The creator of the symphony genre is J. Haydn. A symphony is the highest form of instrumental music, providing the composer with wide scope for embodying the most grandiose themes. The most important feature of symphonic music is that ideological plan works - deep and significant - are revealed in a wide and varied development, sometimes conflicting, contradictory, intensely dramatic. The conflict, energy and conceptuality of the first part of the symphony are balanced in general in two ways: either through the fundamental contrast of “easy - complex” (after the sonata allegro - the dance part of the minuet or cheerful rondo), or through the exhaustive development of the conflict.

For more than a third of a century he created symphonies (from the late 50s to the mid-90s). Haydn's 28 program symphonies.

Haydn created his symphonies from the late 50s to the mid-90s. Haydn's first symphonies date back to the period of formation of European classical symphonism, and they were an important link in the process of forming the stylistic foundations of the mature symphonism of the Viennese school. Haydn's later symphonies were written when all of Mozart's symphonies already existed and the young Beethoven was developing the principles of his symphonic thinking in piano sonatas and chamber ensembles, approaching the creation of his first symphony. Haydn's late symphonies demonstrate mature classical symphonism.

The evolution of Haydn's symphonic work is of interest not only for studying creative path great composer, but also for understanding the formation and development of classical symphony of the 18th century in general. Haydn's early symphonies are still in no way essentially different from chamber music (which he wrote at the same time) and almost do not go beyond the usual entertainment and everyday genres of that era. Only in the 70s did works appear that expressed more deep world images (“Funeral Symphony”, “Farewell Symphony” and some others). Gradually, as the composer evolves creatively, his symphonies become saturated with deeper dramatic content. If many of Haydn's early symphonies differed little from the suite with its somewhat externally contrasting arrangement of parts, mainly of a dance nature, then gradually in symphonic works a process of overcoming the suite takes place. While maintaining connections with the suite, Haydn's mature symphonies at the same time become integral works, the four parts of which, different in nature, are different stages in the development of a single circle of images. All this was achieved to a certain extent in Haydn’s “Paris” symphonies of 1786, as well as in individual earlier symphonies. But the highest achievement of Haydn's symphonism are the 12 “London” symphonies.

"London" symphonies. With the exception of one (C minor), all of Haydn's London symphonies are written in major keys. Although major or minor scale in itself cannot be a criterion for determining the content piece of music, in this case, the major character of the vast majority of Haydn’s works is an important indicator of their optimism, bright and joyful sense of life.

Each of Haydn's "London" symphonies (with the exception of C minor) begins with a short slow introduction of a solemnly majestic, thoughtfully focused, lyrically pensive or calmly contemplative character (usually at a largo or adagio tempo). The slow introduction sharply contrasts with the subsequent allegro (which is, in fact, the first movement of the symphony) and at the same time prepares it. But there is no clear figurative contrast between the themes of the main and secondary parts. Both of them are usually of a folk song and dance nature. There is only a tonal contrast: the main tonality of the main parts is contrasted with the dominant tonality of the side parts. In those cases where the main and secondary parts differ in thematic material, they are largely similar in the nature of the music and in their imagery.

Developments that are built through motivic isolation received significant development in Haydn's symphonies. A short, but most active segment is separated from the theme of the main or secondary part and undergoes a rather long independent development (continuous modulations in different keys, carried out with different instruments and in different registers). This gives developments a dynamic and aspirational character.

Slow parts. The second (slow) movements have a different character: sometimes thoughtfully lyrical, concentrated, sometimes songlike, in some cases march-like. They also vary in shape. The most common are complex three-part and variation forms.

Minuets. The third movements of the "London" symphonies are always called Menuetto (minuet). But Haydn's minuets differ from the prim and gallant court minuets, to the sounds of which dancing couples bowed and curtsied. Many of Haydn's minuets have the character of village dances with their somewhat heavy gait, sweeping melody, unexpected accents and rhythmic shifts, often creating humorous effect. The three-beat size of the traditional minuet is preserved, but the figurative and semantic content of the music changes: the minuet loses its aristocratic sophistication and becomes a democratic, peasant dance.

Finals. In the finales of Haydn's symphonies, genre images that also go back to folk dance music usually attract attention. Cheerfully and naturally rushes into fast pace the music of the finale, completing the entire symphony, which is cheerful and essentially genre-dance in its figurative structure.

The form of finales is most often sonata or rondo sonata. In some finales of Haydn’s “London” symphonies, the techniques of variation and polyphonic (imitation) development are widely used, further emphasizing the rapid movement of the music and dynamizing the entire musical fabric.

The orchestra in Haydn's symphonies consists of the usual paired composition: 2 flutes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, a pair of timpani, a string quintet. Trombones for the first time in symphonic music were used only in the finales of some Beethoven symphonies. Of the woodwind instruments, not all of Haydn's symphonies use clarinets. The clarinet, invented in the 17th century, was practically introduced into symphonies by composers of the Mannheim school. For example, in the G major (“War”) symphony they participate only in the second movement. Only in the scores of Haydn's last two London symphonies Nos. 103 and 104 are there two clarinets along with two flutes, oboes and bassoons. The leading role is played by the first violins, who are entrusted with the presentation of the main thematic material, but flutes and oboes also actively participate in its presentation and development, either doubling the violins or alternating with them in carrying out the theme or its passages. The cellos and double basses play the same bass line (the double basses are only an octave lower than the cellos). Therefore, in Haydn’s scores, their parts are written on the same line. Horns and trumpets generally have a very modest function, emphasizing harmony and rhythm in some places. In cases where all the instruments of the orchestra (tutti) play the forte theme in unison, the horns and trumpets participate on equal terms with the other instruments. Most often this is associated with fanfare themes. You can refer as an example to the main part (presented by the whole orchestra, from Symphony No. 97 in C Major.

Haydn is the creator of the classical symphony genre. The symphony also went through a long development path in Haydn’s work. And only his mature symphonies received the most perfect, classical form - a four-part cycle with a certain sequence of parts.

Many of Haydn's symphonies have their own titles: "Morning", "Noon", "Evening and Storm". Haydn’s symphonies most often owe their names to the second movements, where the composer likes to imitate something: this is how the “Military” symphony arose, where military fanfares are heard in the second movement, and this is how the “Clock” symphony arose, where the second movement begins with “ticking”... There are also the “Bear” symphony, the “Hunting” symphony and the “Chicken” symphony.

The first movement of Symphony No. 48, 1773, named after the Austrian Empress Maria Theresa, perfectly conveys the upbeat atmosphere of Haydn's music, its constant cheerfulness and wit. "Farewell" symphony (No. 45, 1772). Haydn got its name from the finale. During the performance, the musicians gradually leave the stage one by one. So Haydn hinted to his patron, Prince Nicholas, that the musicians were waiting for their departure from the summer estate of Esterhazy to the warm Eisenstadt, and the departure was scheduled for the very next day after the premiere. The finale of the Farewell Symphony clearly demonstrates character traits music of the "gallant age".

