian publisher got his hands on a copy and published it as a partita with all wind parts stripped away. It gained large circulation in this form, and the fully scored work was  virtually forgotten until modern times. Which is a pity, given the beauty of the oboe and bassoon lines in particular.

Hob 14 has no such difficulties. It has four movements, rapidly becoming the standard for Haydn. It is another example of Haydn’s tendency at the time to write compressed miniatures. While not as ‘mini’ as any of the Scherzandi, it is only slightly larger. Here we see Haydn’s habit of ‘recycling’ being given an early showing. The Andante second movement is actually a reworking of the finale of the by-now famous divertimento ‘Der Geburstag’ (The Birthday) Hob 2:11. That finale was a theme and variations, but Haydn modernizes it by changing the symmetrical divertimento style into the more interesting asymmetric style then becoming more and more his hallmark. The opening movement also leans heavily on a characteristic constant repeated quavers in the bass, a stylistic trait that Haydn would use throughout his career as a means of injecting a sense of constant forward drive into the music. If you were searching for just the perfect symphony to use as a representative of the cutting edge of the symphonic style of 1762 Vienna, this would be an excellent choice.

Earlier I talked about the historical aspects of Haydn’s first concerto which is considered today to be among his finest. This concerto in D for Leutgeb contains some very interesting bits of technique for hornists. The technique for achieving chromatic notes by sticking one’s hand into the bell to change the length of the air column is by now generally known. But here is a case where we must beware making generalizations. In 1762, the technique was NOT generally known, in fact is wasn’t developed for another ten years. Hornists played whatever chromatics they could achieve by adjusting their embouchure, or for the non-player, by moving their lips. Suffice to say, any hornist who could play a Haydn work at that time, not using hand stopping, was a hell of a player!

One of the highlights of this work to listen for is the beautiful, extended ritornello in the Adagio middle movement, where the soloist with his high D horn is playing in its lowest range in a movement written in A!  The demands that Haydn makes seem to indicate that Leutgeb must have been able to play some rudimentary hand stop notes, since the written chromatics would be stunningly difficult without. Another possibility is that hornists of the time had other techniques which are now lost in history but which enabled them to play more chromatically than we would believe today.

One other note about this superb concerto is how close we came to never even knowing it existed! The original autograph is the one and only copy in existence, it doesn’t even appear in Haydn’s Entwurf Katalog, probably because he didn’t retain a copy of it. In this way it joins ranks with Haydn’s other great wind concerto, the one for Keyed Trumpet, in surviving for our immeasurable enjoyment only through the pleasure of chance. O, Fortuna!

Next time, Haydn’s first Italian Opera, Acide.

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1762 - The Music Part 1 – Stretching out with some symphonies

Works attributed to 1762

                  Key         NAME                     Instruments
Hob I:36     Eb                              2 Oboes, 2 Horns & Strings
Hob I:33     C                                2 Oboes, 2 Horns, 2 Trumpets, Timpani & Strings
Hob I:09     C                                2 Flutes or Oboes, Bassoon, Horn & Strings
Hob I:108   Bb     “Symphony B”   2 Oboes, Bassoon, 2 Horns & Strings
Hob I:14     A                                 2 Oboes, 2 Horns & Strings
Hob 7d:3    D                                 Concerto for Horn & 2 Oboes
Hob 28:1                  “Acide”         Italian Opera

Even in this early stage of his career, by now we have become spoiled by both the quality and quantity of Haydn’s musical output. As were his contemporaries, calling him from early times a bottomless well of musical ideas. And so we look at 1762 and our first reaction might be ‘hmm, thin pickings’. Of course, we are still dealing with a lot of tentative dates here; there may have been twice as many works if we could pin them down. But let’s take a look at what we do have, which are some mighty fine pieces indeed.

Hob 9 & 33, through a series of ‘circa’s’ are both here, since the ‘New Chronology’ has called them #23 & 22 respectively. Hob 9 is represented by a dated autograph manuscript from 1762. It also uses two flutes in the slow movement to replace the two oboes, so it is a sure thing that it doesn’t predate the Esterházy years. It jumps right in with no slow introduction at all, and the first movement Allegro molto is highly entertaining. In the second movement Andante the flutes double the first violins an octave higher, but actually tend to dominate the entire movement, which is a good thing, as it sounds nicely balanced with the flute tone color there. The finale is not unusual by being a Minuetto, although it IS unusual for it to have a trio. In this case, the trio consists of a nice little solo oboe accompanied by wind band. All in all this is a very pleasant symphony, one that provides a nice contrast to the bigger drama works of the previous year.

