Symphony No. 2 (Haydn)
Encyclopedia
Joseph Haydn
's Symphony No. 2 in C major, Hoboken I/2, is believed to have been written between 1757 and 1761.
It is scored for 2 oboe
s, bassoon
, 2 horn
s, strings and continuo. Like many of the earliest symphonies by Haydn and others of the time, it is in three movements:
In the second movement, the wind instruments are omitted and the violins play in semiquavers from start to finish (a kind of perpetuum mobile
) with the pattern frequently broken by the use of trills. The writing for the viola
s in this slow movement is unimaginative as they double the bass part throughout (e.g., "col basso," which was common in the period). The last movement is "Haydn's first attempt at a symphonic rondo and is characterized by a preoccupation with imitative processes." It is the only one of Haydn's symphonies that contains no repeat signs. Its also one of his shortest symphonies; performances generally last less than ten minutes.
Joseph Haydn
Franz Joseph Haydn , known as Joseph Haydn , was an Austrian composer, one of the most prolific and prominent composers of the Classical period. He is often called the "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet" because of his important contributions to these forms...
's Symphony No. 2 in C major, Hoboken I/2, is believed to have been written between 1757 and 1761.
It is scored for 2 oboe
Oboe
The oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...
s, bassoon
Bassoon
The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family that typically plays music written in the bass and tenor registers, and occasionally higher. Appearing in its modern form in the 19th century, the bassoon figures prominently in orchestral, concert band and chamber music literature...
, 2 horn
Horn (instrument)
The horn is a brass instrument consisting of about of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. A musician who plays the horn is called a horn player ....
s, strings and continuo. Like many of the earliest symphonies by Haydn and others of the time, it is in three movements:
- Allegro, 2/2
- Andante in G majorG majorG major is a major scale based on G, with the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has one sharp, F; in treble-clef key signatures, the sharp-symbol for F is usually placed on the first line from the top, though in some Baroque music it is placed on the first space from the bottom...
, 2/4 - Presto, 3/8
In the second movement, the wind instruments are omitted and the violins play in semiquavers from start to finish (a kind of perpetuum mobile
Perpetuum mobile
Perpetuum mobile , moto perpetuo , mouvement perpétuel , movimiento perpetuo , literally meaning "perpetual motion", means two distinct things:#pieces of music, or parts of pieces, characterised by a continuous steady stream of notes, usually at a...
) with the pattern frequently broken by the use of trills. The writing for the viola
Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
s in this slow movement is unimaginative as they double the bass part throughout (e.g., "col basso," which was common in the period). The last movement is "Haydn's first attempt at a symphonic rondo and is characterized by a preoccupation with imitative processes." It is the only one of Haydn's symphonies that contains no repeat signs. Its also one of his shortest symphonies; performances generally last less than ten minutes.