Haydn's Haus

[Sergeant Rock]

Christmas Special Now with Non-Canonical Nicknames Included!!! Christmas Special*

[jlaurson]

We have a printing error. Should be 78 not 71.

Sarge

Dang. Corrected now.

[Gurn Blanston]

Thought I would bump this back to the top since it went back so fast that most of the interested parties never knew it was there.

Part 18

1769

In terms of life in general, not a lot of big events in 1769. Of course, life wasn't dull at Esterházy anyway, the Prince felt it was imperative to keep the boys in the band busy at all times. The Prince began his custom of engaging the dramatic troupe of Carl Wahr to present plays and dramas to balance out the operas that he was beginning to show a strong interest in. It is believed that Haydn wrote incidental music for the Shakespearean plays that were performed, although the scores no longer exist. They would have likely been destroyed in the Great Fire of the late 1770's which took so much music.

But we also saw the return, for the first time in 10 years, of the string quartet. In the autumn of that year he started putting Op 9 on paper. This was a landmark in music history, since it codified the structure of a string quartet from that point on. Of course there were variations and still are, but IMO, the fact that anything other than 4 movements, with a sonata-form first movement and the other recognizable standards, are considered to be variations does no more than prove the rule.

The Stürm und Dräng "Romantic Crisis" was now in full sway, with elements being recognizable in clavier sonatas and string quartets as well as symphonies. This "Third Period" so-called was one of the most interesting phases of his career, on a par in some people's estimation with the final period of complete mastery that came to its peak in London in the 1790's.

The music of 1769:
Hob 01_048 Symphony in C
   Brüggen, OAE
Hob 01_065 Symphony in A
   Pinnock, Trevor/English Concert
Hob 01_106 Le Pescatrici: Sinfonia in D
   Manfred Huss / Haydn Sinfonietta Wien


Hob 03_19 Quartet in C for Strings Op. 9 #1
Hob 03_21 Quartet in G for Strings Op. 9 #3   
Hob 03_22 Quartet in d for Strings Op. 9 #4
   Quatuor Festetics


Hob 11_073 Trio in G for Baryton, Viola & Cello Book 4
Hob 11_074 Trio in D for Baryton, Viola & Cello Book 4
Hob 11_075 Trio in A for Baryton, Viola & Cello Book 4
Hob 11_076 Trio in C for Baryton, Viola & Cello Book 4
Hob 11_077 Trio in G for Baryton, Viola & Cello Book 4
Hob 11_078 Trio in D for Baryton, Viola & Cello Book 4
Hob 11_079 Trio in D for Baryton, Viola & Cello Book 4
Hob 11_080 Trio in G for Baryton, Viola & Cello Book 4
Hob 12_18 Divertimento in A for Baryton Solo
   Esterhazy Ensemble


Hob 17a_01 Sonata in F for Keyboard 4 hands "Maestro e Scolare"
Hob 17a_02 Sonata  in F for 2 Keyboards
   Christine Schornsheim / Andreas Staier


Hob 18_04 Concerto in G for Keyboard
   Musica Antiqua Amsterdam / Koopman
Hob 18_04 Concerto in G for Keyboard
   Concerto Copenhagen / Mortensen Brautigam 


Hob 28_04 Dramma giocoso in 3 Acts 'Le Pescatrici'   The Orchestra & Choir of the Lithuanian Opera / Olga Géczy


A relatively light year, in terms of volume, but some nice pieces, and the beginnings of some trends that would last.

An interesting item is the one called Hob I:106. It was thought for many years to be a sinfonia, thus it got the name Symphony 106 when it was discovered. But down the road, when the fragments of the score of Le Pescatrici (The Fisher Girls) turned up, it was realized to be the overture for same. Of course, one can't change a number, the public won't stand for it!  

The first 3 quartets of Op 9 (the remainder to follow in 1770) also showed up, led off by the wonderful d minor #4 (but first in order of composition). I find it interesting that these early quartets, which Haydn still called 'divertimento', were specifically named by him years later as the first of his true string quartets, and so they are thought of today. All of the characteristics are there, so if you are among the crowd who doesn't like to get into early works on the premise (false, of course) that they will disappoint in relation to the later works, then you need have no fear here. Dig in!

As opera gains popularity with the Prince, it seems (if one goes by volume) that baryton works are finally losing their ascendancy. With #80 in the books this year, we are more than 2/3 of the way through the entire trio oeuvre. The best is yet to come in a few years though, with the grand finale adios to the baryton via the octets. Not yet though, still some great trios in the offing.

We have 2 versions of the #4 keyboard concerto here. The original cembalo version in a nicely played rendition by Koopman, and then a rollicking fortepiano one by Brautigam. This concerto is a tough one to nail down the original instrument for. As early as the very beginning of the 1770's, it was being played in Vienna on the fortepiano, released in score as such. And even in Haydn's own original, there are dynamic markings that really aren't intended for the harpsichord. But even those of us in the camp that places fortepianos in Esterházy as early as 1773 are hard pressed to go back as far as 1769 with them. I personally like it both ways.

