|
Hob I: |
NC |
HRL |
Key |
Name |
Instruments |
|
102 |
104 |
104 |
Bb |
The Real 'Miracle' |
2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, 2 Bassoons, 2 Horns, |
|
(Hoboken |
(New Chronology / Gerlach N°s.) |
(Robbins-Landon N°s.) |
(also called The Italian Opera)
by William Capon
It has been a pretty nice vacation for Haydn, off roaming the countryside since last June. Oh, there was a little work done, as we have been seeing, and he has the next symphony ready for its première this week, and probably even the final two others outlined, but for Haydn, who normally did this amount of work in a month or two, it has been mainly living easy. With the concert season underway, all that is about to change!
First Concert: 2 February 1795
The orchestra will consist of more than Sixty Instrumental Performers, besides the Solo Players.
Conditions of Subscription,
Four Guineas for Nine Performances. [snip] Ladies' Tickets are green, Gentlemen's are red. The First Performance will be Monday, 2nd February, 1795.
Part First
A Grand Overture, MS – Haydn
Duetto, Signor Rovedino, and Signor Morelli – Cimarosa
Concerto for Bassoon, by Mr. Holmes – Devienne
Song, Madame Morichelli – Gazaniga
Concerto, Piano Forte, by Mr. Dusseck – Dusseck
Quartetto, Madame Morichelli, Mr. [Michael] Kelly,
Signor Rovedino, and Signor Morelli, MS. – Martini
Part Second
A new Grand Overture, composed on the Occasion, by – Haydn
Song, Signor Neri, in Castor e Polluce – Bianchi
Concertone, Mr. Dragonetti – Dragonetti
Song, Madame Banti in Scipione Affricano, - Bianchi
New Concerto, by Mr. Viotti – Viotti
Terzetto, Signor Neri, Mr. Kelly, and Madame Banti, MS. – Piccini
FULL PIECE [NB – question; what is that, exactly?]
The Doors to be Opened at Seven
attr. to Jacques Louis David
It's concert season again, hurrah! And what a show they are putting on, too. Thirteen pieces, six vocal and seven instrumental. The orchestra is now sixty plus performers instead of the previous forty. For my own interest, it is nice to see how this Concert series actually gives the composer of a work, which is at least a small step towards knowing what was played. Just looking at the lineup of instrumental works is mouth-watering; two Haydn symphonies (100? & 102), four concertos by the likes of Viotti, Devienne, Dragonetti and Dussek! And the mysterious 'Full Piece', whatever that finale for full orchestra may have been. Plus six vocal works by the cream of the London Opera. Devienne, if his name is new to you, was one of the most prominent wind instrumentalists and composers in France. His main instrument was the flute, but he also played bassoon with, as well as writing successful operas for, the Paris Opera. All of which necessitated this further little advertisement in the 'papers:
The Times – 2 February
In reply to numberless applications which have been made at the Office, the Public are entreated to observe, that it is an unalterable rule in this Concert, (conditioned on the part of the Subscribers) that no Tickets shall be granted for the night, and no subscriptions divided; neither will Tickets be issued at any period of the Season, under a Full Subscription.
So apparently, for now at least, the management are in the driver's seat; all or nothing! It won't always be this good for them, but in 1795, the stars are aligned; this will arguably be the best Season ever!
Back in 1791, we looked at this excerpt from Dies' Biographische Nachrichten (Biographical News), which Dies attributed to the night of the première of Symphony #96, 1 April, 1791:
When Haydn appeared in the orchestra and sat down at the pianoforte to conduct a symphony himself, the curious audience in the parterre left their seats and crowded towards the orchestra, the better to see the famous Haydn quite close. The seats in the middle of the floor were thus empty, and hardly were they emptied when the great chandelier crashed down and broke into bits, throwing the numerous gathering into great consternation! As soon as the first moment of fright was over, and those who had pressed forward could think of the danger they had luckily escaped and find words to express it, several persons uttered the state of their feelings with loud cries of "Miracle! Miracle!". …. And the Londoners thus named the symphony 'The Miracle'.
Although Haydn told Dies he "knew nothing of this", and Haydn's dogsbody Neukomm said "I never heard anything of this anecdote, either from Haydn or later, in England", there is this report, which was filed and published along with the concert review in the next morning's Chronicle:
The Morning Chronicle, 3 February 1795
OPERA CONCERT
The first concert of this new establishment took place last night… and notwithstanding an interruption by the accidental fall of one of the chandeliers, it was performed with no less effect.
So despite Dies' characteristic dating error, and Neukomm's effort to debunk through his own ignorance, it really did happen. Since I hold names of symphonies in such low esteem anyway, this one is doubly deplorable for me, since it is applied to the wrong work! So it goes.
