1781 – The Music part 2 - A new and special way...

Hob. #	Genre	Key	Opus	No. *	Instruments / Notes
3:37	Quartet	b	33 #1	31	2 Violins, Viola & Cello
3:38	Quartet	Eb	33 #2	30	2 Violins, Viola & Cello
3:39	Quartet	C	33 #3	32	2 Violins, Viola & Cello
3:40	Quartet	Bb	33 #4	34	2 Violins, Viola & Cello
3:41	Quartet	G	33 #5	29	2 Violins, Viola & Cello
3:42	Quartet	D	33 #6	33	2 Violins, Viola & Cello
				* = indicates probable order of composition

 

Title page to Artaria's Op 33 (courtesy James Boyd Editions)

[To J. C. LAVATER, ZURICH.*][German][Only the signature autograph]

Most learned Sir and Dearest Friend !

I love and happily read your works. As one reads, hears and relates, I am not without adroitness myself, since my name (as it were) is known and highly appreciated in every country. Therefore I take the liberty of asking you to do a small favor for me. Since I know that there are in Zurich and Winterthur many gentlemen amateurs and great connoisseurs and patrons of music, I shall not conceal from you the fact that I am issuing, by subscription, for the price of 6 ducats, a work, consisting of 6 Quartets for 2 violins, viola and violoncello concertante, correctly copied, and written in a new and special way. I haven't composed any for 10 years, I did not want to fail to offer these to the great patrons of music and the amateur gentlemen. Subscribers who live abroad will receive them before I print the works. Please don't take it amiss that I bother you with this request; if I should be fortunate enough to receive an answer containing your approval, I would most appreciate it, and remain,

Most learned Sir,
Your ever obedient

Josephus Haydn m.pr.
Fürst Estorhazischer
Capell Meister

Vienna, 3rd December 1781.

* Johann CASPAR LAVATER (1741-1801),a well-known Swiss writer, was one of the most talented and curious figures of the German-speaking Sturm und Drang literary movement. He was also a master the silhouette and developer of the science of physiognomy.

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[To PRINCE KRAFFT ERNST OETTINGEN-WALLERSTEIN,** WALLERSTEIN CASTLE (BAVARIA)][German][Only the end, from "humble . . ." to "Capell Meister" autograph]

Most Serene Highness,

Gracious Prince and Dread Lord!

As [you are] a great patron and connoisseur of music, I take the liberty of humbly offering Your Serene Highness my brand new á quadro [Quartets] for 2 violins, viola [and] violoncello concertante correctly copied, at a subscription price of 6 ducats. They are written in a new and special way, for I have not composed any for 10 years. The noble subscribers who live abroad will receive their copies before I issue them here. I beg for your favor, and a gracious acceptance of your offer, and remain ever,

In profound respect,
Your Serene Highness'
Humble and obedient

Josephus Haydn,

Fürst Estorhazischer
Capell Meister.

Vienna, 3rd December 1781

To be delivered to Prince Esterhazy's house in Vienna.

** PRINCE KRAFT ERNST OETTINGEN-WALLERSTEIN, one of Southern Germany's most ardent patrons of music, maintained a band of virtuoso musicians, including the composer Rosetti (for some years Kapellmeister). In the following years the Prince became more and more enamored of Haydn's music: see correspondence up to 1789.

(from H.C. Robbins-Landon Collected Correspondence & London Notebooks of Joseph Haydn)

The entrepreneur, hard at work! We don't know exactly how many of these letters were sent out on December 3, 1781, but estimates range from ten to twenty, with only three still surviving. What is not discussed in reference to these is whether this was a common practice in those times, or if Haydn actually invented what we term today 'junk mail'! I rather suspect it was fairly common to sell manuscripts by subscription this way; how else would music get distributed far and wide, as it surely was? Even so, it seems Artaria was completely unaware of Haydn's side business, since they unknowingly tossed a spanner in the works only three weeks later (the referenced advert seems to have been published 12/29):

[To ARTARIA & Co., VIENNA. German]

Estoras, 4th January 1782.

Monsieur!

To my astonishment I read in the Vienna Diario that you intend to publish my Quartets in 4 weeks; I wish you had shown sufficient consideration for me to delay the announcement till I had left Vienna: such a proceeding places me in a most dishonorable position and is very damaging; it is a most usurious step on your part. At least you could have waited with the announcement until the whole opus was completed for I have not yet satisfied all my subscribers: Mons. Hummel also wanted to be a subscriber, but I did not want to behave so shabbily and I did not want to send them to Berlin wholly out of regard for our friendship and further transactions; and by God! You have damaged me to the extent of more than 50 ducats, since I have not yet satisfied many of the subscribers, and cannot possibly send copies to many of those living abroad: this step must cause the cessation of all further transactions between us. … &c.

Your obedient servant,

Josephus Haydn

(from H.C. Robbins-Landon Ibid.)

Oops. Well, in the event, of course, they kissed and made up. Haydn sent an apology letter two weeks later. I think it is interesting to see how, despite his obvious anger with Artaria, he still signed off 'Your obedient servant'; mustn't let anger carry things too far!