12 London symphonies complete symphonic creativity Haydn. In 1793-94, when they were created, Haydn was crowned with glory, favored by nobles, but continued to work tirelessly as always. He accomplished everything he was called to do: the London symphonies radiate contentment and peace, joy and light. They express the philosophical optimism and constant desire for action so characteristic of the Age of Enlightenment.

Symphony No. 100, 1792, “Military”, I movement. Sonata allegro the best way reflects the contrasts and variability of existence, expresses the theatricality and effectiveness of the Enlightenment.

Symphony No. 103, Es major, begins with a tremolo timpani, which is how it gets its name. The symphony has a bright, cheerful character.

EVOLUTION OF THE SYMPHONY IN THE WORK OF HAYDN (1732 – 1809)

Meaning. Haydn's creative life was long and covered both a turning point in the musical development of Western Europe and the era of maturation and full maturity of the Viennese classical school. In his youth, he turned out to be a contemporary of the “war of the buffoons”, the flowering of comic opera genres, and the formation of the Mannheim school. Under him, the activities of Bach's sons took place, and under him, Gluck's reform was begun and completed. Mozart's entire life passed entirely within his memory. The musical culture of the French Revolution emerged at the same time when he reached his highest creative maturity. During Haydn's lifetime, six Beethoven symphonies were created. Having begun to create in the years of the late Handel, Haydn finished his creative work on the eve of the appearance of Beethoven’s “Eroic” Symphony, and died only when the young Schubert had already begun to compose.

On this vast creative path, running as if through different eras musical art, Haydn, who never composed any original programs, showed amazing independence. It brought him closer in principle to Bach, Handel, Gluck and distinguished him from the early symphonists (whose ranks he was called to join), expressing that he not only perfectly assimilated the artistic achievements close to him, but also boldly brushed aside everything excessive, sometimes he even rejected what he had discovered for the sake of higher musical goals

Far from being a polyphonist, like the masters of the older generation, he at the same time did not settle on that elementary homophonic style of writing that was characteristic of the turning point. Developing the symphonic concept, working on the sonata allegro, he temporarily rejected the sharp contrast that had been established among the Mannheimers and, apparently, still prevented the achievement of unity in the first part of the cycle. And at the same time, Haydn created a new, higher type of symphony in comparison with all his predecessors.

His mature symphonies differ from the symphonic works of the Mannheimers by the greater individualization of the appearance of each of them due to the freshness of the images, often the nationality of thematic theme, and also, to a great extent, due to the possibilities and features of development in the allegro and the cycle as a whole. Rising high above the level of the early Viennese symphony, the composer maintains connections with everyday themes, but completely overcomes the applied, entertaining nature of the previous symphony and puts new, significant content into his mature symphonic works.

Haydn was the first to implement the developmental principle of development in sonata allegro with such strict consistency, and he especially deepened the understanding of variations in the corresponding parts of the symphonies. The nature of his images and, thus, the appearance of his thematism is closely related to the principles of development in the symphonic cycle, be it development in allegro or variation in the slow movement. A different thematic approach, different thematic contrasts would not have provided the opportunity for extensive further development while maintaining unity in the first part of the cycle. At the same time, limiting development, compressing it, or completely ignoring it would not correspond to the impulses of movement and effectiveness that came from the exhibition and from the selected topics. Haydn's symphonic music is at the same time simple, rising from the earth, from life images, and sublime, since it embodies and develops these images in a large, generalizing concept.

In his spiritual appearance, Haydn is an artist of a turning point, a representative of the new, young culture of the Enlightenment, constrained, however, by old social conditions. Simple, direct, integral, without much reflection, he is not like such figures as Handel or Gluck, who defend their principles in the wider public arena. Living a great inner creative life, he, unlike Bach, is no longer so deep in his spiritual world and is much less connected with the sphere of sacred music. Always turned to the outside world, simply and optimistically perceiving it, he - seemingly so simple-minded and thoroughly “earthly” - without realizing it, can essentially act as a philosopher in his creative concepts, as evidenced by his oratorio “The Seasons” “, as the results of his symphony convince us of this. His philosophy is much simpler than Bach’s, it is freer from religious ideas, firmly connected with everyday life, sober, like everyday life itself, but at the same time it affirms its own ideals, derived from life and therefore extremely persistent. Haydn's last oratorios summed up a kind of creative results in this sense and revealed the foundations of his worldview with the greatest completeness. Folk life in harmony with nature, work as the only true virtue of man, love of life as it is, the poetry of native nature with all its annual cycle - this is the best “picture of life” for Haydn, this is his artistic generalization and at the same time the path to his ideal.

Haydn and his contemporaries. Haydn's art is related in its style to art Gluck and art Mozart, but the range of his images and his concepts have their own characteristics. The high tragedy that inspired Gluck is not his domain. Antique samples attract him little. However, in the sphere of lyrical images, Haydn comes into contact with Gluck. It is enough to compare Gluck’s song arias (for example, in “Iphigenia in Aulis”) and Haydn’s songs, Gluck’s lyrics and Haydn’s serious instrumental Adagio. Both are interested in different topics, as if different aspects of the world, but where their interests coincide, the means of expression reveal kinship, the style becomes similar. The generalized tragic principle in Gluck’s work is in its own way answered by the generalized everyday principle in Haydn’s work. Haydn and Mozart are closer in style, but here the relationship of creative individuals is more complex, which can best be clarified by the example of Mozart.

The world of Haydn's images is primarily a world not of tragic, not heroic, but of other, often more ordinary, but always poetic images and feelings. However, the sublime is not alien to Haydn, but he does not find it in the realm of tragedy. Serious thought, noble sensitivity, a poetic perception of life, its joys and difficulties, a bold and sharp joke, the search for a bright genre color, the expression of a healthy and romantic feeling for nature - all this can become sublime for Haydn. Moreover, one can find in him, especially in his later works, an amazing, almost romantic subtlety and peculiar colorfulness in the conveyance of lyrical feelings, tender, but not sentimental dreaminess. The world of his images is not only wide: for all its external simplicity, it is fresh and new for the art of music and completely new for large instrumental genres of general meaning.

Creative heritage Haydn unusually extensive. He tried almost all the genres that existed at that time, and in most of them he created a variety of works: 104 symphonies, 83 string quartets, about 200 trios for different compositions, 52 keyboard sonatas, 35 concertos for various instruments, more than 20 operatic works of various genres , 4 oratorios, 47 songs for voice with accompaniment, more than 400 arrangements of Scottish, Irish and Welsh songs, 14 masses, many small instrumental works, vocal ensembles, clavier pieces, musical numbers for dramatic performances.

Hierarchy of genres. Not all areas of Haydn's creativity are equally significant: his instrumental music as a whole is of greater interest and is more characteristic of his creative image. Of the major vocal works, the last two stand out especially oratorios.

Operas Haydn, which arose over many years (1751 - 1791), remained mostly manuscripts in the Esterházy archives, were not studied until recently and could, it seemed, now lead to a revision of established assessments of his work.

