Haydn Seek

1789 – The Music part 1 - Possibly his greatest!

Hob I:	Key	NC	HRL	Name	Instruments
92	G	94	94	Oxford	Flute, 2 Oboes, 2 Bassoons, 2 Horns, (2 Trumpets), Timpani & Strings
(Hoboken catalog N°s.)		(New Chronology / Gerlach N°s.)	(Robbins-Landon N°s.)

Do you sometimes wonder, as I do, what is the value of a name when it comes to symphonic success? I hope you read the essay from last year, about the symphonies N°s. 90 and 91. They are the mates to this one in a final trilogy for Paris completed in this, the year of the fall of L'Ancien Régime, for whose pleasure they were made.

As we saw, the actual commission itself is missing. One can only imagine the Count d'Ogny was delighted with the success of the previous set of six, since they became all the rage at the Concerts Spirituel. In fact, as you see in this chart, Haydn's symphonies comprised thirty-seven out of the of the forty-one symphonies (over 90%!) played in 1788, the year of the commission!

 

(Click on chart to enlarge)

The wild card in all of this lives far from Paris though. As you recall, last year we saw a pair of letters which were sent by Haydn to Ferdinand Müller von Müllegg, the Vienna representative of Prince Kraft Ernst Oettingen-Wallerstein. Oettingen was a Bavarian aristocrat, with nearly the power of Miklos Esterházy. He was actually a long-time customer of Haydn, as we saw earlier, he received one of the subscription letters for the Opus 33 quartets. He loved those works, but sent a complaint letter about how long it took to get them, which is germane here. Among other musical luminaries at his court, his first Kapellmeister was Joseph Reicha, uncle of Antonin Reicha, and he was followed by Antonio Rosetti, one of the foremost composers of the era (who wasn't named Haydn or Mozart!). His still existing musical archives show Haydn to be the most represented composer who was not in his employ. And while we won't go into the future beyond this short note; he was a subscriber to the original score of The Creation. In short, he was a fan, a wealthy fan, and Haydn knew he would do well to make him happy.

Kraft Ernst Oettingen-Wallerstein

Despite completing two of the symphonies last year, this year's work still took until October to finish, and now it is past time to deliver the autograph manuscript to its new owner. The crux of the trouble with this great plan we have been watching unfold for the last two years now raises its head. Haydn has sent off the autograph scores to Count d'Ogny in Paris. What he has remaining are the parts. Oettingen believes he is buying something written just for him, and he would like to have the autograph scores for himself, he is, after all, paying a goodly sum of money for all this. What to do?

Haydn's reputation is based on his bold originality. What if he applied the same unique thought process he used on a composition puzzle to solving this dilemma? Hmm, let's see;

[To FERDINAND MÜLLER VON MÜLLEGG, VIENNA. in German]

Nobly born, Most highly respected Herr von Müller!

According to our arrangement, I should have sent scores of the Symphonies and not copies of the parts. But because I suffered almost all Summer from the most terrible pains in my eyes, I was unfortunately quite incapable of writing a clean score, and thus was forced to have these 3 illegible Symphonies (of which the enclosed, the best of the three, can serve as a sample) copied in my room by one of my composition pupils, and then to have the parts made by several copyists (so that the works would not be stolen). Any connoisseur can judge from the enclosed illegible score what the others are like; this time it is not my fault, for since my youth I have been accustomed to write very neat scores. If, however, there are any wrong notes in the Symphonies I sent, I would ask the Konzertmeister there to inform me of them at once in a letter, so that I can send him the exact corrections. Therefore I would ask His Serene Highness the Prince humbly to excuse me: but if His Highness nevertheless insists on the scores, I shall of course dutifully deliver them (but it will be very hard for me, because I am still not free of the pains in my eyes).

The most gracious Prince's approbation of these 3 Symphonies is a source of great encouragement to me, and will remain so to the last days of my life. I would like to have a portrait of His Highness, but only a silhouette, for I am a great collector of leading personalities.

My dear Herr Müller (our long-standing acquaintance makes me bold enough to suggest this form of address), you will be kind enough to excuse me to the gracious Prince, on account of the true reasons given above.

I remain, noble Sir, with every esteem,

Your most obedient servant,

Joseph Haydn.

Esterhaz, 29^th November 1789.

