|
Hob # |
Genre |
Key |
Name |
Instruments |
|
I:105 |
Sinfonia concertante |
Bb |
Solo Violin, Cello, Oboe & Bassoon with Flute, 2 Oboes, 2 Bassoons, 2 Horns, 2 Trumpets, Timpani & Strings |
|
|
24a:08 |
Madrigal |
d |
The Storm |
S-A-T-B Chorus, 2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, 2 Bassoons & Strings |
Thomas Farrar - 1796
You would think, after 40+ years in the composing business, and with the Prince's omnivorous tastes as well as various and sundry publishers to please, Haydn will have touched up against nearly every genre of music from his era by now. But in the months of February and March 1792, he debuted not one, but two different and unique additions to his oeuvre.
The Storm
Among the works listed for the lineup in the Second Concert, on 24 February, right before the Finale, we find this:
'A new Quartetto, composed by Haydn, for four voices, and a Full Band
Sung by Miss Corri, Miss Poole, Messrs. Nield, and Bellamy.
(The words by an eminent English Author)'
Landon tells us how the London 'papers were full of snarky little comments, all aimed at saying Haydn couldn't write for the voice. Like this one in The Oracle:
The Oracle, 27 January 1792
Haydn, though in instrumental composition so various and original, has yet but slender merit as a Writer for the Voice.
No doubt these anonymous slanders found their genesis in allies of the Professors. And indeed, Haydn had missed one opportunity to rebut this last year when L'anima del Filosofo got canceled, and his only vocal pieces presented so far had been (probably) Miseri noi, and certainly Arianna a Naxos, which, as we saw earlier, was not intended to be a showpiece for vocalists. So here was a case where definitive action was required to maintain Haydn's advantage over The Professors.
Never let it be said that Salomon didn't deserve his fine reputation as an impresario. His text choice is credited with the elegant solution to this little 'problem'. As we see in the program listing above, the words to Haydn's 'madrigal' are by an 'eminent English Author'. The name of the author would have received a mixed sort of reception. London had a love/hate relationship with John Wolcot, whom they usually knew as 'Peter Pindar'. Wolcot was a man of two literary lives, though. As Pindar, he was first and foremost a brilliant satirist, regularly lampooning everyone from bishops to Members of Parliament, right up to the King. And as much as his audience appreciated the high quality of his work, so too did his targets despise him for its unrelenting aim! But here is the other side; he also wrote poetry, and it was unusually tender and expressive. So when Salomon went looking for a text for Haydn, a man who excelled at word painting, it was this snippet from Pindar's ode To My Candle that he came up with:
Hark! Hark! Hark!
The wild uproar of the winds!
Hell's genius roams the regions of the dark,
And thund'ring swells the horrors of the main.
From cloud to cloud the moon affrighted flies,
now darken'd and now flashing,
And now flashing through the skies.
Alas! Alas!
Bless'd calm, return again!Hark! Hark!
The uproar of the winds!
Bless'd calm return again!
Alas! Alas!
Bless'd calm return again!
(The Storm from the ode To My Candle by
Peter Pindar (John Wolcot) (1738-1819)
There are a couple of really brilliant touches in this choice of text: the first is opportunity given Haydn to use his great skill in both tone painting and counterpoint and then the second, the text being in English and by an English author. Which may be pandering, in its way, but pandering with a purpose!
