Symphony No. 100 (Haydn)
Encyclopedia
The Symphony No. 100 in G major
, Hoboken
I/100, is the eighth of the twelve so-called London Symphonies
written by Joseph Haydn
and completed in 1793
or 1794
. It is popularly known as the Military Symphony.
form and scored for two flute
s, two oboe
s, two clarinet
s, two bassoon
s, two horns
, two trumpet
s, timpani
, triangle
, cymbal
s, bass drum
and strings
. In several editions there is only one flute
.
The first movement is in sonata form
with a slow introduction that hints at motifs that will appear later in the movement. The Allegro begins with a dancing theme which is unexpectedly scored only for flutes and oboes. The strings respond by repeating the theme an octave lower. The tutti then transitions the music to the dominant key for the second subject area, which begins with the first theme transposed to D major. This theme is briefly developed in D minor before a new subject in the dominant is stated with a rocking motif in the violins. Haydn's use of themes and keys here demonstrates an important point about sonata form: the second subject is defined by the new key , not (only) a new theme. The repetition of the 1st subject in the dominant in this movement, at bar 75, is therefore the beginning of the 2nd subject area, even though the new theme does not appear until some twenty bars later.
A tutti codetta brings the first movement exposition to a close. Following a repeat, the development begins with a grand pause of two measures, the rocking motif appears in the distant key of B-flat major and is developed upward through several keys. The first theme then returns in E major and is development in tandem with the rocking motif back towards the tonic for the recapitulation. In the recapitulation, the response to the dancing flute/oboe theme is by the full tutti instead of just the strings. The rocking motif returns several times and a full tutti brings the movement to a close without a coda.
The "Military" second movement is derived from a movement from an earlier Concerto for Lire Organizzata in G, Hob. VIIh/3, which Haydn had composed for Ferdinand IV, King of Naples
. The movement is in ternary form with central section in the minor. The instrumentation is richer than the other movements of the symphony. It is the only movement that uses divided viola
s and clarinets, but most importantly is the use of "Turkish" instruments
(triangle, cymbals and bass drum) which make their first appearance in the central minor section. The movement concludes with an extended coda featuring a bugle call for solo trumpet, a timpani roll, which was a revolutionary adaptation of the instrument, and a loud outburst in A flat major.
In contrast to Haydn's trend of speeding up his minuets, here he slows the pace back to Moderato providing a more old-fashioned aristocratic minuet.
The finale is in sonata rondo form
. The primary theme became a popular tune in its time. In the center of the movement is a development-like section which contains a surprise timpani strike followed by a traversal of many distant keys. Near the end of the movement, the "Turkish" instruments return coloring the tutti sections for the rest of the way.
G major
G 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...
, Hoboken
Hoboken-Verzeichnis
The Hoboken-Verzeichnis is the catalogue of over 750 works by Joseph Haydn as compiled by Anthony van Hoboken.Unlike Ludwig von Köchel's catalogue of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's works, or Otto Erich Deutsch's catalogue of Franz Schubert's works, which are both arranged chronologically by date of...
I/100, is the eighth of the twelve so-called London Symphonies
London symphonies
The London symphonies, sometimes called the Salomon symphonies after the man who introduced London to Joseph Haydn, were composed by Joseph Haydn between 1791 and 1795...
written 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...
and completed in 1793
1793 in music
-Events:*September 25 – The Chevalier de Saint-Georges, the "black Mozart", loses his command and is imprisoned at Houdainville.* Niccolò Paganini debuts as a violin virtuoso at age 11-Classical Music:...
or 1794
1794 in music
-Classical music:*Joseph Eybler – Christmas Oratorio*Joseph Haydn**Symphonies 100 in G "Military" and 101 in D "Clock"**Piano Sonata in E-flat, Hob XVI:52-Opera:*Luigi Cherubini - Eliza*Friedrich Heinrich Himmel – Il primo navigatore...
. It is popularly known as the Military Symphony.
Nickname (Military)
The nickname "Military" derives from the second movement, which features prominent fanfares written for C-trumpets and percussion effects. One reviewer wrote after the premiere that the second movement evoked the "hellish roar of war increas[ing] to a climax of horrid sublimity!"Movements
The work is in standard four movementMovement (music)
A movement is a self-contained part of a musical composition or musical form. While individual or selected movements from a composition are sometimes performed separately, a performance of the complete work requires all the movements to be performed in succession...
form and scored for two flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
s, two 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, two clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
s, two 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...
s, two horns
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 ....