NB - I did not receive your letter till yesterday, because it was addressed to Eisenstadt instead of to Esterhaz.

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

Well, what can I possibly say to gild that lily? Oettingen was not exactly happy, but Müller had accepted the excuse, and in the long run there was no further fallout. Teflon Joe had got away with another one!

And they are a set worth fighting over too. We already saw last year's pair, here is the pièce de résistance of the trio, one of the finest works Haydn ever composed! Let's look (and listen);

Hob 1:92 in G

I	Adagio – Allegro spiritoso	G	3/4
II	Adagio	D	2/4
III	Menuet: Allegretto – Trio	G	3/4
IV	Presto	G	2/4

Instrumentation - Flute, 2 Oboes, 2 Bassoons, 2 horns (in G & D), 2 Trumpets (in C), Timpani, 2 Violins, Viola, obbligato Cello, Cello & Baßo

When Landon is at his literary Romantic best, he usually appeals to me whether he is correct in his assertions or otherwise. Here, he conjoins a variety of synchronous events into a word picture of this beautiful introduction. The fall of the Bastille in July, the arrival in Eszterháza of Mozart's anti-Establishment masterpiece, Le Nozze di Figaro in preparation for its performance next year, and the overall fin de siècle aura of late 1789, all while Haydn was writing this last pre-Revolutionary work for an already fallen Paris, contribute to the making of a masterpiece here.

A superb realization of #92

This Adagio introduction is made necessary by Haydn's decision to break a major rule of the time; he begins the main section as if in the middle of its theme rather than its beginning, and off the tonic key besides! The introduction itself starts off with three notes in the violins, then answered by the strings. The primary thought here, at least to me, is the cello playing a wandering sort of part which provides the basis for the others to surround with chromatic chords, which is repeated, and then joined, first by the flutes, then by the rest of the winds before moving into the main section.

This first movement is a treasure house of various contrapuntal forms, things like 'canzicrans' ('crablike' = sideways) and inversion (upside-down) forms of the main theme and several part canons. He reprises the theme at least three times, each one differently constructed, and so on top of everything else, it is also a large-scale set of variations. As Peter Brown says, 'Haydn plays out several tendencies seen previously. If each were found again in a different movement, it would be worthy of comment, but to bring them together in a single piece makes for an astonishing accomplishment!".

The second movement, also Adagio, is equally extraordinary in many ways. It begins with a long section of variations of all sorts (e.g. - orchestration and embellishments), and yet oddly symmetric. It is broken into two-bar-long statements and replies. This continues for some time, each time varied, until we come to a turbulent middle section in g minor, which is really a long wind band work. It is the centerpiece of the movement, a gem! Then we go back to the original idea to the finish.

The minuet is of the danceable type, not a scherzo, and a full-scale orchestral work. It varies from major to minor and back, but never loses the idea of being a minuet. The trio, on the other hand, has some most unusual features, based on an idea we first saw in Symphony #68 back in 1775 and then used in the previous work, Symphony 91. The quartet of 2 Horns and 2 Bassoons is made to enter one beat off from where they would have done. Then the lower strings and second violins join them. This leaves the flutes and the first violins to be the only ones who have found the downbeat properly and are playing 'on time'. The result is a rhythmic joke which lasts the entire Trio. I suspect it would have been a bear to dance to, with partners leaning in the wrong direction depending who they were keying on!

Dedicated to "His Excellency, Monsieur the Count d'Ogny" - nice handwriting too!

The finale begins with an unusual effect (can one say that enough about this work?) of the violins playing virtually alone, with only a cello scrambling around beneath them. One of the accretions which time dumped on Haydn's music in the 19^th century was publishers filling in all the harmonies under here because they couldn't imagine he meant 'just violins'! But he did, and fortunately it is played this way again today. The violins and flute play the melodic theme, and the rest of the orchestra take turns playing the harmonic parts, and so everyone get plenty of opportunity to show their stuff. At 2/4 & Presto, the movements zips along, with energy and propulsion to burn! At one point he slides the key over to C major to give the trumpeter a real opportunity to show his best also. If you have been following this series for a while and listening along, you have heard some brilliant finales from Haydn, especially in the post-Sturm und Drang years when he had mastered moving the area of special interest in a work away from the first movement and towards the last. I will go out on a limb here and say this finale is the culmination of all of those efforts, and is the finest of them in every way. If Haydn had never made it to London, this would have been his last symphony, and if he had stopped right here, there is no doubt his legacy as the finest symphonist of the 18^th century would have been sealed forever.