The Morning Herald – 25 February
[snip] The new Chorus and Quartetto of Haydn is the first attempt of that great master on English words, and he has succeeded admirably in representative harmony – his storm and calm being wonderfully expressed in the composition he has adapted to the following words, which are ascribed to Peter Pindar [text follows here]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Diary, or Woodfall's Register – 25 February
…[there was] a new grand overture of Haydn, which was performed at the last concert,[NB - #93] and a new piece entitled The Storm, composed also by Haydn. This piece is an exquisite specimen of imitative harmony, adapted to English words; the horrors of a tempest, contrasted with the gradual serenity of a calm, were finely represented, and highly admired…
by John Opie
In the end, this wonderful piece, instantly taken to heart by the London audiences, was virtually the hit of the first London journey! An odd contrast to its situation today, where I expended considerable effort to even get one of the two recordings of it! What was its attraction for 1792 England? Among the things we will look at rather soon are the catch and the glee. They were extremely popular just at the time, although they arose in the mid-seventeenth century. The first glee club was founded in London in 1783, so popularity was just now taking off. Haydn called The Storm a madrigal, and even though many have said nay, "by definition, a madrigal is usually unaccompanied", I think the inclusion of the word usually creates a proper exception! One way or the other, this is a song for 4 voice parts, a chorus and the full orchestra. Probably not exactly the basso continuo which the exception was accounting for! Haydn not only divided up the music into four sections; storm - calm - storm – calm, but he divided up his singers too. The soloists sing the slow, anthem-like calm sections while the chorus gets the 'wild uproar/Hell's genius' stormy bits. It is the slow sections, four voices each on its own part, which fulfills the 18th century English idea of a madrigal, which they considered to be a subset of the glee. We can note its continuing popularity when we see that three weeks later, at the Fifth Concert, it is being repeated yet again;
The Diary, or Woodfall's Register – 17 March
Haydn appeared with his usual éclat, for six of his own compositions were performed, and they were all characterized by beauty, expression, and originality. Of these pieces, a Concertante, and the fine representation of harmony, entitled The Storm, were the most striking; but particularly the latter, which was alternately tremendous and delightful, according to the predominance of the imitation hurricane, or the approaching calm…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2nd London Notebook
On 17th March 1792, I was bled in London.
Hard work, being a composer and idol. But some measure of satisfaction is shown in April, when he is bringing Marianne up to speed on current events;
[To MARIA ANNA VON GENZINGER, VIENNA. German]
London, 24th April 1792.
Nobly born and gracious lady !
Yesterday evening I was delighted to receive your last letter of 5th April, with the enclosed newspaper cutting in which the Viennese are informed of my poor talents. I must admit that this little choral piece, my first attempt at the English language, has earned me considerable credit as a composer of vocal music with the English. It is only a pity that I could not compose more such pieces during my present stay here, but we couldn't have any boy choristers on the days our concerts were held, because they had already been engaged for a year past to sing at other concerts, of which there is a great number. Despite great opposition and the musical enemies who are so much against me, all of whom, together with my pupil Pleyel, tried their very hardest to crush me, especially this Winter, [but] I have gained (thank God!) the upper hand. [snip]
It had to be very satisfying to be able to write those words!
The Concertante
With the exception of a few of the symphonies, such as #76-81 or #89-91, it would be difficult to name a late Haydn orchestral work which is as overlooked as this gem is! It is hard to say why this might be so; among its kind, there is only one which might be deemed its equal, Mozart's for Violin & Viola, in an entire genre which was, by definition, created to please!
Symphonie concertante
The symphonie (sinfonia) concertante is a genre of the Classical period in style and structure, but has a character of its own. It has often been likened to the Baroque concerto grosso, but the resemblance is superficial; each calls for a solo instrumental group and an orchestra, but there the similarity ends. The sinfonia concertante places the solo group at the forefront, assigning to it most of the important thematic material, and often extended cadenzas, while usually relegating the orchestra to a primarily accompanying function… The symphonie concertante resembles the lighter Classical genres, such as the serenade and divertimento, in character. Melodic variety is its hallmark. Although a symphonie concertante may include a poignant Andante, the prevailing mood is usually relaxed, gracious and happy, rarely dramatic, never somber or intense. Although similar in length and form to the symphony, which it often replaced on concert programmes, the symphonie concertante did not develop into a vehicle for the expression of intense or profound emotion.
