Symphony No. 91 (Haydn)
Encyclopedia
The Symphony No. 91 in E-flat major, Hoboken 1/91, is written by Joseph Haydn
. It was completed in 1788 as part of a three-symphony commission by Comte d'Ogny for the Concerts de la Loge Olympique. It is occasionally referred to as The Letter T referring to an older method of cataloguing Haydn's symphonic output.
The autograph manuscript bears a dedication to D'Ogny, but Haydn also gave Prince Krafft Ernst von Oettingen-Wallerstein a copy as if it were an original.
form and scored for flute
, two oboe
s, two bassoon
s, two horns
, continuo
(harpsichord
) and strings
. It is the last symphony that Haydn composed that is not scored for trumpet
s and timpani
.
The first movement opens with a slow introduction which Haydn works beautifully into the opening allegro assai. The Allegro's first theme is derived from an idea Haydn used in his cantata Arianna a Naxos, Hob. XXVIa/2, composed the same year. The theme is chromatic, legato and in two-part inverted counterpoint. The second theme is dancelike. Both the themes are closely linked with the opening largo.
The slow movement consists of a set of three variations on a theme. Listen to the bassoon and the accompanying string filigree in the first variation and the series of trills near the end of the movement.
The minuet includes a trio in the bassoon accompanied by plucked strings.
The finale opens quietly and builds gradually to a close.
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...
. It was completed in 1788 as part of a three-symphony commission by Comte d'Ogny for the Concerts de la Loge Olympique. It is occasionally referred to as The Letter T referring to an older method of cataloguing Haydn's symphonic output.
The autograph manuscript bears a dedication to D'Ogny, but Haydn also gave Prince Krafft Ernst von Oettingen-Wallerstein a copy as if it were an original.
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 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...
, 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 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 ....
, continuo
Figured bass
Figured bass, or thoroughbass, is a kind of integer musical notation used to indicate intervals, chords, and non-chord tones, in relation to a bass note...
(harpsichord
Harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
) 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...
. It is the last symphony that Haydn composed that is not scored for 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...
.
- Largo - Allegro assai
- Andante
- Minuet
- Vivace
The first movement opens with a slow introduction which Haydn works beautifully into the opening allegro assai. The Allegro's first theme is derived from an idea Haydn used in his cantata Arianna a Naxos, Hob. XXVIa/2, composed the same year. The theme is chromatic, legato and in two-part inverted counterpoint. The second theme is dancelike. Both the themes are closely linked with the opening largo.
The slow movement consists of a set of three variations on a theme. Listen to the bassoon and the accompanying string filigree in the first variation and the series of trills near the end of the movement.
The minuet includes a trio in the bassoon accompanied by plucked strings.
The finale opens quietly and builds gradually to a close.