Next time we will look at the final works for Lire organizzata, some of the best divertimenti ever!

Thanks for reading!

by me, Joseph Haydn 1789

1789 – The Year - Networks before the World Wide Web

Church of Mariahilf - Central Vienna - 1789

It can be difficult, when reviewing the life of a man of affairs, to follow all the threads of the various goings-on at a given time. 1789 presents several opportunities to go astray, since musically we have ongoing business from the past mixed with new opportunities in the present. Then, there are non-musical affairs too, related to a (finally!) broadening personal life in Vienna. Now we have a good opportunity to see just how wide the network of music publishing has been spread.

[To JOHANN TRAEG*, VIENNA. in German] (Letter 1)

Estoras, 8th March 1789.

Well born, Most highly respected Sir!

This is to inform you that the new pianoforte Sonata which Herr Breitkopf** requested shall be finished by the coming week. You will therefore be good enough to let me know to whom I should address the sonata, and who shall pay me the 10 ducats upon delivery of the same. I hope to receive a satisfactory reply and am, most respectfully,

Your most obedient servant,

Josephus Haydn [m.p] ria.

Capell Meister von Fürst Esterhazy.

 P.S.: You need only leave your letter at the porter's in the Prince's mansion; a carriage leaves almost daily.

 * TRAEG, one of Vienna's busiest copyists; he later became a music publisher.

** CHRISTOPH GOTTLOB BREITKOPF had made a journey to Austria in the autumn of 1786, and had intended to visit Haydn in Eszterháza; the composer happened to come to Vienna in December, however, and Breitkopf met him there. On 10 January 1789, Breitkopf wrote a letter to Haydn. The letter no longer exists, but we can quote a summary of it. Breitkopf writes that "he would like to have a new pianoforte Sonata, one which has never before been printed, to include in a collection of various pieces of music which he [Breitkopf] is putting together. As a recommendation for the whole undertaking, he would like to have an original composition by Haydn, even if it is only one movement. Haydn can choose his own fee, and the Sonata must be in his hands by March at the latest, because he intends to start the publication in that month ... He asks if Haydn would not do him the honor of giving his firm other compositions, and if so, would [Haydn] not write six pianoforte Sonatas; he can choose his own fee for these works, too." Haydn chose the Sonata No. 48 in C which, however, he could not send until 5th April (see letter, infra). The Sonata was published as the first number of "Musikalischer Pot-Pourri". In all these dealings, Traeg acted as the go-between.

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[To CHRISTOPH GOTTLOB BREITKOPF, LEIPZIG. in German] (Letter 2)

Estoras, 5th April 1789.

Well born, Most highly respected Sir !

Through Herr Traeg I am sending you the new pianoforte Sonata, fully hoping that it will meet with the musical world's approbation. I have received the 10 # [ducats] in good order, for which I thank you. As for the other demands in your letter, I cannot accommodate you because I am simply overloaded with work. I would only ask for a clean engraving, and that you send me a few copies. Meanwhile I remain, most respectfully,

Your most obedient servant,

Joseph Haydn.

 P.S.: I would ask you at your convenience to send me a few English engravings, but beautiful ones, for I am a great admirer of them; I shall repay you gratefully by something of my work.

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[To JEAN-GEORGES SIEBER, PARIS. in German] (Letter 3)

Estoras, 27th July 1789.

Monsieur!

[snip] [I agree] to compose [the Symphonies], and this present letter should serve to protect your interests in any court. On the other hand, I beg you to convince Herr Tost as well, and in order to deprive him of all his other claims to these 4 Symphonies, please send me your authentic signature of contract so that my interests are protected. Thus you are protected for your part, and I am for mine, while Herr Tost will be reduced to silence for ever. I hope to receive the favour of an early reply. Meanwhile I am, most respectfully,

Your most obedient servant,

Josephus Haydn

 

[To JEAN-GEORGES SIEBER, PARIS. in German] (Letter 4)

Estoras, 28th August 1789.

