Symphony No. 48 (Haydn)
Encyclopedia
The Symphony No. 48 in C major
, Hoboken I/48, is a symphony
by Joseph Haydn
written in 1768
or 1769
. The work has the nickname Maria Theresia as it was long thought to have been composed for a visit by the Holy Roman Empress
, Maria Theresa of Austria
in 1773. An earlier copy dated 1769 was later found, but the nickname has stuck. The symphony composed for the empress's visit was most likely No. 50
.
H. C. Robbins Landon
has described this symphony as a "great and indeed germinal work." It was one of the very few Haydn symphonies of this period to survive throughout the nineteenth century in various editions.
s, bassoon
, two horns
(first, third and last movement in C alto, second movement in F), and strings
. Parts for two trumpet
s and timpani
were added later but scholars are not sure whether or not these really are by Haydn. Some copies of the Eulenburg edition include two different timpani parts on the same staff, the more doubtful version differentiated by stems down and written in a facsimile of handwriting.
The first movement "contains a development section more complex than the minor-keyed symphonies of the same period, but not as complex as the C major Fürnberg-Morzin symphonies," and the finale has a "secondary development" in the recapitulation that compensates for the brevity of the actual development.
Haydn later quoted the opening of the first movement in his "Laudon" Symphony (no. 69)
.
C major
C 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....
, Hoboken I/48, is a symphony
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...
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...
written in 1768
1768 in music
- Events :*Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his family are resident in Vienna until December.*Antonio Sacchini returns to Venice to become director of the Conservatorio dell'Ospadeletto.*Giuseppe Tartini suffers a stroke....
or 1769
1769 in music
- Events :*Luigi Boccherini goes to Madrid as the court chamber music composer to the Infante Don Luis.*Wenzel Pichl becomes musical director for Count Ludwig Hartig in Prague...
. The work has the nickname Maria Theresia as it was long thought to have been composed for a visit by the Holy Roman Empress
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
, Maria Theresa of Austria
Maria Theresa of Austria
Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina was the only female ruler of the Habsburg dominions and the last of the House of Habsburg. She was the sovereign of Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Mantua, Milan, Lodomeria and Galicia, the Austrian Netherlands and Parma...
in 1773. An earlier copy dated 1769 was later found, but the nickname has stuck. The symphony composed for the empress's visit was most likely No. 50
Symphony No. 50 (Haydn)
The Symphony No. 50 in C major, Hoboken I/50, by Joseph Haydn was written partly in 1773 and partly in 1774.Scored for 2 oboes, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani and strings. Since the trumpets double the horns at the same pitch for most of the piece, Antony Hodgson has suggested the trumpets may be...
.
H. C. Robbins Landon
H. C. Robbins Landon
Howard Chandler Robbins Landon was an American musicologist.He was born in Boston, Massachusetts and studied music at Swarthmore College and Boston University. He subsequently moved to Europe where he worked as a music critic. From 1947 he undertook research in Vienna on Joseph Haydn, a composer...
has described this symphony as a "great and indeed germinal work." It was one of the very few Haydn symphonies of this period to survive throughout the nineteenth century in various editions.
Instrumentation
The symphony is scored for 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, 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...
, 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 ....
(first, third and last movement in C alto, second movement in F), 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...
. Parts for 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 and 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...
were added later but scholars are not sure whether or not these really are by Haydn. Some copies of the Eulenburg edition include two different timpani parts on the same staff, the more doubtful version differentiated by stems down and written in a facsimile of handwriting.
Movements
- Allegro, 4/4
- Adagio in F majorF majorF major is a musical major scale based on F, consisting of the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. Its key signature has one flat . It is by far the oldest key signature with an accidental, predating the others by hundreds of years...
, 6/8 - 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...
: Allegretto & trio, 3/4 - Finale: Allegro, 2/2
The first movement "contains a development section more complex than the minor-keyed symphonies of the same period, but not as complex as the C major Fürnberg-Morzin symphonies," and the finale has a "secondary development" in the recapitulation that compensates for the brevity of the actual development.
Haydn later quoted the opening of the first movement in his "Laudon" Symphony (no. 69)
Symphony No. 69 (Haydn)
The Symphony No. 69 is a symphony by Joseph Haydn in C major, Hoboken I/69, known as the "Laudon" symphony'. It was composed around 1775-1776. It represent a stylistic departure from the composer's earlier intense Sturm und Drang period and was written at the same time as Haydn was writing...
.