The 'Russian' Quartets proved to be lastingly popular, once they finally hit the streets. They got this one of their three nicknames from an early (not first!) edition dedication to Grand Duke Paul (later Czar Paul) of Russia who was on an extended tour of Europe with his wife, Maria Fyodorovna. It was quite an interesting trip for them from a musical standpoint; Maria took keyboard lessons from Haydn while they were there, and they threw a private party on Christmas Day at which one or some of the new Opus 33 quartets was played. Thus the eventual dedication. But that's not all; on Christmas Eve, Emperor Joseph II, in recognition of the talents of two current residents of Vienna, Muzio Clementi and Wolfgang Mozart, decided to set up a keyboard duel between the two. It is important to note that he did not inform either Clementi nor Mozart about the duel. He invited the Grand Duke Paul and Maria Fyodorovna, and other royal leaders to witness the spectacle. When people started pouring in, the two composers realized what was happening. The famous 'piano duel' which ensued is still discussed today among Mozartians, and Clementians too, for that matter. What is of more interest is recent speculation that this is where Haydn and Mozart first met. It would certainly have given Mozart a great opportunity to make a first impression on his older, well-established contemporary. We will likely revisit this idea again when the very close relationship between the two becomes the thème du jour.

The other two nicknames are the 'Maiden Quartets' and the 'Gli scherzi' quartets. Hummel's first edition title page (above, right) should explain the 'Maiden' designation. Gli scherzi means 'the jokes', which specifically refers to another innovation of this set: the dance movements aren't minuets, they are scherzos; jokes. Today, the name 'Joke Quartet' is applied specifically to Op 33 #2 in Eb, but really, one thing which is shared by all of these works is a lighthearted (but not lightweight!) attitude.

Hob. #	Key	Opus	No.		Hob. #	Key	Opus	No.
3:37	b	33 #1	31		3:40	Bb	33 #4	34
1. Allegro moderato		4/4			1. Allegro moderato	4/4
2. Scherzo: Allegro di molto		3/4			2. Scherzo: Allegretto	3/4
3. Andante		6/8	D major		3. Largo	3/4	Eb major
4. Finale: Presto		2/4			4. Finale: Presto	2/4
Hob. #	Key	Opus	No.		Hob. #	Key	Opus	No.
3:38	Eb	33 #2	30		3:41	G	33 #5	29
1. Allegro moderato		4/4			1. Vivace assai	2/4
2. Scherzo: Allegro		3/4			2. Largo e cantabile	4/4	g minor
3. Largo		3/4	Bb major		3. Scherzo: Allegro	3/4
4. Presto		6/8			4. Finale: Allegretto	6/8
Hob. #	Key	Opus	No.		Hob. #	Key	Opus	No.
3:39	C	33 #3	32		3:42	D	33 #6	33
1. Allegro moderato		4/4			1. Vivace assai	6/8
2. Scherzo: Allegretto		3/4			2. Andante	4/4	d minor
3. Adagio ma non troppo		3/4	F major		3. Scherzo: Allegretto	3/4
4. Finale: Rondo: Presto		2/4			4. Finale: Allegretto	2/4

Collectively, what do we get with Opus 33? Haydn wasn't much of a talker about his reasons for doing things, he didn't keep journals; in short, he didn't feel a need to explain himself. So if he said something like 'written in a new and special way', it is likely he meant something by it, more than just a sales pitch. So, what do we get with Opus 33 which we didn't have before?

If we look back on Haydn's previous opera, such things as independent texture had already been introduced with Opus 9, and expanded and improved upon in the successive efforts, 17 and 20. The first violin carries much of the burden in Opus 9 (and even in 1 and 2, perhaps more so), but in each opus thereafter, the other instruments shoulder more of the burden, right up to Opus 20 which can be fairly said to have a true 'quartet' texture, if we will assume this means each instrument having an equal voice. This can take different forms, such as counterpoint, in which each instrument plays different melodic lines. A fugue is a good example of this. But there are also places where each instrument is playing a different rhythmic pattern, and this is independence too. There are also many examples of instruments exchanging roles in the texture when they are playing homophonically, so that the melody is passed to a different instrument and the first drops back into the accompaniment. This is a feature of Opus 20. In the opening of #2, the cello alternates being the bass with the viola, while at the same time alternating being the lead with the first violin. There are also places where Haydn uses both of these methods at the same time, adding a bit of counterpoint among the accompanying instruments while the two instruments sharing the lead are busy with that.

It is then fair to say the texture puzzle had been solved by now. So what does Opus 33 bring to the table? Perhaps the main thing is that all of the movements are well-balanced now, and in a complementary sequence. For a man who is, in retrospect, most masterful in slow movements, his quartet ones haven't really impressed up until now, often being just a simple melody-plus-accompaniment sort of texture. But in Opus 33, the textures change over the course of the movement and are more complex, not dwelling on just the first violin. Another difficult area was finales. Even though the fugal finales of Opus 20 were novel and interesting, they were really proof of the problem. It is damned difficult to write a finale which complements the opening movement without imitating it. You can hear how Haydn solved this problem, by making the finale simpler in texture and more regular in phrasing, but with more emphasis on soloistic passages for each instrument.

There are a variety of other 'new and special ways' employed throughout. Lots of little details and changes of pattern, sections of tonal instability like he uses in symphonies, like using different inversion chords (the same way he started out Symphony 73 this year). Overall, though, the most obvious changes don't require a practiced ear to pick out. The tone throughout is lighter and more 'popular', and there are more folk-like themes, which were nearly absent from Opp. 9, 17 & 20. More than anything, they seem to follow the trend of the recent symphonies in appealing to far more people than merely the Kenner. But they don't abandon art, they merely conceal it behind apparent simplicity.

It is important when looking at Haydn's works, whether it is sonatas, symphonies or anything in between, to not dwell too much on any one stop on the road, but to look at the entire continuum and how growth is maintained from beginning to end. We have spoken before about the tool-bench aspect of the string quartets; here we see yet another place where little problems are worked out, always to our advantage!

Next time, we'll sit at the keyboard and sing a little. I need to brush up my German…

Thanks for reading!