Monsieur! [Abbreviated translation]

Since I am now quite certain that the four Symphonies which I am to compose are for you, I shall make every possible effort to furnish them as soon as possible, and will send them one after another as they are completed. You need have no doubts as to the care I shall take, for I never forget either my honor or my reputation. N.B. I want one of the four Symphonies to be entitled the "National" Symphony. . . .

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[To ARTARIA & Co., VIENNA. German] (Letter 5)

Estoras, I5th November 1789.

Well born, Most highly respected Sir!

Since you have often shown me various kindnesses, and since I really am your debtor, you may be assured that at all times you shall have the preference for my works. I have various new pieces which I shall tell you about when and this will be soon I arrive in Vienna.

Last week Mr. Bland, an Englishman, was here to see me and wanted to purchase various pieces from me; but on your account he did not receive a single note. Hoping to see you soon, I am, Sir, most respectfully,

Your wholly obedient servant,

Josephus Haydn.

Occasionally, and much against my own inclinations, I have been forced to discuss events ahead of their time in order to not leave things undone and forgotten. Much of Haydn's doings in 1789, his last full year in Eszterháza, have to do with things already discussed, such as the hunt for Symphonies 88 and 89, the commissioning of symphonies 90-92, and the quartets which eventually became Opus 54/55. And while these items did, indeed, occupy Haydn for much of the year, by no means did this leave room for nothing else! I don't know if there is any reason to dwell on these things again, except to clarify their effects on other events. Lord knows, it is getting confusing enough; I imagine how Haydn must have felt!

These five letters certainly don't tell everything there is to know about the musical dealings of the year. We are, however, brought to realize there are at least five publishers in Haydn's life. In fact, there are two or three more, but no correspondence has come to light from this year. When we earlier discussed some of Haydn's more outrageous dealings, it is easier to understand how this could happen when you see how many people are involved, and know they are highly competitive, thus they don't get together and compare notes very often!

We have Robbins-Landon's footnote to Letter 1 to thank for clarifying the relationship between Haydn and yet another publisher, Breitkopf of what would one day be Breitkopf & Härtel. It will be a pleasure to hear Haydn writing a solo keyboard work after an hiatus of nearly ten years. We also meet Johann Traeg for the first time. He will have a much more extensive relationship with Beethoven in the future, but for now it is interesting to know that one of Haydn's main publishers in the 1790's was one of his copyists in the 1780's.

Haydn's & Mozart's keyboard works from c. 1789

In addition to Breitkopf and Traeg, though, Haydn will be meeting yet another new publisher this year, the Englishman John Bland, who went well out of his way to solicit works from Haydn by coming all the way to Vienna to do so! We first hear about him in Letter 5, where Haydn is shamelessly using him as a pawn in a game of manipulating Artaria. Maybe the sting of giving up Opp. 54/55 isn't quite gone away yet! Haydn's first works for Bland won't appear until the beginning of next year, though, and so we will leave him for the future.

The affaire Tost continues, and we get to see some interesting things from Paris. Whatever got Haydn onto the concept of four symphonies for Sieber, he has now talked both himself and Sieber into it, and in fact got a written contract to write them, specifically intended to freeze out any subsequent claim by Tost (letter 4). I am totally intrigued by the idea of the National Symphony (in Letter 4), and wonder what it would have become if actually composed. National symphonies became all the rage in post-Revolutionary Paris, and are mainly known as a product of the bloom of 'nationalism' which erupted in early 19^th century Europe. A "national symphony" in 1789 would have made of Haydn a pioneer (yet again) in the genre. I would really love to know what was going through his mind as he wrote those words, but as far as I know, this is the only mention of the topic, so we never will.

This only touches the surface of the relationship with professional publishers, and doesn't even get around to where we left off last year with the three new symphonies for Comte d'Ogny and Prince von Oettingen! We'll see the rest of that story play out this year too.

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Those who know the story of Mozart's last years are familiar with most of the characters involved. One of the more prominent, for sadder reasons, is Michael Puchberg, a prominent Viennese textile merchant and fellow Freemason in Mozart's lodge. Mozart's famous 'begging letters', used so often over the years to demonstrate his dire straits, were addressed to Puchberg. As well, some famous works were dedicated to him, such as the Divertimento for String Trio (K 563). Given the view usually painted of him, it is well to remember he was a friend before and after he was a creditor. And apparently Haydn knew him too, either through the Masonic connection, or through attendance at salons or simply from Mozart's sitting room.

