|
Hob. # |
Genre |
Key |
Number |
Instrument(s) |
|
|
16:34 |
Sonata |
e |
53 |
Keyboard |
|
|
Hob. # |
Genre |
Title - German |
Title - English |
||
|
26a:38 |
Lied |
Der schlaue und dienstfertige Pudel |
The Clever & |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Haydn didn't often compose singles of keyboard sonatas; sets of three or six were the custom, and he pretty much followed suit. So, when in 1784 a London publisher issued the three sonatas here as a set, they really weren't more than three manuscripts of singles he was able to get hold of (without Haydn's permission).
|
Hob. |
33 |
43 |
34 |
|
Lan. |
34 |
35 |
53 |
|
Key |
D |
Ab |
e |
|
Year |
1773 |
1775 |
1782 |
|
I |
Presto |
e |
6/8 |
|
II |
Adagio |
G |
3/4 |
|
III |
Finale: Molto vivace |
e |
2/4 |
As was not uncommon in those days, the manuscript wasn't preserved, and no other has ever turned up, so this work has attained the status of 'probably by Haydn', since the style is so similar to the G major sonata (Hob 39 / Landon 52) of 1780. According to James Webster, a couple of these stylistic points include the central Adagio being in full sonata form and the finale being a set double-variations. I'm not sure yet at that point in time anyone else was even writing double-variations, a Haydn invention. The opening movement is an ear-catcher, though, with extended minor key passages with a long, legato line. Since it is one of the most frequently performed of the pre-London Haydn sonatas today, you should treat yourself to a recording, or if you can actually play it, well, come visit me!
The sly and eager Poodle
In Greisinger's Biographical Notice of Joseph Haydn, one of the very few books written by people who actually knew and consulted with Haydn, we find this touching story (page 20 of Gotwal's Two Contemporary Portraits):In 1780, a military officer's daughter from the German town of Coburg wrote a letter to Haydn. In the letter, she told Haydn how she and her lover, a young Captain, together with his poodle and another friend, had taken a walk. She then relates the whole story of the walk, which is true, she claims, and it has been made into a poem (by herself??). In her letter, the young woman asks
Thanks to Susan Donley
Haydn to set the verses to music. She described her limited financial means, and said that she had heard high praises of the composer's good heart. So, she wrote, she hoped that he would accept the Ducat she had enclosed, as payment for the musical composition. Haydn immediately composed the music, and sent both the manuscript and the Ducat back to the young woman, along with a letter of explanation. Haydn wrote that he did not want the young woman to think that he would only use his talent for monetary compensation, especially for someone as charming as she. So, he asked for a pair of knit garters instead. The ribbons in red and white silk with a painted garland of forget-me-nots arrived a while later, and Haydn preserved them carefully amongst his other treasured possessions. The page and a half of handwritten music still exists today, in the Prussian State Museum in Berlin. The original poem was twenty verses, although counting them here I only see nineteen. I am reprinting an English synopsis here, and the full German original below, not least because you wouldn't find it elsewhere. There is one recording, the wonderful Elly Ameling accompanied by Jörg Demus, and at a minute and forty-one seconds, I'm thinking it leaves out at least a verse or two! And the lyrics aren't contained in the liner notes either.
The Clever and Zealous Poodle (the gist of it)
Two friends, Sebald and Petrill, took a walk through the forest...
Talking about this and that to shorten the way; Petrill constantly praised his poodle..."He is so intelligent that he deserves to be fed pralines his whole life!"
To prove the poodle's faculties, he hid a coin under a bush...
"Let's go on for a mile; then I'll send the poodle back to fetch the coin."With great confidence, Petrill bet on his dog's success.
They went on their way; then a young workman came along...
He lay on the grass and thought about his love...
But soon he looked around, saw the coin and was very happy with his good fortune...
He put it in a pocket in his trousers and went away. After a few hours, the dog came back.
The dog couldn't find anything and followed the track of the Finder.
[When the dog caught up with the Finder] The working man was very happy, that, in addition to the coin, he'd now found a valuable dog, that he could sell!
The dog followed him into an inn; nobody understood what the dog intended.
The dog waited for morning to come.
The working man was sleeping heavily, and when nobody was watching, the dog took his trousers.
The two friends had wondered why the poodle stayed away; but he came in the morning with the trousers in his mouth.
The Wayfarer thought he was dreaming when he awoke and his trousers with the coin and the poodle had disappeared.
Somebody told him that dogs can steal and he should go to the gates of the town and ask for the poodle.
Moral: You should never trust in fortune.
Somehow it seems like a topic which would appeal to Haydn, as it isn't the only time a dog story appears along with his own, as we shall see. The 'don't trust in luck' would ring a bell with him too, a man who left little to chance throughout his career. Dies has it that Haydn told him he later wrote to the lady and it appeared she has died of tuberculosis, a common scourge of those days. So it goes.Next time we will look at one of Haydn's finest masses, his last before the long stretch until the post-London Six Great Masses period. Meantime, watch out for poodles, and…Thanks for reading!