Regarding spiritual writings, in particular mass, then their content is to some extent overlapped by the same instrumental works that are most characteristic of the composer; church music Haydn is not only close to his secular one, but also has much in common with it in the nature of the images and the range of dominant emotions. No matter who Haydn addresses - humanity or deity, no matter where his works are performed - on the concert stage or in the temple, the world is one for him and the system of his images is ultimately the same. Of course, the ritual framework of the mass imposed inevitable restrictions on the composition and thematic nature of the parts, but at the same time he remained himself.

Haydn's historical significance defined primarily for his innovation in creating sonata-symphonic forms. No matter how over time our ideas about his work are supplemented with new data (for example, about the concreteness of his images, “confirmed” by music with words and actions), they only become richer, but do not deviate to the side. Symphony, quartet, sonata are the main areas of his quest and his achievements. Haydn began writing quartets somewhat earlier than symphonies and at first called them cassations, divertissements, and nocturnes. They had not yet sprung off in his mind from music of direct everyday use. Haydn's early symphonies are almost to the same extent associated with such music. At first, the genre differences between the symphony and the quartet did not appear with the clarity that would be achieved later; the distinction between the symphonic and chamber genres occurred precisely in the process of their formation and further development.

Haydn's 104 symphonies were written between 1759 and 1795. In addition to these, more than 60 symphonies are attributed to him, the authorship of which has not been fully established. For 37 years, the composer worked most consistently, without noticeable breaks, on the symphony. It is unlikely that even a single year passed without a new symphony for him.

Chronology of symphonies. Haydn wrote especially many symphonies in the first decade: about forty. Then he not only composed more slowly, but gradually delved deeper into each work: in the 1770s, more than 30 symphonies were created, in the 1780s - 18, in the 1790s - 12 symphonies. Over time, the symphony itself became different for him, more meaningful, more extensive, more individual in each case. Between the first symphony, which appeared in 1759, and the last (No. 103, 104), dating back to 1795, lies precisely the history of this genre, as Haydn created it, from its origins to full maturity. Modern researchers distinguish at least six different stages on the path of Haydn’s symphony, sometimes distinguishing four years in a separate period.

Haydn's first five symphonies(1759 - 1761?) were written for a small composition (strings, 2 oboes, 2 horns), and the wind parts are of subordinate importance. The overall scale of the cycle is very modest: it consists of either three (without a minuet) or four (with a minuet) parts. Thematicity is clearly differentiated in connection with the functions of the parts. The themes of the first parts are not yet clear. The theme of the first movement in the first symphony, soaring on a crescendo, is close to the typical themes of the first movements around the middle of the century by the Mannheimers, in the Italian overture, and then by Gossec.

The initially scale-like theme in the second symphony also has very little individuality. In the second symphony, two allegro themes are already outlined. In the fourth symphony, the second theme is presented polyphonically. In the third and fourth symphonies, Haydn moves towards a three-part sonata allegro, choosing a kind of “intermediate” option: I theme (T), II theme (D), I (D), elements of development, I (T), II (T). Within a narrow framework, however, sonataness is already defined. The two themes of the first movement are more clearly highlighted in the fifth symphony. For now, these are not at all “Haydnian” themes, by which the appearance of his symphonism will then be identified. The second, slow movements of these early symphonies are more emotional: the Andante of the third with its “Mannheim sighs” and the graceful Andante of the fourth with a concert violin. In the third and fifth symphonies, the finales are fugue. Their liveliness, their dynamism are already outlined in general terms, but the Haydnian characteristic for this type of music is not yet in them. All five symphonies are written in a major key - and this will continue to be the case until the twenty-sixth.

In 1761, Haydn's three symphonies appeared with program titles: “Morning”, “Noon”, “Evening” (No. 6 - 8). It was in the spirit of the times. Vivaldi’s concerts from the cycle “The Seasons” are also known. And Haydn’s predecessor in office at the Esterházy Chapel, G. I. Werner, at one time created “A new and very curious musical instrumental calendar... for two violins and a bass in the twelve months of the year.” Haydn understood programming in these cases more generally than Vivaldi, and, of course, without the naive detailing that appeared in Werner. Only the very choice of “declared” topics is indicative.

Software. For Haydn, in particular, programming, even in its most general understanding, played an important role at that time: the images gradually became clearer, the thematism became more specific, the techniques of composition and the composition of the orchestra were somewhat expanded. In the “Morning” symphony, a flute and bassoon were added to the previous orchestral composition. It opens with a small introductory Adagio, which begins with the first violins PP, and then over the course of only five bars, the sonority grows to ff - the remaining instruments gradually enter (example 154). Apparently it was supposed to represent the sunrise. As a pictorial episode, such an Adagio is still very naive, but in principle the slow introduction that introduces the first part later turned out to be a very significant feature of the composition for Haydn - precisely in its figurative sense. The wind parts in this symphony became more independent (flute solo in the first movement, bassoon solo in the minuet). The symphony “Noon” has five parts of the cycle. What is interesting here is the second, slow movement, in which Haydn freely uses the techniques of dramatic music: passages of strings and harmonies of oboes are interrupted by an expressive solo “recitative” of the violin, which, as in an opera scene, is then joined by a developed “duet” of violin and cello. The symphony “Evening” outlines the features of pastoralism. Its ending is "The Tempest". Haydn follows a fairly stable tradition of the 18th century with his “storms” in operas and instrumental plays - both visual and generally dynamic, that is, natural precisely in the function of the finale. Haydn's "The Tempest" is still modest in scale, but in places it is very dynamic.

This clarification of the images of the symphony was the main consequence of the original program in Haydn's symphonic work. Subsequently, he was not inclined to give program titles to parts of the symphonies or to reveal their programmatic intent in any other form. At the same time, the gradual individualization of each work, associated both with the nature of the images and with the features of the composition, often led to the fact that his symphonies received their own “names”, for example: “Philosopher” (No. 22), “Lamentations” (“Lamentatione” , No. 26), “Hallelujah” (No. 30), “With the Horn Signal” (No. 31). When and who gave these names is unknown, but they were firmly attached to these (and many later) Haydn symphonies.

1760s. The composer's work on the symphony between 1763 and 1766-1768 was unusually intense and intense, when he wrote more than thirty works. He moved forward very quickly, looked for something new in different directions, made some kind of experiments, kept something he found, rejected something, affirmed one thing for a long time, tested another many times, and yet then did not take it as the basis for his expressive means. Before Symphony No. 31 (1765), he fluctuated in the composition of the cycle, “trying” sometimes four, sometimes three movements; then he firmly settled on a four-movement symphony. In a number of cases, the cycle began with a slow movement (No. 11, 21, 22), the nature of which, for example, determined the name of symphony No. 22 - “Philosopher”; sometimes he thought of the first movement as a French overture (No. 15) or simply gave it a fugue presentation (No. 29). Within the sonata allegro, Haydn either smoothed out the contrast between themes, then emphasized it, then expanded the form, or limited himself to modest boundaries. The orchestra also changed over time in terms of both composition and interpretation of parts and groups of instruments.