New Grove Dictionary of Music
|
Hob. 1:105 Sinfonia concertante in Bb Major |
||||
|
Movement |
Tempo |
Key |
Meter |
|
|
I |
Allegro |
Bb |
4/4 |
|
|
II |
Andante |
F |
6/8 |
|
|
III |
Allegro con spirito |
Bb |
2/4 |
|
|
Oboe obbligato, Bassoon obbligato, Principal Violin, Cello obbligato - Flute, 2 Oboes, 2 Bassoons, 2 Horns (in Bb & F), 2 Trumpets (in Bb), Timpani & 2 Violins, Viola, Cello, Double Bass |
||||
As a genre which "did not develop into a vehicle for the expression of intense or profound emotion", the sinfonia concertante (SC) perhaps came along at a poor time in history. The beginning of the 19th century was also the beginning of 'serious music', the Artist with Something to Say, and entertainment be damned! The above-noted kinship with the divertimento or serenade spelled the end of the SC by 1820 or so, but in 1792 it was still one of the preferred genres for concert-goers. The form itself had originated in Paris, and by 1792 it epitomized Parisian music. Since Pleyel was the acknowledged master of the form in Paris, it goes without saying, the Professionals were quite confident they had the leader in the field on their side!
And in fact, Pleyel had three SC's with him at the Professional Concert. One (Ben 112) was for Violin & Viola, and another (Ben 114) for 2 Violins, these being the most popular groupings for the soloists. But Pleyel's pièce de résistance (Ben 113) was performed on 27 February at Hanover Square, as is prominently mentioned on the score, pictured below. It was for six soloists, Violin, Viola, Cello, Flute, Oboe & Bassoon! This was likely not a record for soloists, but nonetheless, it was a prodigious number.
Front page of Pleyel's Sinfonia ConcertanteThe Oracle – 28 February 1792
[review of Third Professional Concert]
Last night, the attractions were as various as fancy could wish for. The novelty of the evening was a Concertante by Pleyel, for six Instruments. The subject extremely easy, airy, and well calculated for the obligati of the different Instruments, which succeed each other – all varied with profound skill, and producing the most delightful effects. Cramer led the first Performance with that consummate ability which has placed him in our esteem, the first of Leaders.[snip] Haydn might own with honor these works of his pupil. It was the Triumph of both – The Master was there, seemingly proud of his work; the Scholar, himself only second, was very sensibly affected by the applause…
First set to Mr. Pleyel! But if Haydn wishes to take the next set, another symphony isn't going to do it. To emerge the clear Master and winner of the match will require answering in kind. And even though Haydn has all the tools to do so, it still bore down with considerable pressure on him. No superlative art creates itself. This letter from just five days later shows how the strain is already playing on him;
[To MARIA ANNA VON GENZINGER, VIENNA. in German]
London, 2nd March 1792.
Nobly born and gracious Lady !
[snip] In order to keep my word, and to support poor Salomon, I must be the victim and work the whole time. But I really do feel it. My eyes suffer the most, and I have many sleepless nights, though with God's help I shall overcome it all. The people of the Professional Concert wanted to put a spoke in my wheel, because I would not go over to them; but the public is just. I enjoyed a great deal of success last year, but still more this year. Pleyel's presumption is sharply criticized, but I love him just the same. I always go to his concerts, and am the first to applaud him.
Landon, who examined the autograph manuscript closely while writing the critical edition, tells us the autograph shows 'the work was composed, or at least put down on paper, in considerable haste and under a certain amount of stress'. Which makes sense, as does his ventured opinion that Pleyel told Haydn, as early as their Christmas Eve dinner, that he had some SC's with him for the Professors to play, and that Haydn told Salomon this and was urged by him to respond in kind. All of which fits in with the "to support poor Salomon" phrase in the Genzinger letter. So, a Concertante it will be.
It takes a particular combination of talents to write a good SC. There are strong elements of concerto form, of course, and symphony too. The wild card in all this is the interplay amongst the soloists, which leans strongly on chamber music principles. Not all orchestral composers, even very good ones, have spent time mastering the art of chamber music. Which is where Pleyel's tuition with Haydn stood him in good stead. He really had all the tools for success, and thus his realization of it. But would the pupil surpass the Master? Haydn was never a concerto writer as a primary goal. His last two known concertos were the great keyboard concerto in D (Hob 18:11) in c1779, and the Cello Concerto in D of 1783. But as I noted at the time of writing about those works; when he bothered to write concertos, they were very fine, well up to the standards of his contemporaries. As for symphonies and chamber music, I think we got that!
