Haydn: Symphony 82 - 84

 

Symphony no. 82 in C Major is the first of Haydn's six 'Paris Symphonies' numerically, and the last of the sextet chronologically.

I sense a gripping step forward from Haydn on the occasion of writing these works for an audience outside of Austria. If nothing else, then through a cementing of the symphonic form as well as the composer's individual style.

A strong upward fanfare greets the listener at the opening of the first movement and indeed a celebratory element with the inclusion of trumpets and timpani is at hand. 

The Sonata-Allegro form is fully developed here, with audible first and second themes aside tangible transitional material. The first theme is masculine in nature, while the second is feminine (to use the old descriptions), where the transitions are much more chromatic in nature. The development contrasts the two ideas through a wide expanse of keys, imitative treatments, and orchestral effects. As is the case with Haydn, the recapitulation is more developmental, moving towards the Coda rather than moving through proper restatements.

This will be the case for the openings in most of the Paris Symphonies, embarking the composer upon his mature style. The second movement is a set of variations taken from an light Allegretto theme. Haydn is eager to move to the minor, alternating with the initial statements, offering maximum contrast to the gentle, yet pert opening idea in major.

If there is anything striking about the Minuet and Trio, it is the chromatic lines which pop up, particularly in the course of the Trio, whose second half in unusually lengthy. Otherwise, the third movement takes on the typical role of pompous Minuet and contrasting Trio, which must be one of Haydn's longer settings.

It is in the fourth movement where Hob. 1:82 gets its nickname 'The Bear'. Apparently, the drones and dance textures remind listeners of the famous dancing bears. Indeed, at some point later on in the movement, Ádám Fischer has the orchestra play with extra force, giving some weight to a 'bear' idea. To my ears, this movement could have as easily been titled as a Scottish reel, but someone, not Haydn, decided the animal fit this music.

The music is a fun tag to the symphony though, leaving the listener in unusually high spirits.

Well, if bears weren't enough, now we have hens. Symphony no. 83 in G minor bears the moniker 'The Hen' due to its first movement's second thematic idea. I hear the idea best when the clucking is given over to the oboe later on, although the nickname is a subtle musical attribute to my ears.

Haydn's minor-keyed symphonies as of late have been disappointing to some degree as to how well it holds up its titled minor key. At least the opening movement, with its craggy, disjunct melodic line, gives the moody minor a fine sense of drama. Yet, Haydn pretty much abandons the key after the first movement, not to return in lieu of the parallel major, of which, he even ends the opening movement in G Major.

As with the previous symphony, the first movement of Hob. 1:83 feels fully developed and substantial, taking the two contrasting melodic ideas and ably putting them through the musical grinder in a most satisfying way. If Haydn's recapitulations remain unexpected, it is an identifiable attribute from the master composer.

The second movement is one of Haydn's delightful song-like creations, occasionally interrupted by sudden loudness in order to bring the drowsy song out of its lovely torpor. 

If Hob. 1:82's Minuet and Trio was a tad gangly, this one is more typically shaped, giving the flute and violin a duet in the Trio of the third movement.

Anyone expecting the G minor in the symphony's title to reappear in the final movement should feel a sense of disappointment, for G Major remains the key du jour. A galloping compound meter is given to this finale, another fun conclusion. The transition material is again rather chromatic in portions, a wonderful new attribute from Haydn.

If Hens and Bears were not intended by Haydn, the subtitle 'In Nomine Domini' is just plain incorrect, attributing a name meant for a completely different work. Oh well... at least the slow introduction bears the slightest credence to such a title.

That Largo introduction bears a curiously chromatic bass line towards the beginning of Symphony no. 84 in E-flat Major. Anything portentous dissolves away, though, when the Allegro proper begins, a delightfully propulsive first movement that is a little lighter in feeling compared to the previous two symphonies. I love when Haydn starts a development simply restating the main theme of the movement, only to wander shortly after, indicating his love of the melody in its original form.

Another set of lilting variations inhabits the Andante second movement. Set in B-flat Major, the first variation is put into the parallel B-flat minor, a tonality Haydn won't return to in these variations. Otherwise, the varied episodes are primarily decorous of the main idea, as well as using orchestrations to vary his song.

The Minuet is a wonderful example of how Haydn uses a rise and fall to structure his melodies. The Trio, on the other hand, focuses on the duet between bassoon and violin. 

Bassoon is also used to color the opening accompaniment of the last movement, yet is absent in its immediate restatement, one of Haydn's techniques of changing up repeated material. A scurrying quality is most apparent in the finale. Try as I might, the little horn peeps towards the end of the exposition would not sound out the words 'In Nomine Domini'. I guess it wasn't meant to be!

Works
Symphony 82 in C Major 'Bear', Hob. 1:82 (25.23)
Symphony 83 in G minor 'Hen', Hob. 1:83 (25.21)
Symphony 84 in E-flat Major, Hob. 1:84 (23.02)

Performers
Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra
Ádám Fischer, conductor

Label: Brilliant Classics
Year: 1991-94; 2002
Total Timing: 74.15