Most important in the overall path of Haydn’s symphony was the composer’s quest in the 1760s, aimed at enrichment of the figurative and thematic sphere, as well as to achieving the scale of the cycle and its parts. Concerning imagery of symphonies, then we should talk not only about thematic issues, but also about characteristic expressive elements that have a certain national-genre significance. For the time being, both of them still exist in Haydn, as it were, separately. The thematic material of the early symphonies, of course, does not yet have clearly individual, authorial features and is not particularly original. There are echoes of Mannheim thematicism, and “Italianisms” (Siciliana as the second movement in symphony No. 27), and even melodies of Gregorian chant (in symphonies No. 26 and 30). Along with this, one can find a kind of “prediction” of new heroics, and folk (Austrian, Hungarian or Slavic) musical features, and the first manifestations of Haydn’s own playful and mischievous tartness. The composer does not shy away from the range of images typical of his time, only trying to individualize them over time. However, he selects relatively little and focuses mainly on two figurative spheres: on serious, lyrical, contemplative and pathetic images, on the one hand, and on dynamic, genre and colorful, more objective images, on the other. The first sphere, as everyone knows from Haydn’s mature symphonies, will not lose its significance further, but it will already set off other images and themes that are more characteristic of them (not to mention the fact that it itself will become much more original). As for the second, it will evolve for a long time, but will also not lose its role in the symphonic cycle, especially in its last two parts, most of all in the finale.

Lyrical contemplative images. Not all the music in Haydn’s early symphonies is perceived as expressively rich: at first there is a lot of “neutral”, uncharacteristic, general forms of movement, traces of still applied purposes. This is precisely what the composer overcomes with particular intensity throughout the 1760s. And the first in this stream to “pop up” in their expressiveness are the seriously lyrical images in their either calmly contemplative or expressively pathetic “variant”. Hence the slow first parts of the symphonies: the contemplative Adagio in No. 11, the “important” and profound Adagio in the Philosopher symphony. But the lyrical beginning is especially characteristic for the slow parts of the cycle (actually its lyrical centers): Andante of symphony No. 10 (with Mannheim dynamic contrasts), Andante of symphony No. 19 (with an elegiac tinge), Adagio cantabile of symphony No. 24 (with solo flute), Sicilian symphony No. 27 (idyllic concept), string Adagio ma non troppo of symphony No. 32 (poetically subtle translation of lyrical dreams), Andante of symphony No. 33 (replete with intonations of sighs). It is noteworthy that in those years Haydn sought to lyrically fill the first part of the cycle, without necessarily making it slow. The fast first part of the symphony no longer included lyrical-contemplative, but pathetic images. This first happened in Symphony No. 26, known as Lamentations. Its first part is therefore not even devoid of drama. Note that in both this and the second parts of the cycle, the composer used the melody of a Gregorian chant: the first of Haydn’s symphonies, written in a minor key, with pathetic features in the first part, it is also distinguished by this feature. In all likelihood, the composer felt its turning point: too much is concentrated here in order to achieve a new serious general tone. Symphony No. 30 also uses a Gregorian chant (in the first movement) - hence its name “Hallelujah.” The first movement in symphonies No. 35 and 36 is dramatized in its figurative content with heroic and pathetic accents. Symphony No. 49, F-minor, which concludes this period (its serial number does not correspond to the chronology: it was composed in 1768) was given by its contemporaries the expressive name “Suffering” (“La Passione”).

Genre. In another area of ​​images, more characteristic of the third and fourth parts of the cycle, Haydn, perhaps, earlier showed tendencies towards independence and found means of expression specific to them. This applies even to such a simple part of the cycle as a minuet. It usually comes in third place; as an exception - on the second (symphony No. 32). Often, it is for the minuet, especially for his trio, that Haydn seems to reserve some special effect, which can be comic, timbre, folklore, or harmonic. Thus, the minuet trio in Symphony No. 13 is interesting due to the virtuoso and whimsical solo flute. Starting with the minuet in Symphony No. 3, this part of the cycle uses polyphonic techniques from time to time - in a light, almost comic spirit. In some trios, researchers note clearly folkloric features: for example, Slavic ones in symphonies No. 28 and 29. By the way, in the slow movement of the same symphony No. 28, Hungarian-Gypsy elements appear. But, perhaps, what is most characteristic of Haydn is the slightly scherzo sharpness achieved in the minuet of symphony No. 34 (sharp leaps with changes in p and f), in the trio of symphony No. 37 (second consonances on strong beats), in the trio of symphony No. 38 (jumps in oboe parts with change of registers). Here, in embryo, is already outlined what is typically Haydnian, which is also characteristic of the London symphonies in the years 1791-1795. This gradually manifests itself in the nature of the finales, for example in symphony No. 25.

The scope of each part of the cycle is gradually expanding, which is of particular importance for sonata allegro. However, it is here that this process does not develop in a straight line: in symphonies No. 24, 25, 35, 36 the thematic contrast is revealed clearly and vividly, while in symphony No. 28 it is insignificant. The scale and composition of the developments are different and are still far from developed. Although already in Symphony No. 11 the development becomes dynamic (with increasing sonority), it is very compressed in Symphony No. 37. The finales of the symphonies are dominated by different kinds Rondo, although in Symphony No. 31 the finale is variations. This large symphony, by the way, can serve as an example of Haydn’s subsequent inclusion of colorful everyday sounds within a large instrumental work. It is not by chance that it received the name “With the Horn Signal” or “On the Draw”: it actually sounds (bars 9 - 15 of the first movement) the signal of a hunting horn5, cutting through the exposition of the sonata allegro. For this purpose, four horns were introduced into the score, which are widely used in all other three parts of the symphony.

Orchestral means expanded during this period and deepen mainly due to the activation of wind instruments. Already in the minuet of symphony No. 11, the parts of oboes and horns are emancipated, four horns are introduced into the score of symphony No. 13, as well as timpani, symphonies No. 20 - trumpets and timpani, symphonies No. 22 - English horns.

1970s. From the beginning of the 1770s, a long period began in the development of Haydn's symphonism, too long to become a turning point, and yet turning point, contradictory, replete with contrasts in creative quests, and ultimately leading to the wonderful maturity of the second half of the 80s - 90s. In special modern studies devoted to Haydn’s symphonies abroad, and subsequently in our country, the conviction is expressed that after Haydn’s pathetic, dramatic symphonies in the early 1770s, he experienced a creative crisis: he no longer rose to it level in the spirit of the Sturm-und-Drang era, but retreated, as it were, to less daring and more ordinary concepts, to works in which there was more inventiveness than significance.

Indeed, in the symphonies of 1772 and some close to them (No. 45, “Farewell”; No. 44, “Mourning”; even No. 49, “Suffering”), the minor-pathetic thematics and the tension of the general development on a fairly large scale attract special attention attention . However, there are very few such symphonies; they are to a certain extent prepared by Haydn’s pathos of past years (starting from the “Lamentation” symphony) and represent only the bringing of this line of his figurative quest to highest point, after which pathos and even romantic moods do not escape from Haydn’s music, but either retreat in his symphonies before images and themes of folk genre origin, or are concentrated in his later quartets and sonatas. For a mature Haydn symphony, for Haydn’s generalizing “picture of the world,” these images and themes remain necessary, but not paramount: such is his figurative system, such is his creative appearance, such is his individual style.