Mozart in Dresden, April 1789 - Doris Stock

Since Mozart was on the road earlier in the year, from early April to early June, traveling to Prague, Dresden, Potsdam and Leipzig in hopes of gaining commissions, and Haydn was at Eszterháza throughout the year, it was not until December they were able to resume their friendship. Landon tells us about an invitation to Haydn and Puchberg to come to Mozart's house and hear him play through Così fan tutte in piano score! This would have been in December, since they were further invited to the orchestral rehearsals in January, 1790, in preparation for the première. There is so little documentation for these various meetings, nearly all of our information comes from 'I was there' publications from third parties. Yet there is no reason to doubt they occurred, and probably far more often than there is any knowledge of.

But Haydn did establish another relationship this year, one which began with a letter from a lady who, it turns out, was the wife of the Prince's physician, Peter Leopold Genzinger. There is no record of how and where they met, it is difficult to see the two of them simply milling about as the doctor called on the Prince. They must have met at some salon or soirée in Vienna, highly likely since the Genzinger's hosted a popular salon with first-class music. It would have been a likely place for Haydn to end up.

†    †    †

[To HAYDN FROM MARIA ANNA GENZINGER. in German]

Most respected Herr v. Hayden,

With your kind permission, I take the liberty of sending you a pianoforte arrangement of the beautiful Andante from your so admirable composition. I made this arrangement from the score quite by myself, without the least help from my teacher; please be good enough to correct any mistakes you may find in it. I hope that you are enjoying perfect health, and I wish for nothing more than to see you soon again in Vienna, so that I may demonstrate still further the esteem in which I hold you. I remain, in true friendship,

                        Your obedient servant,

                    Maria Anna Noble von Gennzinger

                        née Noble von Kayser.

My husband and children also ask me to send you their kindest regards.

Vienna, 10^th June 1789.

[To MARIA ANNA VON GENZINGER, VIENNA. German]

Nobly born and gracious Lady !

In all my previous correspondence, nothing delighted me more than the surprise of seeing such a lovely handwriting, and reading so many kind expressions; but even more I admired the enclosure the excellent arrangement of the Adagio, which is correct enough to be engraved by any publisher. I would like to know only whether Your Grace arranged the Adagio from the score, or whether you took the amazing trouble of first putting it into score from the parts and only then arranging it for the pianoforte; if the latter, such an attention would be too flattering to me, for I really don't deserve it.

Best and kindest Frau v. Gennsinger ! [sic] I only await a hint from you as to how and in what fashion I can possibly be of service to Your Grace. Meanwhile I return the Adagio, and very much hope to receive from Your Grace some demands on my modest talents;

I am, with sincere esteem and respect,

Your Grace's most obedient servant,

Josephus Haydn [m.p] ria.

 Estoras, 14th June 1789.

N.S. Please present my respectful compliments to your husband.

By late in the year, the relationship had developed into genuine friendship. Despite various intimations to the contrary, there is no reason, beyond our human fascination with such things, to suppose it ever became an affaire du coeurs. Next year we will see more of Marianne, as she remained very close to Haydn for the rest of her life. For now, we only know that by December, when he returned to Vienna, he attended the Sunday salons at the Genzinger home. According to Karl Geiringer (A Creative Life in Music);

Both the doctor and his charming wife, Marianne, an excellent singer and pianist, were real friends of music. On Sundays, the musical elite of Vienna used to assemble at the Genzinger's home for performances of the first quality. Haydn attended these gatherings whenever he was in Vienna, and they meant a great deal to him. There he found an atmosphere that seemed like the fulfillment of his old dreams: a comfortable, pleasant home; a woman of high culture who took the keenest interest in every one of his new compositions and who at the same time was so thoughtful a hostess that she prepared his favorite dishes; musically gifted children whom he could guide. The Genzinger home offered him all that he had missed throughout his married life. He basked in this congenial atmosphere, only to feel all the more strongly the misery of his lonely existence when he returned to Eszterháza.

Next year we will see more about Marianne, including the brilliant sonata Haydn composed for her (Hob 49). For now, though, we have run out of year, time to look at the music of 1789.