For my German-speaking readers, maybe you can comment on this bit of doggerel:
Der schlaue und dienstfertige Pudel
Zwe'n Freunde, Sebald und Petrill.
Von einem guten Stande,
Aus Coburg, wie man melden will,
Im edlen Frankenlande,
Verreiesten einst zur Wonne nur
:Selbander durch Gehölz und Flur.:
Sie merkten dies und jenes an
Beim Anblick jedes Steges;
Gespräche sind dem Wandersmann
Verkürzung seines Weges.
Petrill hat einen Pudel mit,
:Den lobt er fast auf jeden Tritt.:
Sie red'ten von Geschicklichkeit,
Die mancher Hund besässe,
Wert, dasser seine Lebenszeit
Konfekt und Mandeln frässe.
Gesagt mit Eifer und Gewicht,
:Wie uns're Welt von Possen spricht.:
Petrill sprach: Suchtest du das auch
In meines Hunds Vermögen?
Ich will hier unter diesen Strauch
Den harten Taler legen.
Er wies das Geld hin, stolz von Mut,
:Fast wie ein Taschenspieler tut.:
Lass eine Meile weit von hier
Uns uns're Füsse tragen,
Ich will alsdenn zu meinem Tier
"Hund, such Verloren!" sagen;
Er läuft die Meile weit zurück
:Und bringt das hingelegte Stück.:
Was wettest du? Einen Carolin?
Du lachst? Gilt eine Wette?
Mir ist's soviel, als wenn ich ihn
Bereits gewonnen hãtte.
Und ich parier hingegen Nein,
:Versetzte Sebald, topp schlag ein!:
Sie gingen, und indessen kam
So mutig wie ein Hirschchen
Des Weges, ohne Sorg und Gram,
Ein rüstig Handwerkspürschchen,
Das jüngst erst in die Fremde ging
:Und manche gute Lehr empfing.:
Der lagert sich an diesem Strauch,
Spielt müssig an dem Grase,
Denkt an sein Mãdchen zart und auch
An seine liebe Base,
Die ihm mit milder Hand gebot:
:Da, Vetter, leid ja keine Not!:
Und, ei, jetzt sah er ohngefãhr
Das runde Silber blinken;
So lustig griff er zu: Komm her,
Du bist gut zu vertrinken.
Doch wer hat dich zu mir gesandt?
:Fortuna leb und mein Verstand!:
Bald aber wird ihm auf dem Platz
Vor einem Anspruch bange,
Er steckt das Geld zum andern Schatz
Und fördert sich im Gange.
Nach Stunden Weile kam der Hund
:Und suchte nach, weg war der Fund."
Was tat der Hund? Er kam und sah,
Doch nichts mehr als ein Blinder;
Ein Mensch stünd ohne Rat nun da,
Der Hund verfolgt den Finder.
Allein zu schlau, zu ungestüm
:Gesellt er freundlich sich zu ihm.:
Geld und auch einen schönen Hund?
Das Glück muss für mich wachen,
So sprach und fing aus Herzensgrund
Der Jüngling anzu lachen.
Du Pudel bist zwar nicht für mich,
:Allein verkaufen kann ich dich.:
Bis in der Herberg, ist das Tier
Geschäftig, mitzugehen;
Doch, ach, die Sprache der Begier
Will niemand recht verstehen.
So folgt er in das Schlafgemach
:Zuletzt auch noch dem Purschen nach.
Das Geld umdecken auf der Bank
Die Hosen vor dem Bette.
Ihm wird die Weile Schrecklich lang,
Der längst gern Urlaub hätte;
Er wacht besorgt, der Tag bricht an,
:Die Kammertür wird aufgetan.:
Die Jungfer Schwester ruft he! he!
Zum Aufatehn. Doch der schnarchet
Noch fest in müdem Gliederweh,
Dass man's ihm nicht verarget.
Nun nahm der Hund die Hosen gar,
:Als um ihn her kein Zeuge war.:
Die beiden Freund' inzwischen nahm
Sein Aussenbleiben Wunder:
Am Morgen sahn sie ihn, er kam
Und trug den ganzen Plunder,
Die Hosen derb als einen Knaul
:Gekugelt und gepackt, im Maul.:
Was Teufel! denkt der Wandersheld,
Hält mich ein Traum gebunden?
Bin ich verzanbert? Hosen, Geld
Und Pudel sind verschwunden?
Er steht in Naturalibus;
:Es ist kein Spass, solch ein Verdruss.:
Ein Alter spricht: Mein, wiss ihr auch,
Dass Hunde stehlen können?
Ich rat euch, dem verwünschten Gauch
Von Stund an nachzurennen;
Nur in den Toren inquiriert,
:Wo so ein Pudel Durchpassiert!:
Die Macht des plaudernden Gerüchts
Hilft jeden Teil entdecken.
So werden Händel oft aus nichts
Und aus den Freuden Schrecken.
Dies kannzugleich die Welt erbaun,
:Dem grössten Glücke night zu traun.:
Lyrics courtesy of PoodleHistory.org