In the 1770s, Haydn, as if testing the pathetic possibilities of symphonism, created a number of beautiful works, the importance of which did not decrease further, but was still overshadowed by his classics - the symphonies of the second half of the 1780s and London. You can put minor works in one row - No. 26, d-moll, “Lamentations”, No. 49, f-moll, “Suffering” (or “Passion”), No. 44, e-moll, “Mourning”, No. 45, fis-moll, “Farewell” - and they cover the years 1766 - 1772, and their pathos will clearly increase with the culmination in “Farewell”...

Further in the symphonies of the 1770s - early 1780s in the minor-pathetic beginning no longer comes to the fore, but appears repeatedly in one or another symphony, as a rule, however, without defining their thematic nature in the sonata allegro.

There are exceptions: the general tone of symphony No. 78 is dramatic, light pathos in the Mozart spirit from the first bars of the main part declares itself in the Presto of symphony No. 75 - it is preceded by the opening Grave (example 156). With more or less certainty, pathetic moments appear from time to time in the slow movements of a number of works. However, it is precisely for the allegro sonatas that Haydn seeks a different thematic approach. It is very significant that the main part of the cycle, its center of gravity, is not considered by the composer as an expression of the pathetic principle par excellence. Pathetic sonata allegro do not become typical of Haydn's symphonism, which is best illustrated by the example of the most mature symphonies. Using examples of Haydn's symphonic work until the mid-1780s, one can trace how the composer experienced Various types thematicism, various expressive techniques in the first parts of the symphonies. At the same time, they have one thing in common: they become more objective than lyrical or lyrical-pathetic, although their emotional range is quite wide: festivity, heroism, joyful dynamics, light humor, brilliance and grace, etc. The figurative meaning of the symphonies continues to be perceived as bright and concrete: they are also given names (not the author’s!) - “Mercury” (No. 43), “Maria Theresa” (No. 48), “Majestic” (No. 53), “School Teacher” (No. 55), “Flame” (or “Fire” Symphony, No. 59), “Abstract” (No. 60), “Roxelana” (No. 63), “Laudon” (No. 69), “Hunting” (No. 73).

The influence of theater on the symphony. Some of these works arose for specific occasions, others are associated with Haydn's theatrical works. The origin of the Maria Theresa symphony has already been discussed. It is possible that the name “Feuersymphonie” arose in connection with the festive fireworks display in Eszterhaza, and the “Laudon” symphony is somehow connected with the honoring of the Austrian field marshal Gideon Ernst de Laudon. It was during this period that Haydn wrote especially many operas: between 1768 and 1783 he created eleven operatic works, mostly in the buffa genre. Symphony No. 60 received the name “Abstract” because it was performed as theater music during the production of the comedy of the same name by J. F. Regnard in Vienna in 1776: the first part of the symphony served as an overture, the remaining parts of the cycle were performed during the play as intermissions and insert numbers. But since this same comedy had been performed in Eszterhaza even earlier, perhaps Haydn then wrote music for the performance, and then “composed” a symphony from it: the composition of the cycle was very exceptional for him - six parts. One way or another, his symphonic works of those years are not isolated from the musical theater. In the Roxelana symphony, the first movement was an overture to Haydn's opera buffa "Lunar Peace" (1777).

Page 2 of 6

SYMPHONY CREATIVITY

"Farewell" symphony. "London" symphonies. Concerts

Haydn created his symphonies over a third of a century (from the late 50s to the 90s of the 18th century). The academic edition lists 104 symphonies, although in reality there were more. Haydn's first symphonies date back to the period when European classical symphonism was being formed through the efforts of various national schools - and Haydn's early symphonies, along with the symphonies of the Mannheim masters, were an important link in the process of forming the stylistic foundations of the mature symphony of the Viennese classical school. Haydn's later symphonies were written when all of Mozart's symphonies already existed and when the young Beethoven was developing the principles of his symphonic thinking in piano sonatas and chamber ensembles, approaching the creation of the first symphony.
Thus, the evolution of Haydn’s symphonic work is of interest not only for studying the creative path of the great composer, but also for understanding the processes of formation and development of classical symphonism of the 18th century in general. Haydn's early symphonies are still in no way essentially different from the chamber music that he wrote at the same time, and almost do not go beyond the usual entertainment and everyday genres of that era. Only in the 70s did works appear that expressed a deeper world of images and feelings (“Funeral Symphony”, “Farewell Symphony” and some others).
The “Farewell Symphony”, with its pathetically excited character, stands out sharply from all other works of Haydn written in the same 70s and occupies a special place in his work.
Instead of the usual four movements, the symphony has five movements. As a matter of fact, the first four parts could form a complete, complete cycle; The 5th movement was introduced additionally for a specific and original purpose, justifying the name of the symphony “Farewell”: as we already know, during the performance of this finale the orchestra musicians gradually disperse, and by the end only two violinists remain, finishing the symphony. This is probably the first time that a symphonic cycle ends with a slow movement (Adagio).

One can note in this symphony the unity of the cycle, expressed both in the thematic connections between the individual parts, and in the common character and mood of the music in the first and fourth parts. The first movement (sonata allegro), especially its main theme, is full of dramatic expression and pathos. As in some other Haydn symphonies, here the main and secondary parts are built on the same thematic material.

Syncopated movement of accompanying chords, sforzando accents, tonic-subdominant progressions, the second low degree in minor - all these are means that together give the music an excited and dramatic character. Particular attention should be paid to the structure of the theme based on chord sounds, which later (in Mozart and Beethoven) would become a frequent occurrence, as well as to the harmonic sequence of the tonic triad and the second chord of the second degree (the first four bars), which enhances the drama of the musical expression. (Remember tragic character the same harmonic sequence in the music of P. I. Tchaikovsky.)
Kind of rare for music XVIII century, the tonal plan of the exposition of the first part: the side part (based on the same thematic material as the main part), sounds in A minor (the major parallel of the same name), the final part - in C sharp minor. A third chain of minor keys is created, located on the sounds of the F-sharp-minor triad (the main key of the symphony). One cannot help but see in this an anticipation of the distant future, when colorful tertian comparisons of minor or major keys will become of great importance in the works of romantic composers.
But all this does not exhaust the originality of this sonata allegro: a new song theme appears in development, introducing lyrical contrast and compensating for the lack of contrast in the exposition and, therefore, in the reprise of this part.

The second, slow part of “Farewell” is lyrically song (Adagio), the third part is dance (minuet). Above it was said about the thematic connections between the individual parts of the symphony. In this regard, let us pay attention to the sequence of descending third moves in the theme of the minuet.

The incompleteness of the minuet, ending with a third sound without a harmonic basis, is very original, which, apparently, implies the performance of the next, fourth part without a break (atacca). The tonal incompleteness of the fourth movement, which stops at the dominant and, therefore, requires a direct transition to the finale, anticipates similar cases in Beethoven's 5th and 6th symphonies or the characteristic tendency of romantic symphony to merge parts of the cycle. Direct transition from the fourth movement to the finale further emphasizes their contrast.

