Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) Life and Training Haydn was born into a musical family (his younger brother Michael also became a successful composer). compos er). He moved to Vienna at the age of 8, where he sang, composed and performed perform ed as a church musician. musician. In 1761 he entered the service service of the Esterházy Esterházy family, family, one one of the richest and most influential of the Hungarian noble families, firstly in Eisenstadt, Austria, then in Eszterház Eszterháza, a, Hungary. During this time time his international reputation as a composer composer grew. grew. He undertook two very successful tours to London in the 1790s, and died in Vienna. Musical Style Haydn was one of the founders of the Classical style, which emphasised elegance and clarity, formal design and thematic thematic development. His early compositions compositions show a fusion of the Baroque style with the popular Viennese homophonic ( galant ) tradition. He transformed the Symphony from a type of light entertainment to a strong, serious, and intellectually rigourous art form, although his characteristic characteristic wit and good humour is almost always evident. evident. The String Quartet and Piano Sonata also underwent a rebirth as Haydn’s compositional style developed. His compositions during the 1760s tended to be more passionate and brooding than his earlier works, often in minor keys, and this period is known as Sturm und Drang (“storm and stress” str ess”). ). In his hi s later later works he experimented experimented with more unusual forms and key relationships and increased chromaticism. Contemporaries Austria Austrian: n: Johann Johann Albrechtsbe Albrechtsberger, rger, Wolfgang Wolfgang Amadeus Amadeus Mozart. Mozart. Other: Other : Johann Christian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, Luigi Boccherini, Muzio Clementi, Antonio Salieri. Compositions For piano: More than than 50 Sonatas, Sonatas, several several Piano Piano Concertos Concertos,, Variations, Variations, Fantas Fantasias. ias. Numerous other shorter works, including Minuets and other dances. Other:
Over 100 Symphonies. Over 60 String Quartets. Oratorios, including The Creation, The Seasons. Operas. Masses and other Church music.
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Sonata in E minor Hob. XVI: 34 (Joseph Haydn) A sonata (from the Italian “to sound) is a composition for one or two instruments in several contrasting movements. Haydn’s sonatas usually contain three movements, in a fast-slow-fast format. The Sonata in E minor (Hob XVI: 34) was probably written for harpsichord, and was first published in 1784. (The Hob. number refers to the catalogue of Haydn’s works made by Anthony van Hoboken; group XVI contains the piano sonatas). The classical characteristics of this piece include: • light, elegant style. • short, balanced phrases, often based on scales or broken chords. • simple chordal or broken chord accompaniments (e.g. alberti bass). • modulations to closely related keys. • emphasis on formal structure and thematic development.
First Movement - Sonata Form, E minor, Presto Exposition (b.1-45) - themes introduced in tonic and relative major keys. b.1-8 First subject theme. Features 3-note slurs in right hand and arpeggios in left hand. Remains in E minor, ending with imperfect cadence. 9-29 Transition. Begins with the first subject theme; moves to G major (relative major) in bar 14 where the dynamic level increases and semiquavers enter, then to D major (dominant of G major) in bar 26. 30-41 Second subject theme. All in G major. More lyrical then the first subject, but still based on 3-note motives. 42-45 Codetta. Alternating tonic and dominant chords in G major. Development (b.46-78) - themes reworked in various keys. Based on ideas from the first subject and transition section. Begins abruptly in A minor; moves to C major (b.51), then D minor (b.55), E minor (b.58) and B minor (b.60), and ends on the dominant chord of E minor. Recapitulation (b.79-127) - themes restated, now all in the tonic key. 79-80 First subject. Only the first two bars return here, in E minor. 81-94 Transition. Similar to before, but modulates only briefly to G major (b.84-5) and then returns to E minor. 95-108 Second subject. Now in E minor. 109-127 Coda. Begins with alternating tonic and dominant chords in E minor. Moves through C major (b.111) and A minor (b.114) then back to the tonic. The first subject theme makes a final appearance in b.124. The wedge sign (e.g. b.1) was used in Haydn’s day to indicate staccato, rather than a dot. Ornaments used are trills (e.g. b.8) and turns (e.g. b.22).
Copyright © 2011 by R. A. Hamilton. These notes may not be photocopied. www.rosshamilton.com.au
Second Movement - Modified Sonata Form, G major, Adagio Exposition (b.1-20) - themes introduced in tonic and dominant keys. An 8-bar highly embellished melody in G major, followed by a still more ornate passage which modulates to D major (the dominant key) from the end of b.10, leading to a perfect cadence in b.17-18. Development (b.21-31) - a contrasting episode. Four bars of the opening melody in E minor, followed by a free fantasia section moving through A minor (b.25), G major (b.27) and D major (b.29). Recapitulation (b.32-49) - a partial return of the themes, mostly in the tonic key. The opening melody returns for the first six bars, in G major. The modulation to the dominant is now confined to bars 37-38, after which the tonic key returns. There is an interrupted cadence in bars 44-45, after which it moves to E minor, ending on the dominant chord of E minor in preparation for the next movement. The wedge signs indicate staccato. Ornaments used are appoggiaturas (e.g. b.9), trills (e.g. b.22) and arpeggios (e.g. b.45). perdendosi means dying away. attacca subito means proceed immediately to the next movement without a break.
Third Movement - Theme & Variations/Rondo, E minor, Vivace molto This movement is a set of variations on two themes, one in a minor key and the other in the tonic major. Haydn used this scheme in a number of pieces, including the Variations in F minor and the second movements of Symphonies 53, 63 and 103 ( Drumroll). The resulting ABABA form is similar to rondo form, the standard form for a final movement. Theme A1 (b.1-18)
In two parts, each repeated. The first moves from E minor to G major (relative major), and the second from G major to E minor. There is an alberti bass throughout.
Theme B1 (19-40)
Also in two parts. The first moves from E major to B major (dominant), and the second is all in E major.
Theme A2 (41-76)
The first part returns as before, with slight rhythmic changes (e.g. b.47), without the repeat. The second part is heard once as before, and then in a varied form from bar 59, with added semiquavers and ornaments, and an extension of the melody which remains in G major. The first part returns in bar 69, with more small rhythmic changes (e.g. b.71).
Theme B2 (77-100)
The harmonic scheme is basically the same, but there is some melodic variation, and an alberti bass accompaniment. There is a dominant pedal from b.85-92.
Theme A3 (101-136) First part returns once as before, then with rhythmic and melodic variations from bar 109. Second part heard twice, with melodic and rhythmic variations, from bar 117. Ornaments used are trills (e.g. b.4), appoggiaturas (e.g. b.7), and turns (e.g. b.24). innocentemente means innocently.
Copyright © 2011 by R. A. Hamilton. These notes may not be photocopied. www.rosshamilton.com.au