Despite their shared key of C major, there are large differences between #9 and its key-mate, #33. Hob 33 is in a group of symphonies which span Haydn’s entire career, a Viennese phenomenon called ‘Festive C major’. There is scarcely a composer in the last half of the 18th century and even into the 19th who didn’t compose works in this genre. Notice the instrumentation (2 Oboes, 2 Horns, 2 Trumpets, Timpani & Strings). The trumpets and timpani are a dead giveaway that this will be ebullient, even triumphal sounding music. Although one can say generically that these works were used in association with feast days, and State visits or major weddings, one cannot say specifically what this symphony was used to celebrate. Without any evidence whatsoever, only the interesting confluence of dates, I would suggest the possibility that it was used during the festivities of May, 1762, when Nicholas was made Prince Esterházy. That is surely the type of affair which would have employed such music.

Next time we will look at the balance of the symphonies. Hopefully you will have access to a recording of these fine works. They truly show the rapid pace of development of the young Haydn into full maturity.

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Roy Goodman & the Hanover Band are another nice choice, although rounding them up is more complicated because they used the Hoboken numbers for chronology, so they are all over the place. A good choice would be to get them all...	A very nice Symphony 14 appears on this disk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1762 part 2 – Building a foundation

Earlier, I mentioned the strategy which Haydn adopted involving allowing his virtuoso musicians to show off their talent. It served a primary purpose of enlisting them into Haydn’s fan club right from the beginning. The Prince was always scrupulously attentive to that sort of thing and significant monetary rewards would show up in short order. A few ducats here and there guaranteed the good will of the band in times when pressure was high. What other purpose might have been served by this Haydnish habit though?

When mulling this question, a few items came to mind. The Esterházy Band was, from the beginning, one of the best in Europe. After a few more years had passed, they were seemingly unrivalled. A character trait of Haydn’s, one which directly aided his reputation even 250 years down the road, is the fact that he originated the characteristic which was later perfected by his pupil, Beethoven. To use a modern metaphor, he put his foot to the floor and drove it hard, and damn the consequences if the wheels fell off.

Something that doesn’t stand out to a non-musician, but which most musicians would attest, is that however easy and straightforward it may sound, Haydn’s music is hard to play. The full range of possible notes, the unusual meters and tempos, the sheer difficulty of many of the concertante parts; despite the fact that they are written in a grateful manner that makes them playable, one must still be very good to play them well.

After the symphonic trilogy of 1761, which are chockful of solos and obbligato bits and pieces, in 1762 we run into another work that was clearly written for a similar purpose. This is the famous Concerto in D for Horn & 2 Oboes (Hob 7d:3). Other than the fact it is a fabulous piece  which provides some very entertaining listening, there are also some interesting biographical aspects to it. In 1762, Haydn made his first official extended journey to Eisenstadt. The Princely retinue was still settled in Vienna. During his absence, a child was born to the wife of hornist Joseph Leutgeb. Yes, that Joseph Leutgeb, eventual recipient of four horn concertos and a quintet for horn and strings from Mozart. Smallish world. Leutgeb was only a member of the band for a short month or two, but became good friends with the Haydn's. In a scene which would be repeated many times during his tenure with the Esterházy family, the Vice-Kapellmeister and his wife were asked to stand as godparents to the new child. In the event, since Haydn was in Eisenstadt, Mrs. Haydn and a surrogate did the deed. Upon his return, Haydn composed the concerto as a gift to Leutgeb. Famously, he made a few mistakes which he crossed out in the autograph and wrote in the margin ‘written while asleep’. I must say, this was a much nicer thing to write as a marginal note than the hilarious sayings that Mozart penned. One can hardly imagine Haydn writing the equivalent of "Wolfgang Amadé Mozart takes pity on Leutgeb, ass, ox, and simpleton, at Vienna, March 27, 1783"!  But the fact both of these composers were so obviously fond of Leutgeb points to  man with a technique with the high horn which impressed and inspired great composers to put out some work which stands above the crowd of their peers.

In the coming years we will continue to see Haydn’s penchant for virtuosic writing pay us dividends. This is but one of many examples of why his musicians bonded so well, allowing the unleashing of a great musical imagination to write the most difficult parts with no concern about his group being able to play them. One doesn’t often hear of unalloyed loyalty given to The Boss. But this is what would grow from these scattered seeds.

Next time we will review the music of the year. There are some superb pieces in there. Meanwhile,

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