The fourth part echoes the first part with its excited, excited character. As in the first movement, the general character here is determined by the main theme, which is the main part of this movement (written in sonata form).

The melodious slow fifth movement brings calm to the excited music of the symphony, the dramatic impulsiveness of which is resolved in the calm lyrics of the finale. The tonal plan of this major finale has some analogy with the tonal plan of the exposition of the first part of the symphony: there was a third chain of minor keys (F-sharp, A, C-sharp), forming the sounds of the F-sharp-minor triad; here is a chain of major keys that form the same sounds (the finale begins in A major, in its central part C-sharp major is temporarily fixed, it ends in F-sharp major - the major of the same name in relation to the main tonality of the symphony). The finale, with its calmly lyrical character, contrasts so sharply with the dramatic first part, at the same time, in terms of tonalities, it is a kind of reprise of it, which also contributes to the unity of the cycle. These are the features of this exceptional symphony in Haydn’s work, echoing some phenomena in symphonic music of the XIX century.

Gradually, as the composer’s creative evolution progresses, Haydn’s symphonies become saturated with increasingly deeper socially significant content. While maintaining connections with the dance suite, the symphony as a genre is an independent integral work, the four parts of which, different in nature, have, following the example of “Farewell,” an organic unity. All this was largely achieved in Haydn's 1786 Paris Symphonies.
But the highest achievements of Haydn's symphony are the 12 “London” symphonies. With the exception of one (C minor), Haydn's London symphonies are written in major keys.
As a rule, they begin with a short, slow introduction of a solemn, concentrated or lyrical, contemplative nature (usually in Adagio or Largo tempo).
This kind of slow introduction sharply contrasts with the subsequent allegro, which is actually the first part of the symphony, and at the same time prepares it. These introductions are successively associated with the initial Grave in French opera overtures (such as the overtures of Lully and Rameau), as well as with the opening movements in some Concerti Grcssi and in suites (such as the English suites for the clavier or the orchestral suites of J. S. Bach). The slow introductions in Haydn's London symphonies are usually not thematically connected to the subsequent allegro. However, there are exceptions: for example, the opening theme from the Symphony in E-flat major No. 103 (“with tremolo timpani”) appears in its basic form in the coda of the first movement and in a different form in the development.
From the theme of the introduction to the symphony in D major Ns 101 (“The Hours”) grows the theme of the main part of the first movement. This name, like other names of Haydn’s symphonies (“Military”, “With the Impact of the Timpani”, “Bear”, etc.), were not given by the composer himself and are associated with some external sign music.

In the vast majority of Haydn's symphonies there is no such direct thematic connection between the slow introduction and allegro. The bright contrast between the slow introduction and the subsequent allegro compensates for the lack of contrast in the character of the main and secondary parts, which is common in Haydn’s “London” symphonies. Both of them are usually of a folk song and dance nature. There is only a tonal contrast: the main tonality of the main parts is contrasted with the dominant tonality of the side parts.
Even in cases where the main and secondary parts differ in thematic material, they are largely similar in the nature of the music and in their figurative structure.

There are frequent cases in Haydn's symphonies when the main and secondary parts are built on the same thematic material, while the final part is based on new material; an example is the first movement of the “Military” Symphony in G major No. 100.
The themes of the main and final parts are not contrasting in general character. Their dance nature is beyond doubt.

The main and secondary parts are built on the same thematic material in the symphony in D major (No. 104).
As you can see, the difference between the main and secondary parts is only tonal (the main part is in the main key, the secondary part is in the dominant key).
Typical for Haydn next appointment producing a humorous effect: group string instruments led by the first violins plays the piano theme of the main part; but at the moment when the theme ends with the tonic of the main key, the whole orchestra tutti suddenly invades on a forte or fortissimo tonic triad, cheerfully collapsing with a mass of sounds and giving a sharp dynamic contrast to the theme that has just sounded.

Developments were significantly developed in Haydn's symphonies. What is new here is that the development is built through motivic isolation: a short, but most active segment is separated from the theme of the main or secondary part and undergoes independent development, continuously modulating into different tonalities, passing through different instruments and in different registers. This gives developments a dynamic and aspirational character.

In some cases, such developments take on dramatic overtones; witty combinations and unexpected shifts and tonal juxtapositions often create a humorous and sometimes dramatic effect, depending on the overall context. Finally, the dominant of the main key is reached and the reprise begins. But after a development in which the thematic material of the allegro is subjected to such intensive development, the reprise is not a simple repetition of the exposition, despite the formal return of the themes of the main and secondary parts and in the same sequence.
Unlike the exposition, both themes in the reprise sound in the main key, thereby decisively asserting the tonic.

The second (slow) movements have a different character: sometimes thoughtfully lyrical, concentrated, sometimes songlike, in some cases march-like. And they vary in form. Most often there is a complex three-part and variational form. For example, the second movement (Andante) from the symphony in E-flat major No. SW (“with tremolo timpani”), the main theme of which was borrowed by Haydn from a Croatian folk song, was written in the form of double variations.

Another theme, intonationally related to the first, but contrasting with it modally (the major of the same name), has a march-like character.

IN variation form the second part of the symphony in G major No. 94 was written; The topic of this part is very popular and known to everyone since childhood, sounds in Simon's aria from Haydn's oratorio "The Seasons".

The second movement (Andante) of Symphony No. 104 in D major is written in a complex three-part form with a developing middle and a varied and extended reprise, which also contains elements of development.
The second movement of another D major symphony No. 100 (“The Clock”) is similar in terms of form. (This name is given to the symphony due to the uniform, monotonous movement (“ticking of the clock”) of the accompaniment in the second movement.) In both cases, the development process in the middle part of the three-part form introduces some drama.

The third movements of Haydn's London symphonies are always called "Menuetto" ("Minuet"). But in his minuets, Haydn went far from the prim, gallant court minuet. Many minuets of Haydn's symphonies acquired the character of village dances with their somewhat heavy gait, sweeping melody, unexpected accents and rhythmic shifts, often creating a humorous effect. The three-beat size of the traditional minuet is preserved, but the figurative and semantic content of the music becomes different: the minuet loses its aristocratic sophistication and turns into a democratic, rural, peasant dance. The form of the classical minuet (including Haydn’s) is always complex, three-suited, with an exact reprise (“da capo” form) and usually with a contrasting middle. Most often, the middle part of the minuet (trio) is distinguished by transparent instrumentation, soft and quiet dynamics (piano or pianissimo), some sophistication and “gallantry”, which creates a contrast to the extreme and main parts, in which forte dynamics dominate, denser instrumentation (orchestral tutti ), where sharp accents of sforzando give the music the character of a heavy folk dance.

