Symphony No. 39 (Haydn)
Encyclopedia
The Symphony No. 39 is a symphony
in G minor
(Hoboken 1/39) by Joseph Haydn
in 1767 or 1768. It is the earliest of Haydn's minor key symphonies associated with his Sturm und Drang
period works (such as the Symphony No. 45
). The work was influential and inspired later G minor symphonies by Johann Baptist Vanhal
, Johann Christian Bach
(Op. 6, No. 6) and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
(No. 25
).
s, four horn
s (two in B flat alto and two in G), and strings
(violin
s divided into two, viola
s, cello
s and double bass
es). There are four movements:
The opening movement features a nervously exciting main theme with interrupted by frequent pauses. Both the first and second theme groups begin with the same two bars of melodic material.
In contrast to the Sturm und Drang of the opening movement, A. P. Brown describes the Andante as "one of Haydn most galant
slow movements, with its small meter signature, sixteenth tripets, slides, weak resolutions, echoes, and generally thin texture".
The minor mode returns for the Minuet which is contrasted by a bright major-mode Trio which features high notes for the first horn.
The frenetic Sturm und Drang finale brings the symphony to an energetic conclusion.
Symphony
A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, scored almost always for orchestra. A symphony usually contains at least one movement or episode composed according to the sonata principle...
in G minor
G minor
G minor is a minor scale based on G, consisting of the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. For the harmonic minor scale, the F is raised to F. Its relative major is B-flat major, and its parallel major is G major....
(Hoboken 1/39) by Joseph Haydn
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...
in 1767 or 1768. It is the earliest of Haydn's minor key symphonies associated with his Sturm und Drang
Sturm und Drang
Sturm und Drang is a proto-Romantic movement in German literature and music taking place from the late 1760s through the early 1780s, in which individual subjectivity and, in particular, extremes of emotion were given free expression in reaction to the perceived constraints of rationalism...
period works (such as the Symphony No. 45
Symphony No. 45 (Haydn)
Symphony No. 45 in F-sharp minor, known as the "Farewell" Symphony , was composed by Joseph Haydn in 1772....
). The work was influential and inspired later G minor symphonies by Johann Baptist Vanhal
Johann Baptist Vanhal
Johann Baptist Vanhal also spelled Wanhal, Waṅhall or Wanhall was an important classical music composer born in Nechanice, Bohemia to a Czech family.- Biography :...
, Johann Christian Bach
Johann Christian Bach
Johann Christian Bach was a composer of the Classical era, the eleventh and youngest son of Johann Sebastian Bach. He is sometimes referred to as 'the London Bach' or 'the English Bach', due to his time spent living in the British capital...
(Op. 6, No. 6) and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
(No. 25
Symphony No. 25 (Mozart)
The Symphony No. 25 in G minor, K. 183/173dB, was written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in October 1773, shortly after the success of his opera seria Lucio Silla. It was supposedly completed October 5, a mere two days after the completion of his Symphony No. 24, although this remains unsubstantiated...
).
Movements
It is written for an orchestra consisting of two oboeOboe
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, four 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 (two in B flat alto and two in G), and strings
String instrument
A string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
(violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
s divided into two, 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, cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
s and double bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
es). There are four movements:
- Allegro assai, 4/4
- Andante, 3/8 in E flat majorE flat majorE major or E-flat major is a major scale based on E-flat, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has three flats: B, E, A.Its relative minor is C minor, and its parallel minor is E minor....
- MenuetMinuetA minuet, also spelled menuet, is a social dance of French origin for two people, usually in 3/4 time. The word was adapted from Italian minuetto and French menuet, and may have been from French menu meaning slender, small, referring to the very small steps, or from the early 17th-century popular...
, 3/4 - Finale: Allegro di molto, 4/4
The opening movement features a nervously exciting main theme with interrupted by frequent pauses. Both the first and second theme groups begin with the same two bars of melodic material.
In contrast to the Sturm und Drang of the opening movement, A. P. Brown describes the Andante as "one of Haydn most galant
Galant
In music, Galant was a term referring to a style, principally occurring in the third quarter of the 18th century, which featured a return to classical simplicity after the complexity of the late Baroque era...
slow movements, with its small meter signature, sixteenth tripets, slides, weak resolutions, echoes, and generally thin texture".
The minor mode returns for the Minuet which is contrasted by a bright major-mode Trio which features high notes for the first horn.
The frenetic Sturm und Drang finale brings the symphony to an energetic conclusion.