Haydn: Symphony 46 - 48

 

Two unusual choices from Haydn are immediately apparent in his Symphony no. 46.

First is the key signature of B major. As far as I know, this is the only symphony from the composer in said key. I am not a string player, nor an expert on the Classical Era, so I wonder why this was such a rare key setting.

The second is the first movement's tempo of Vivace. This is a tempo usually left for the final movement, although Vivace did appear in Symphonies 32 and 36, where I mentioned its rare appearance.

A strong four-note motive opens Hob. 1:46, where the second exposition material reduces the idea to three notes, but is written in much the same manner of the opening. I notice Haydn reduces the rhythmic thrust as the exposition wears on, only providing a sudden stinger before moving on to the development and exposition repeat.

B minor begins the 6/8 second movement, set in Adagio, which to me sounds more haunting and pastoral than dance-like in the hands of Ádám Fischer. Haydn uses the winds judiciously too, allowing the strings most of the work, whereas the horn and oboe add to the body of sound for important musical moments.

The Minuet returns to B Major, and the following Trio is one of those which requires an improvised solo, but since it isn't written in, we just get an accompaniment. At least the low-tessitura violins provide a nice textural change, perhaps highlighted by the mode change to minor.

The last movement gives quite a bit of time over to just the two violin parts, with the other strings and winds joining in on repeats of the violin material. Some added bars of rests on the part of Haydn are a quirky choice as well, but moreso, the reappearance of the previous Minuet movement in a completely different tempo is startling in the last quarter of the finale. Here, Ádám Fischer employs solo strings to make the differences even more apparent.

I love the opening horn figures in Symphony no. 47 in G Major, which Haydn uses an additive by making the horns unison at first, splits the horns into a dissonance two part, adds an oboe, adds a second oboe, and finally moves the oboes up an inversion. It is a neat effect, plus then Haydn uses the horn rhythms to inform the development motivic noodlings with other instruments.

I had mused in Volume 12 of this Haydn series, where his symphonies were entering his Stürm und Dräng period, if the composer was moving away from second movement Andante tempos in favor of Adagio. Thus far it seems a trend, but we will see how it turns out. To my ears, Hob. 1:47's Adagio sounds like a theme and variations movement, for the musical material keeps adjusting and changing direction while firmly holding onto the main idea despite the differences.

The nickname, 'Palindrome', is often given over to this symphony for the Menuet e Trio al Reverso third movement. Thus, the various sections of the Minuet and Trio are played forward, but then performed backwards for the subsequent repeat. This is an interesting device which reminds me of the Medieval and Renaissance Era crab canons and other such musical experiments from early musical composition. How curious to find it in Haydn, and used in a manner which sounds perfectly normal no matter which way the music is played.

The sheer impetus of the Presto assai fourth movement easily puts a smile on my face here, aided by another solid melody from Haydn.

A special occasion usually informs a Haydn symphony to be set in C Major, thus another nickname here - 'Maria Theresia', the then Empress of Austria. Of course, a celebration needs the addition of trumpets and timpani, used here in Symphony no. 48, although the trumpets are relegated to simply doubling the horns. As with most of Haydn's C-Major symphonies, I find them noisy and clangorous, and that aspect is mostly true in this first movement as well, although I find the trumpets used more sparingly. When the strings play without brass, though, the musical material often reminds me of Rossini, and indeed, this era of symphonies from Haydn are often found opening theatrical performances.

Well, another Adagio slow movement follows, this time giving much more interaction to the winds, thankfully devoid of trumpet. At over 10 minutes in length, this is also a sizeable piece of music all on its own, following an already lengthy 7+ minute first movement, and followed by two 4+ minute movements yet to come. The term substantial comes to mind just regarding the sheer proportions of Hob. 1:48, coming in even longer than Fischer's reading of the Farewell Symphony. Suffice to say, the gentle mood is a welcome balm to the rest of the work, although a long, upward-moving sequence towards the end of the first half, shows Haydn able to drag the listener along almost to a breaking point.

The third-movement Minuet is a sturdy affair, lending an air of pomposity by bringing back the trumpets and timpani. Fischer mixes the Trio up by employing solo strings against the tutti ensemble. The finale is another fun upbeat setting, featuring some notable minor-mode outbursts amidst rising and falling chromaticisms opposite the trumpet and timpani revelries, where Fischer again mixes in solo strings against the full orchestra.

1995 sets these performance smack dab in the middle of the Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra's symphonies project. Generally, I find Ádám Fischer's hands-off mode much more appealing here, while the Nimbus engineers made much more progress taming the acoustic of the Haydnsaal at the Esterházy Palace as well.

While it is the minor-keyed symphonies which get the most attention from Haydn's Stürm und Dräng period, it is interesting to compare and contrast what the composer was doing in major keys around the same time. Certainly, we are never left with lesser music from Haydn.

 

 

 

Works
Symphony 46 in B Major, Hob. 1:46 (16.56)
Symphony 47 in G Major, Hob. 1:47 (20.17)
Symphony 48 in C Major, Hob. 1:48 (26.43)

Performers
Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra
Ádám Fischer, conductor

Label: Nimbus / Brilliant
Year: 1995; 2002
Total Timing: 64.16