In the finales of Haydn's symphonies, genre images that also go back to folk dance music usually attract attention. The fast finale brings a cheerful conclusion to the upbeat symphony. Some of the finales of Haydn's London symphonies are written in sonata form, such as Symphony No. 104 in D major, but the rondo sonata form is more common (Symphony in E flat major No. 103).
In the Symphony in D major (No. 104), the theme of the main part of the finale is a modified popular Croatian folk song; it is also related to the Czech folk song “Be with me, my dear.” This dance theme is contrasted with the lyrical theme of the side part.

Almost all the finales of Haydn’s “London” symphonies widely use the techniques of variation and polyphonic (imitation) development, further spurring the rapid movement of the music and dynamizing, making the entire fabric mobile.

The orchestra in Haydn's symphonies is of the usual pair composition: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, a pair of timpani, a string quintet; “heavy” brass (trombones, tubas) is completely absent. Trombones, as is known, will be used for the first time in symphonic music only in the finales of some Beethoven symphonies. Of the woodwind instruments, not all of Haydn’s symphonies use clarinets (the clarinet, invented in the 17th century, was practically introduced into symphonies by composers of the Mannheim School.) In the G major (“War”) symphony, the clarinet participates only in the second movement. Only in the scores of Haydn’s last two “London” symphonies (E-flat major and D major) there are 2 clarinets along with pairs of flutes, oboes and bassoons.
The leading role is played by the first violins, who are entrusted with presenting the main thematic material. But flutes and oboes also actively participate in its presentation and development, either doubling the violins or alternating with them in carrying out the theme or its passages. Cellos and double basses play the same bass line - the double basses are only an octave lower than the cellos. Therefore, in Haydn’s scores, their parts are written on the same line.
Horns and trumpets, as a rule, perform a very modest function, emphasizing harmony and rhythm here and there. Only in cases where all the instruments of the orchestra (tutti) play the forte theme in unison do the horns and trumpets participate on equal terms with the other instruments. But such cases are rare. One can cite as an example the main part from Symphony No. 97 in C major, performed by the entire orchestra tutti.

Genres of symphonic music include concerts for various instruments with orchestra. Haydn wrote about fifty concertos for piano, violin, cello, and various wind instruments. Typically representing a three-part cycle (sonata allegro, slow movement, fast finale), Haydn's concertos combine the principles of solo and concerto-symphonic music, which is typical for this genre in general. The virtuoso and expressive properties of the solo instrument possible in that era were used to the maximum. In terms of orchestral sound (especially in moments of tutti, in orchestral expositions of the first movements, etc.), in scale and in methods of developing thematic material, Haydn’s concerts of his mature period are not inferior to symphonies.
The genres of symphony and recital existed before Haydn, but Haydn's work was one of the peaks of European symphonism at an early stage of its development.

Joseph Haydn (1732–1809)

It is no coincidence that Haydn is called the father of the symphony. It was from him that this genre acquired classical perfection and became the basis on which symphonism has grown from Beethoven to the present day. The majority of Haydn’s work was devoted to the symphony: he devoted 35 years to it, creating more than a hundred works (104 were published, the exact number is unknown). It was in the symphonies that the main features of both his creativity and personality were most fully revealed - a strong peasant spirit, an inextricable connection with the land and people that gave birth to him, an unshakable faith in goodness, inexhaustible patience, cheerfulness, sly humor, and steadily improving skill. Created more than two centuries ago, they still arouse keen interest and emotional response, captivating with their harmony, clarity, and classic form.

Haydn was the first to create complete examples of other leading genres of the era of classicism - string quartet, keyboard sonata. He was also the first composer to write secular oratorios in German, which ranked alongside the greatest achievements of the Baroque era - the English oratorios of Handel and the German cantatas of Bach. And Haydn’s spiritual genres are very significant: like Mozart’s earlier masses, Haydn’s masses are one of the peaks of the Viennese classical school. He also paid tribute to other genres of vocal music, but his operas and numerous songs did not leave a significant mark on the history of music.

Listening to the works of Haydn, you imagine a long, happy life their creator. Indeed, the composer’s life was long: he wrote his last work at the age of 71. However, there was very little happiness in this life. His hungry adolescence, when he wanted to go to a monastery so that he could eat his fill at least once, gave way to a homeless youth. Mature years turned out to be forced. “It’s sad to always be a slave,” we read in a letter from almost sixty-year-old Haydn. Creativity became his salvation, and the composer hoped that it would bring consolation not only to him: “Often when I struggled with obstacles various kinds that arose along the path of my work, when I felt a decline in the strength of my spirit and body, and it became difficult for me to stay in my chosen field, a secret feeling whispered to me: “There are so few contented and happy people in this world, they are pursued everywhere by care and grief; Perhaps your work will sometimes serve as a source from which a person burdened with worries or tired of work will draw rest and vigor.” This served as a powerful impetus for me, forcing me to strive forward, and this is also the reason that I now look back with joyful inspiration at the work I have done for the musical art over such a long string of years with relentless zeal.”

Only at the age of sixty did Haydn, who invariably opened and concluded the scores of his symphonies with the Latin canonical formula of gratitude to the Creator, come to fame, which he rightfully enjoyed for almost twenty years. Haydn was awarded the honorary title of Doctor of Music from the University of Oxford in England (1791), a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music (1798), an honorary member of the Dutch Society of Merit and a member of the French Academy (1801), the Gold Medal of the City of Vienna (1803) and the title of its honorary citizen ( 1804), an honorary member of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Society, who also issued a gold medal on this occasion (1808). At the same time, Vienna solemnly celebrated Haydn’s 76th birthday, and two German and Italian researchers decided to write his biography, for which they met with the composer and respectfully wrote down his statements. One after another, these three biographies came out shortly after Haydn's death. Among his statements is the following: “I communicated with emperors, kings, many great gentlemen and heard from them a lot of flattering things about myself...” The beginning of his life’s journey did not at all foretell such honors for the son of a carriage maker from Lower Austria. Joseph Haydn was born on March 31, 1732 in the village of Rohrau and was the second of ten children in a fairly prosperous carriage-maker family. My father, a skilled craftsman, was also involved in peasant labor and was a market judge. In his youth, he traveled a lot and, not knowing the notes, learned to play the harp. His mother, a cook who lived before her marriage in the house of Count Harrach in Rohrau, where musical gatherings often took place, was also partial to music.

Lower Austria has long been a multinational land. Along with the indigenous population, Hungarians and Gypsies lived here, descendants of German settlers from Swabia, who once fled from religious persecution, and Slavic Croats fleeing from the Turks. It is no coincidence that Haydn’s native village, in addition to its German name, also bore the Slavic name Tretnik. As a child, the future composer listened to a lot of different folk melodies, which he remembered until the end of his life and used until his last symphonies.

The boy's musicality, voice and hearing were discovered very early. In his declining years, he recalled how at the age of five he sang along with his father, who played simple pieces on the harp, and in his sixth year he played the clavier, violin and sang in the church choir that performed masses. In 1737, his father sent him to study with a relative, I.M. Frank, the rector of a school in the neighboring town of Hainburg. He taught the boys not only reading, writing and arithmetic (however, Haydn never wrote a single letter without errors), but also singing and playing the violin. Frank was the director of the parish church choir, which participated in the service, performing not too difficult works, both without accompaniment and with organ, violins, and sometimes with brass instruments and timpani.