Thanks for reading!

Music by Decade – Part 3 – The 1770’s

 

Joseph Haydn circa 1770 - Gottenbrunn

 

In keeping with the mission with which I began this journey, this week's 'essay' consists of little more than a list. It is, however, the sort of list which you won't find around every corner. There are very few arbitrary choices of dates in this decade, which already makes it an improvement over previous ones!

Music of the 1770's

Throughout his career, Haydn was very flexible in his compositions; he composed in every genre of the time. Twenty-five symphonies, some in different versions, a dozen string quartets, a final book of thirty baryton trios, an oratorio, six Italian operas, twenty keyboard sonatas, two masses… and this is only what we know about which has survived the Great Fire of 1779!

Next time, we will move ahead to 1789, we are now on the verge of looking at the end of an era in Haydn's life, and things are getting interesting.

Thanks for reading!

1788 – The Music part 3 - Something for around the house

Hob.#	Genre	Key	Number	Instrument(s)
15:11	Trio	Eb	24	Fortepiano, Violin & Cello
15:12	Trio	e	25	Fortepiano, Violin & Cello
17:02	Solo Keyboard piece Arietta & 12 Variations	A		Fortepiano

 

Detail from 'A Spanish Concert' by Louis-Michel van Loo

[To ARTARIA & Co., VIENNA in German]

Estoras, 10^th August 1788.

Well born, Most highly respected Sir!

My manifold affairs have prevented me from writing my long overdue answer to your last letter. I repeat that it will always be a pleasure to supply you with my works. Since I am now in a position where I need a little money, I propose to write for you, by the end of December, either 3 new Quartets or 3 new pianoforte Sonatas with accompaniment of a violin and violoncello. …[snip]… Of course it is understood that I shall then complete the other 3 Quartets, or pianoforte Sonatas, so that the edition will comprise half-a-dozen, as usual. NB. For 6 Quartets the previous sum of one hundred ducats, for 6 pianoforte Sonatas 300 fl. In the hope of a favorable answer,

I am Sir, most respectfully,

Your most obedient servant,

Josephus Haydn.

And a week later:

[To ARTARIA & Co., VIENNA in German]

Estoras, 17^th August 1788.

Well born, Most highly respected Sir !

… The zeal I shall bestow on the 3 pianoforte Sonatas with accompaniment of a violin and violoncello which you want, shall be a guarantee of my wish to retain your friendship in the future.

Meanwhile I am, Sir, most respectfully,

Your most obedient servant,

                        Josephus Haydn.

A great recording of Hob 15:11-14

Haydn is famous for his string quartets, his reputation stretches to the four corners of Europe and beyond. So if you are his publisher, and he offers to write a new set for you, why do you opt instead for "3 pianoforte Sonatas with accompaniment of a violin and violoncello"? I think this is a fair question which could use some thinking about.

Although the answer isn't known beyond a certainty, there are two reasons which I can put forward, one of which is general to the times, and the other specific to Haydn and Artaria. The specific one, which we discussed in depth in the last few essays, concerns Artaria quite possibly feeling a bit burned over Haydn's admittedly shabby treatment of him in the affair of Opus 50. This sort of behavior, while common at the time, hadn't really been a part of their relationship before now. And while I believe that Artaria took a certain amount of pleasure in getting even, we must remember this particular series of events hadn't actually begun yet, and wouldn't for another month or so.

We, however, know that Haydn already had Opus 54/55 complete and ready to go, since he sent Tost off to Paris with it at about this time, and already was asking Artaria if he had purchased them from Tost as soon as September 22^nd! So it would be my surmise that when Haydn first offered to write some quartets or trios for Artaria in August, he was quite sure of his belief that the (already completed) quartets would be chosen. Imagine his surprise; imagine mine!

So, piano trios then. As we have seen in recent years, the 'accompanied sonata' as it was called, was making a comeback with a vengeance in Europe in general, and in Vienna as much as anywhere. There are a variety of factors contributing to this trend, and which one affected you was primarily based on your class in this still class-conscious society.