, two trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
s, timpani
Timpani
Timpani, or kettledrums, are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum, they consist of a skin called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally made of copper. They are played by striking the head with a specialized drum stick called a timpani stick or timpani mallet...
, triangle
Triangle (instrument)
The triangle is an idiophone type of musical instrument in the percussion family. It is a bar of metal, usually steel but sometimes other metals like beryllium copper, bent into a triangle shape. The instrument is usually held by a loop of some form of thread or wire at the top curve...
, cymbal
Cymbal
Cymbals are a common percussion instrument. Cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys; see cymbal making for a discussion of their manufacture. The greater majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs sound a...
s, bass drum
Bass drum
Bass drums are percussion instruments that can vary in size and are used in several musical genres. Three major types of bass drums can be distinguished. The type usually seen or heard in orchestral, ensemble or concert band music is the orchestral, or concert bass drum . It is the largest drum of...
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...
. In several editions there is only one flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
.
- Adagio; Allegro, 2/2
- Allegretto, 2/2 in C majorC majorC major is a musical major scale based on C, with pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Its key signature has no flats/sharps.Its relative minor is A minor, and its parallel minor is C minor....
- Menuetto: Moderato, 3/4
- Presto, 6/8
The first movement is in sonata form
Sonata form
Sonata form is a large-scale musical structure used widely since the middle of the 18th century . While it is typically used in the first movement of multi-movement pieces, it is sometimes used in subsequent movements as well—particularly the final movement...
with a slow introduction that hints at motifs that will appear later in the movement. The Allegro begins with a dancing theme which is unexpectedly scored only for flutes and oboes. The strings respond by repeating the theme an octave lower. The tutti then transitions the music to the dominant key for the second subject area, which begins with the first theme transposed to D major. This theme is briefly developed in D minor before a new subject in the dominant is stated with a rocking motif in the violins. Haydn's use of themes and keys here demonstrates an important point about sonata form: the second subject is defined by the new key , not (only) a new theme. The repetition of the 1st subject in the dominant in this movement, at bar 75, is therefore the beginning of the 2nd subject area, even though the new theme does not appear until some twenty bars later.
A tutti codetta brings the first movement exposition to a close. Following a repeat, the development begins with a grand pause of two measures, the rocking motif appears in the distant key of B-flat major and is developed upward through several keys. The first theme then returns in E major and is development in tandem with the rocking motif back towards the tonic for the recapitulation. In the recapitulation, the response to the dancing flute/oboe theme is by the full tutti instead of just the strings. The rocking motif returns several times and a full tutti brings the movement to a close without a coda.
The "Military" second movement is derived from a movement from an earlier Concerto for Lire Organizzata in G, Hob. VIIh/3, which Haydn had composed for Ferdinand IV, King of Naples
Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies
Ferdinand I reigned variously over Naples, Sicily, and the Two Sicilies from 1759 until his death. He was the third son of King Charles III of Spain by his wife Maria Amalia of Saxony. On 10 August 1759, Charles succeeded his elder brother, Ferdinand VI, as King Charles III of Spain...
. The movement is in ternary form with central section in the minor. The instrumentation is richer than the other movements of the symphony. It is the only movement that uses divided 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 and clarinets, but most importantly is the use of "Turkish" instruments
Turkish music (style)
"Turkish music", in the sense described here, is not music of Turkey, but rather a musical style called Alla turca that was occasionally used by European composers of the 17th and 18th centuries...
(triangle, cymbals and bass drum) which make their first appearance in the central minor section. The movement concludes with an extended coda featuring a bugle call for solo trumpet, a timpani roll, which was a revolutionary adaptation of the instrument, and a loud outburst in A flat major.
In contrast to Haydn's trend of speeding up his minuets, here he slows the pace back to Moderato providing a more old-fashioned aristocratic minuet.
The finale is in sonata rondo form
Sonata rondo form
Sonata rondo form was a form of musical organization often used during the Classical music era. As the name implies, it is a blend of sonata form and rondo form.- Structure :...
. The primary theme became a popular tune in its time. In the center of the movement is a development-like section which contains a surprise timpani strike followed by a traversal of many distant keys. Near the end of the movement, the "Turkish" instruments return coloring the tutti sections for the rest of the way.