As usual, no analysis accompanies this essay, but a few extraordinary points to listen for, purely Haydn, include right at the first, where Haydn introduces the soloists by having them already playing, as part of the orchestra, then gradually revealing them to be the soloists over the next few measures. Among the benefits of this unique procedure are both the element of surprise for the audience and the opportunity for the players to be fully warmed up before heading into their solos.
I cut short the definition from Grove above, but it went on to discuss the true rarity of minor keys in any of the ~350 extant SC's. There are only two, if I recall correctly, which can be said to be 'in the minor'. And so when we look at this opening movement in Bb major, it would seem typical. But no; nearly the entire development section, by far the largest part of the movement, is in eb minor, c minor, f minor or g minor! The net result of this is, in my opinion, a chance to use the minor mode as a symphonist or chamber composer would, to project an emotional tone, something nearly always eschewed by composers of SC's!
Haydn didn't stop being unique when he came to the second movement Andante, either. Here, he gives most of the non-string instruments a nice rest, and then he writes, not a concerto with soloists vs. ritornello, as 99.9% of concertos and SC's do at this point, but instead, he writes a large piece of chamber music, in the style of his late serenades and notturnos for Naples! Haydn made a large part of his reputation as a master of slow movements, and this one stands fully up front with any of them.
The finale starts by sounding like a Rondo, but what it really does is let Salomon enter and play the part of an operatic diva, with a solo part marked Recitativo: Adagio. This may have been novel for London, but it is traditional for Haydn! Way back in 1761, Hob:2:17, the Divertimento for 9 Instruments, as well as Hob 1:7, the "Noon" symphony, had parts marked recitativo, and used in just this way. And after this bit of amusement, the soloists play out the rest of the movement in a wonderful, light-hearted but virtuosically difficult tour de force.
The first review after the March 9 première was laudatory:
The Morning Herald – 12 March 1792
The last performance at Salomon's Concert deserves to be mentioned as one of the richest treats which the present season has afforded. A new concertante from Haydn combined all the excellencies of his music; it was profound, airy, affecting, and original, and the performance was in unison with the merit of the composition. Salomon particularly exerted himself on this occasion, in doing justice to the music of his friend Haydn!The Morning Chronicle - 12 March 1792
Mr. Salomon gave his fourth Concert on Friday night, in which Haydn shone with more than his usual luster.
A new Concertante for a Violin, Violoncello, Oboe and Bassoon, was performed for the first time with admirable effect. The solo parts were finely contrasted with the 'full tide of harmony' of the other instruments, and they were very ably sustained by the respective performers.
For those of you not yet convinced, however, that vocal music still reigned supreme over instrumental, I give you the London 'papers in review after the second showing of this work the following week. We already saw the review in The Diary of 17 March above, because of its discussion of The Storm, but it's short so I'll reprint it, and the similarity of these two reviews is striking:
The Diary, or Woodfall's Register – 17 March
Haydn appeared with his usual éclat, for six of his own compositions were performed, and they were all characterized by beauty, expression, and originality. Of these pieces, a Concertante, and the fine representation of harmony, entitled, The Storm, were the most striking; but particularly the latter, which was alternately tremendous and delightful, according to the predominance of the imitation hurricane, or the approaching calm…
~~~~~~~~~~
The Morning Herald – 17 March 1792
[snip] No less than six works of Haydn were performed, exhibiting a richness and variety of genius that far exceed all modern Composers. Of these admirable works, the Concertante and The Storm were certainly the best.
In the Concertante, Salomon distinguished himself very eminently. The Storm is a fine effort of musical painting; the vicissitude of the calm, and the tempest are remarkably striking.
Barely a mention for the one, but a fine compliment from each about the other!
Nonetheless, there is no question that Haydn served an ace at Pleyel with this work. Like all SC's, it completely disappeared during the 19th century. But since its rediscovery after WW II, it has always been held in high esteem, and rightly so, it is at the pinnacle of the form. Slide over a bit on the bench, Wolfgang, and make room for Papa!
Thanks for reading!