And an opera. "Le Pescatrici" is based on a libretto by Goldoni, the undisputed king of opera buffa and 'dramma giocoso'. It is a blend of those 2 styles, and the surviving parts are very lovely indeed. Much of the recitative is original, but a lot of it was composed by Robbins-Landon in an effort (largely successful, IMO) to make the opera performable. This recording pictured is the only one there is. I have hopes that Huss & company will do it over, as they did with 'Acide'. Meanwhile, this one is good enough to be way better than no version at all!

As always, I invite your feedback, input, clarifications, questions, answers, smartass remarks... 

[Karl Henning]

. . . An interesting item is the one called Hob I:106. It was thought for many years to be a sinfonia, thus it got the name Symphony 106 when it was discovered. [....]

Well, and the symphony itself (sinfonia) originated as la sinfonia avanti l'opera.  And, to be sure, "Pops" was there at (or near) the gate.

[Gurn Blanston]

Well, and the symphony itself (sinfonia) originated as la sinfonia avanti l'opera.  And, to be sure, "Pops" was there at (or near) the gate.

Yes, we were talking about just that in The Corner the other day, when the topic of Sammartini came up. The Italian sinfonia was devised as a curtain raiser and to give people the cue to sit down and shut up. It took some people with vision to advance that into the Ninth Symphony of Beethoven, the greatest piece of music of the Western World.

[Karl Henning]

And the Prokofiev Second, the greatest symphony after Beethoven ; )

[chasmaniac]

 

Good Lord! You guys know where this sort of thing leads, right?

[Sergeant Rock]

Good Lord! You guys know where this sort of thing leads, right?

It leads to no good...and to men with large hammers.

Sarge

[Gurn Blanston]

It leads to no good...and to men with large hammers.

Sarge

Yeah, but not here...

[Lethevich]

Oh sweet, the goat is gaining some traction

Thanks, as ever, for your chronological entires, Gurn. I like how once you reach his final year, you can gradually expand each earlier one as you learn more/new information comes to light Maybe by the time you've finished you'll have your book already written

[jlaurson]

Oh sweet, the goat is gaining some traction

Only after first losing it... 

[Gurn Blanston]

Oh sweet, the goat is gaining some traction

Thanks, as ever, for your chronological entires, Gurn. I like how once you reach his final year, you can gradually expand each earlier one as you learn more/new information comes to light Maybe by the time you've finished you'll have your book already written

Thanks, Lethe. I am getting a bit more relaxed with the writing aspect now, so I am expanding a bit more. When I started out, I wasn't sure exactly what to write. Still aren't, but getting better.

If the goat gains too much traction, will it not cease to stumble? What a disaster for your premise.

[Lethevich]

Eventually we'll have to pester everyone to change the name to Goat und Verklärung.

[Gurn Blanston]

Thanks to Navneeth for formatting our little list of symphonies. I was too busy to note it earlier, but am most grateful for the effort. Although he did overlook naming Hob 78 as 'The Stumbling Goat'. Yet I think that can be forgiven.



----------------
Now playing:

  Concerto Copenhagen; Mortensen Brautigam - Hob 18_04 Concerto in G for Keyboard and Orchestra 2nd mvmt - Adagio

[Opus106]

Although he did overlook naming Hob 78 as 'The Stumbling Goat'. Yet I think that can be forgiven.

I did not compile the list, sir.

[Gurn Blanston]

I did not compile the list, sir.

Oh, OK, blame it on me...   Actually, the limping goat didn't appear in timely enough fashion for my purposes. I'm not fully convinced of it yet. Unlike the Cat...

[Geo Dude]

This will be of little benefit to me since I already ordered the disc (what can I say?  Under $2.50 in great condition), but it may direct some others to a good work, or cause them to steer clear.  So I must ask...



How is this disc?

[Gurn Blanston]

This will be of little benefit to me since I already ordered the disc (what can I say?  Under $2.50 in great condition), but it may direct some others to a good work, or cause them to steer clear.  So I must ask...



How is this disc?

IMO, the masterpiece of the year was the Cello Concerto #1. Written for his first chair cello and close friend Joseph Weigl, it was one of the very early Classical concertos that is still very much in the repertoire today. As you see, I have a couple of versions of it posted, since I simply can't choose between them. Yet another is that of Queyras with the Freibourg Baroque. A great enough work to merit several versions.

I think it's very fine. If you can get it for a good price, that's just a bonus. Kraft, BTW, was Haydn's first cello, although not at the time that concerto #1 was composed (1763). There was some confusion over whether he or Haydn had actually composed the concerto #2, until a signed autograph of the score was discovered post-WW II. 

[Sergeant Rock]

Oh, OK, blame it on me...   Actually, the limping goat didn't appear in timely enough fashion for my purposes. I'm not fully convinced of it yet. Unlike the Cat...

Excellent. Now that I have such a renowned Haydn expert behind this, I'll begin peddling my cover design. Surely Harmonia Mundi will have an interest...you know, for their Haydn Edition   




Sarge

[Gurn Blanston]

  Can you swing by and see if the Freiburgers will play it for us, Sarge? I think that would be right up their alley. And you should ask them to accent appropriately so you don't have to explain it all the time. It will feature prominently in my book though (unless it is a vanity publication and I have to pay by the page to get it published).