One can never overestimate the direct effect on music exerted by the two main forces of the time; the Church and the aristocracy. Internal changes in Austria were brought about mainly by Joseph II's Enlightened reforms, and changes all across Europe occurred as the death throes of the feudal system changed things forever. Joseph directly stripped away the power of the Church by closing down most of the monasteries and convents. He also put major curbs on the powers of the aristocrats. And taxed them heavily into the bargain. Meanwhile, the severely oppressed lower classes, through the newly capable spread of information, began to realize just how bad they had it. The French Revolution didn't begin until the next year, but it didn't occur in a vacuum!

The net result of all this political turmoil was the rise of a middle class who were suddenly able to accumulate some modest amount of wealth and leisure time. Of course, the first things they aspired to were some of the more obvious trappings of the upper classes. I'm sure there was even some Hoover-ish sort who promised a chicken in every pot, a piano in every parlor! But the 'piano in every parlor' was something which actually came to be, in Vienna, London, and many other places throughout Europe. And what they needed to go with it, and what every publisher was eager to provide, was sheet music. Enter the accompanied keyboard sonata.

A Viennese Square Piano probably very like Haydn's
No Wenzel Schantz pianos still exist

England was already overrun with fortepianos. Since the late 1760's when they were introduced,  manufacturers had been turning out high quality instruments in droves. In Vienna, however, the actual takeover by the Hammering  Horde didn't really take the city by storm until the late 1770's and especially in the 1780's. Mozart's 1782 Walter was on the front side of this wave. There is no doubt Haydn had a fortepiano too; as we saw after the opera house fire, Walter came to Eszterháza and replaced the famous 'big, green cembalo' which Haydn used to play continuo and conduct operas from, with a fortepiano. But his real exposure would certainly have come when, during the course of each Vienna winter, he was a regular attendee at the city's salons. There is no way these upper-class dilettantes who were on the cutting edge of everything stylish would have had a harpsichord there for entertainers to use. Witness the sonatas for the Auenbrugger sisters, composed specifically for them to play at salons, and without doubt for the fortepiano. So it is virtually a given; Haydn at least had access to a fortepiano and certainly knew its strengths and limitations. But now, since the market has shifted and caught up with the cutting edge, we see this:

[To ARTARIA & Co., VIENNA in German]

Estoras, 26^th October 1788.

Well born, Most highly respected Sir!

In order to compose your 3 pianoforte Sonatas particularly well, I had to buy a new fortepiano. Now since no doubt you have long since realized that scholars are sometimes short of money and that is my situation at present I should like to ask you, Sir, if you would be kind enough to pay 31 gold ducats to the organ and instrument maker Wenzl Schanz, who lives on the Leimgruben at the Blauen Schif[f] N^o. 22; which 31 ducats I shall repay to you, with thanks, by the end of January of the coming year 1789. To convince you that I shall keep my word, I have enclosed a small promissory note which I have recalled today. But should you have any doubts of my integrity, I shall send you on the next post-day a bond for a thousand Gulden signed by my Prince himself. I don't like to be in debt to tradesmen, and thank God! I am free of such burdens; but since great people keep me waiting so long for payment, things have come to a standstill. Meanwhile this letter should be your security, and shall be valid in any court. I will pay off the interest in cash. I am [so] confident that you will not refuse my request [that] I wrote to the organ-builder, who will quite certainly come to get his money. Please excuse this liberty: it is bestowed on a man who is grateful, and will ever remain,

Your most obedient servant,

Joseph Haydn

Capell Meister.

P.S. I shall have the pleasure of seeing you in Vienna towards the end of December.

And the next:

[To ARTARIA & Co., VIENNA in German]

Estoras, 16^th November 1788.

Well born, Most highly respected Sir!

Many thanks for the correct payment which you made in my name to Herr Schanz. I shall keep my word punctually, not only as to the repayment but also as to the 3 new Sonatas, of which one and one-half are already completed.