|
Hob. I:102 Symphony #104 in Bb |
|||
|
Movement |
Tempo |
Meter |
Key |
|
Introduction |
Largo |
₵ (2/2) |
Bb |
|
I |
Vivace |
₵ (2/2) |
Bb |
|
II |
Adagio |
3/4 |
F |
|
III |
Menuet: Allegro |
3/4 |
Bb |
|
Trio |
Allegro |
3/4 |
Bb |
|
IV |
Finale: Presto |
2/4 |
Bb |
|
Instruments |
2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, 2 Bassoons, 2 Horns (in Bb & F), 2 Trumpets (in Bb and C (with mutes)), 2 Violins, Viola, Solo Cello, Cello, Double Bass |
||
It is always a difficult thing to name a 'greatest…' of anything, especially in a series with the inherent qualities of Haydn's symphonies. As Landon tells us though, there are numerous critics who name this work Haydn's greatest symphony. And no less of a star of 20th century musicology (and a Haydn Hero) than Sir Donald Tovey states that the two symphonies, 102 and 104, and the string quartet in F, Opus 77 #2, are Haydn's three greatest instrumental works. You may, once you join him (wherever that might be), take issue with his opinion, but for me, I am hard-pressed to offer viable alternatives; I am perfectly willing to take his word on it. At the very least, every commentator whose analysis I was able to locate, which are several and varied, is in complete agreement that this is the most complex and challenging symphony ever to flow from Haydn's pen. The real genius, however, comes from the fact that even a relatively unschooled music lover can derive great enjoyment from it, as I can attest personally.
Not being a musician leaves me unable to describe for you the technical means by which Haydn achieves what he does in this work. Some things are quite obvious; for example, there are two of the longest sections of unrestrained loudness in all of his works occurring in the first movement, over fifty bars each of forte. The net effect is the creation of unbridled tension, with the only break in the strings and winds coming with a huge crescendo by the timpani. This creates a feeling of overwhelming power from the orchestra, but it is held in check. When you consider Haydn wrote this work in 1794 when he thought it would be for Salomon's band of forty players (note the lack of Clarinets, for example), you can just imagine the enhanced effect it created with an additional twenty!
As if to create a balance for all that power, Haydn went with a piano dynamic in the Adagio. He even muted the trumpets. But despite the lowered dynamic level, the tension, amazingly, increases rather than being diffused. This is one of my favorite movements in Haydn's late symphonic output, not least because I have gotten to hear it many times outside of the symphony. It is originally the Adagio inner movement of the Keyboard Trio (Hob. XV:26) in f# minor, which Haydn wrote earlier this year or late last year for his lady friend, Rebecca Schroeter.
Despite assertions to the contrary, examination of the autographs shows that the trio was written first, and it is rather conclusive because Haydn had to transpose it down from f# to F, and he made mistakes with his accidentals which are still there for all to see. Even a genius has to struggle sometimes! Peter Brown suggests that it might have been a particularly favorite piece of Rebecca's, which ties in with Landon's comments concerning the overall effect of the movement being that of a rhapsody. And why not? Certainly it is no great leap to think of Haydn writing a love song for his mistress. In any case, this wonderful slow movement, with its solo cello sinuously winding through the melodies, and the muted violins and trumpets and muffled drums (all hugely important to the mood, but not added until Vienna because trumpet mutes were unavailable in London) stands out as a marvel of its time. Unlike the somewhat melancholy tone of the Trio, the Adagio in the symphony is downright cheery.
Continuing in the cheery vein, the Minuet & Trio, and the Finale: Presto, are both country dances, with no trace of the courtly minuet here. The Finale provides yet another example of Haydn's humor. Although it is one which it takes a good degree of knowledge to understand the genesis of, it does not take that to hear and be amused by it. It gives every appearance of the violins having got 'stuck' on a phrase, and just not being able to get past it. As Landon describes it;
…the music slows down and the instruments drop away to leave only the first violins to play a slow-motion repetition of the main subject. … As the music hiccups and stutters its way to the end, even the kettledrums are tapping out the first three notes of the main theme, just as they had done at the end of the first movement. It is one of Haydn's most sensational 'joke' finales, because we have now completely forgotten how the symphony began, and the solemn profundity has turned into midsummer madness, just like the oft-quoted description of Haydn himself.
Was it popular with the audience, for all its complexity? Let's see more of the Haydn part of the review excerpted above:
The Morning Chronicle, 3 February 1795
OPERA CONCERT
The first concert of this new establishment took place last night. It is impossible to speak of this concert in higher terms than M[r]. Salomon, whose judgment will not be disputed, delivered in regard to it, when he candidly owned, that comprehending all the great talents, vocal and instrumental now in England, all competition must sink before it. It is certainly such an assemblage as no Country in the World can now exhibit, and we have no doubt but the success will answer the liberality of the undertaking.
…for the new Overture (Hob. 102), composed by the inimitable Haydn, was performed in a masterly stile, as it most richly deserved to be. His genius, as we have frequently before had occasion to remark, is inexhaustible. In harmony, modulation, melody, passion, and effect, he is wholy [sic] unrivaled [sic]. The last movement was encored: and notwithstanding an interruption by the accidental fall of one of the chandeliers, it was performed with no less effect.
So yes, apparently the audience was fully appreciative of the wonder of Haydn's invention in this work. As they also were of Viotti's new violin concerto, and the Concertone for double-bass by Dragonetti. Looking at the balance of works performed here, I see two symphonies (both by Haydn), four concertos (for violin, piano, bassoon and double-bass), and six vocal pieces, neatly inserted in alternation with the instrumental ones. And finally, the mysterious "Full Piece". So, thirteen works; one heck of a bargain for your half-guinea, I must say. Of course, one of the more notable aspects of the Opera Concert is that the concerts were no longer weekly, but rather they were fortnightly. Had demand been sated? Or was the Opera itself in such demand that the rooms and singers could only be made available half as often? We shall see how this all plays out and perhaps be able to answer those questions before it is time to head home to Vienna.
Next time we will look on as the campaign to make Haydn a permanent resident reaches its climax, with the King and Queen themselves joining in!
Thanks for reading!