Meanwhile I remain, respectfully,

Your most obedient servant,

Joseph Haydn

Although the third of these works wasn't completed until next year, we can take a look at them now:

Hob. 15:11 Trio #24 in Eb		Hob. 15:12 Trio #25 in e		Hob. 15:13 Trio #26 in c
I	Allegro moderato	I	Allegro moderato	I	Andante
II	Tempo di Menuetto	II	Andante	II	Allegro spirituoso
		III	Rondo: Presto

If you tend to think of Haydn's chamber music as lightweight and not comparable to some contemporaries such as Mozart, you are in for a surprise when you listen to these three works! As Michelle Fillion points out in her essay on Haydn's keyboard music of the '80's and '90's in the Cambridge Companion to Haydn, these works are full of "dramatic surprises, Sturm und Drang outbursts and jolly, folk-like themes, not to mention a fully symphonic minuet (in Hob 11) and a superb Rondo finale… (in Hob 12)". Fillion attributes this to Haydn reveling in the textural possibilities of his new fortepiano, and next year when we review the sonata he produced for his new friend, Marianne Genziger, you will agree. Haydn may have very well known what Artaria intended these works for, that is, for amateur domestic music-makers, his bread and butter. However, they aren't who Haydn wrote these works for. It would be a mistake to always attribute Artaria's goals to Haydn! These are clearly written for players of the high skill levels which would only be found in the salons or the professional ranks. You can see Artaria was the instigator here:

[To ARTARIA & Co., VIENNA. in German]

Estoras, 29^th March 1789.

Mon tres cher amy!

I send you herewith the 3rd Sonata, which I have rewritten with variations, to suit your taste. Please hurry the engraving of all 3 as best you can, because many people are anxiously awaiting the publication.

[snip]

I remain, most respectfully,

Your most obedient servant,

Joseph Haydn.

Clearly Artaria felt the original finale was less salable than a set of variations would be. The result is one of Haydn's famous double variations with the second theme in a pleasant C major. Even so, Haydn didn't get too far away from some serious music here. A 1789 review in the Allgemeine deutsche Bibliothek, praises the entire set for its "superior construction, originality and seriousness", but goes on to warn the potential player about "frequent excursions into distant keys, which often require many accidentals, even double ones!". (Fillion – ibid.). This being said, I might point out they aren't nearly as hard to listen to as to play; try it and see!

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Our last piece of the year has its own mystery attached. Back in 1765 or so, Haydn composed a set of 20 Variations in either G or A. There is a start for you, two big indefinites in the first sentence! Let's see if we can take some of that indecision out.

Just because he was Vice-Kapellmeister by the mid 1760's, Haydn hadn't yet (nor did he ever) gotten away from being a teacher. This was the reason for most of his sonatas in the pre-Esterházy years, as we have seen. In addition to sonatas, one of the most popular teaching aids was the set of variations. These sorts of works served a dual purpose: they provided entertainment for many listeners, and they gave the opportunity to play a great variety of challenges for the player, from easy right through very difficult. This is the likeliest reason for the origin of 20 Variations in G for Keyboard. (Hob. 17:2). We don't know precisely who his students were in the Esterházy household, but they would certainly have existed. Of course, this work wouldn't have been published at the time due to contractual obligations, but the chances of it getting loose in the wild were great, as we have seen with other early works. Manuscripts of it circulated at the time, and this is what gives rise to some of the confusion. Traditionally, this work is believed to be in G major, which, with one sharp, is considered relatively easier to play by beginners than would A major (which has three sharps) be.

Sonja Gerlach, on whom I have relied for my dating of symphonies, hasn't expended her expertise on only those. In her 2007 book, Joseph Haydn: Klavierstücke, Klaviervariationen, Gerlach points out how Haydn's Entwurf Katalog (EK) of 1766 gives the incipit for these variations in A major. She postulates the change to G major and various additions and subtractions in the manuscript copies to be custom tailoring to suit the needs of the individual.

Which brings us to 1788 and a publication by Artaria called Arietta and 12 Variations for Keyboard, in A major. Among the trimmed down number of variations is a new one, presumably not by Haydn. The variations are reordered, and the structural order of the variations was an important part of the original construction. The variations get progressively more difficult in the original, which is ideal for teaching aids. Finally, as you have seen here, I have voluminous correspondence between Haydn and Artaria in this period, and I assure you there is no mention of this work there! All this being said, it seems safe to say Artaria got a copy of the variations somewhere and decided to whip them into shape and publish them under Haydn's name, which is mainly true anyway. I wonder what Haydn thought when he saw them in the store window. Did it bring him back to those days in the 1750's when he first saw (unauthorized) displays of his works and was proud of it despite getting nothing in return? I bet not.

This brings 1788 to a close. What an interesting year! I'm willing to bet 1789 is just as interesting; we will see very soon!

Thanks for reading!