Haydn first learned to play the timpani, then mastered wind and string instruments. “To the death I will remain grateful to this teacher for making me learn so much,” said Haydn in his old age, “but I still received more cuffs than food.”

His beautiful treble voice and hard work made the boy famous in the town, and when he arrived there Viennese composer, conductor of St. Stephen's Cathedral G. von Reuter, who recruited young singers, liked Haydn. So at the age of 8 he became a choirmaster at the largest Vienna cathedral and until he was 17 he studied singing, playing the violin and composition. True, Reuter, burdened with many responsibilities and preoccupied with his court career, managed to give him only two lessons during Haydn’s nine years in the chapel. But the boy studied independently and even tried to compose polyphonic spiritual works. He attracted the attention of Empress Maria Theresa herself, which, however, did not prevent him from being thrown out into the street when his voice was breaking.

In November 1749, the most difficult eight years in Haydn's life began. He gave lessons, sang in church choirs, played the violin in ensembles, accompanied singers, but never lost heart and studied greedily: from the Italian opera composer N. Porpora, paying by accompanying his student singers, analyzing the keyboard sonatas of F.E. Bach, studying books on composition, listening to the music of Vienna. And she was very different. Divertissements and serenades sounded in the streets, Austrian comedies with simple folk songs and lush Italian operas were performed in the theaters. Sacred music sounded not only in cathedrals, but also on the streets.

Haydn, who, in his own words, “composed diligently until late at night,” worked in different genres. The first surviving work is a small mass written around 1750. The following year, his singspiel “The Lame Demon” was staged at the theater of the Vienna suburb “At the Carinthian Gate”. 1755 brought the first string quartet, 1759 the first symphony. These genres, with the exception of the singspiel, would later become the most important in the composer’s work.

Of particular importance was the string quartet, one of the leading genres of classicism. Quartets sounded on the streets of Vienna, in the homes of ordinary citizens, and in the palaces of the nobility. And Haydn created them all his life - his first quartets are marked opus 1, and 43 years later the composer wrote quartet No. 83, opus 103 - it became Haydn’s last work.

The fame that the young musician gradually acquired in Vienna helped him get his first job - with Count Morcin. Haydn wrote the first five symphonies for his chapel (1759–1761). In a year and a half of working for the count, he managed to get married, and in the most unexpected way. The 28-year-old composer was in love with the youngest daughter of the court hairdresser, but she retired to a monastery, and he became her husband older sister, 32-year-old Maria Anna Keller. The marriage turned out to be extremely unsuccessful: Haydn’s wife was a grumpy prude, wasteful and did not appreciate her husband’s talent. She used his manuscripts for curlers and stands for pate. Family life - without love, home comfort, desired children - lasted almost forty years.

The year 1761 was a turning point in the composer’s life: on May 1, he entered into a contract with Prince P. A. Esterhazy and for almost thirty years, until the death of his brother and heir (1790), he remained the court conductor of this wealthy aristocratic Hungarian family. The Esterhazy princes lived in Vienna only in winter; their main residences were in the small town of Eisenstadt and the Esterhazy estate. And Haydn had to exchange his stay in the capital, full of many artistic impressions, for a monotonous existence on the estate for six years. After the death of Prince Paul Anton, his brother Nikolaus renovated and expanded the chapel, which now has 16 people. The estate had two theaters - for operas and dramas and for puppet shows. An Italian troupe played there.

The composer's position was quite dependent, which, however, was considered natural until the last decades of the 18th century (on the contrary, Mozart's act of breaking with the Archbishop of Salzburg seemed unusual). Haydn, in need of early years, secured a comfortable life quiet life, although over the course of three decades even this gentle man, hardened in early trials, armed with patience and humor, found himself on the verge of a breakdown: “Here I am sitting in my desert - abandoned - like a poor orphan - almost without the company of people - sad... for three days I didn’t know whether I was a bandmaster or a conductor... I slept little, and even dreams haunted me.” “I had a good prince, but at times I was forced to depend on low souls. I often sighed, dreaming of deliverance…” he wrote in his declining years.

The contract stipulated in detail that the composer was obliged to compose such plays as his lordship required, not to show them to anyone, and especially not to make copies, and not to write anything for anyone without the prince’s permission. He had to stay with the prince at his residences and live in Vienna much less than he would have liked. Haydn never had a chance to visit Italy, the classical country of music where, if possible, all musicians went. On the other hand, the absence of everyday worries gave the composer time for creativity, and the orchestra, which was at his complete disposal, gave him room for experimentation. As Haydn himself wrote, “I could, as an orchestra leader, try, observe what made an impression and what weakened it - and therefore improve, add, cut off, take risks... in this way I had to become original.”

Haydn's early symphonies were written for the relatively small composition at his disposal: flute, two oboes, bassoon, two horns and strings. But this did not stop him from creating colorful paintings in a unique program cycle “Time of Day” (1761) - the symphonies “Morning” (No. 6), “Noon” (No. 7), “Evening” (No. 8). Gradually, the composer gets the opportunity to include new instruments in the orchestra - timpani (for the first time in symphony No. 13), two trumpets (No. 20). But he never had the chance to become acquainted with clarinets at that time.

The number of movements of Haydn's symphonies and their character have not yet been established: his early symphonies were three-, four-, five-movement, some began with a slow movement and ended with a minuet. Only from Symphony No. 31 are the mandatory four movements approved, the first of which is a sonata allegro. Haydn wrote quickly: in four years (1762–1765) he created more than twenty symphonies.

But the composer is not only busy creating symphonies and string quartets. He runs the theater in Eszterhaz. Under his leadership, about 90 operas were staged - both his own and the works of his contemporaries edited by him. The composer's late love is connected with the Italian theater troupe. He admitted: “My wife was childless, and therefore I ... became less indifferent to the charm of other females.” One of these charmers was 19-year-old Neapolitan Luigia Polzelli. The singer's husband, much older than her, was a violinist. Their family life did not work out, and Luigia gave preference to 48-year-old Haydn. He had a strong passion for her for many years. He achieved an extension of her contract, simplified the vocal parts and never entrusted the main ones, understanding the limitations of her capabilities. It is unlikely that this long-term relationship brought him real happiness: Luigia was narrow-minded, selfish and constantly demanded money. Haydn took an active part in raising her two sons. However, after the death of his wife, despite Luigi’s insistent demands, he did not marry her (he was then 68 years old) and in the final version of his will, he halved the originally intended pension, because “there are more in need than her.”

The main genre of Haydn's work always remained the symphony. At the turn of the 60-70s, pathetic works appeared one after another, often in a minor key, which were later given appropriate names - not by the author: No. 49 (1768) - “Passion”, No. 44 (presumably - 1771) - Funeral, No. 45 (1772) - Farewell song, which is still popular. They reflected the composer’s difficult experiences, but at the same time one can hear an emotional response to the new style movement emerging in German literature, called “storm and stress” (one of the most famous works of this style is the novel in the letters of J. V. Goethe “Sorrows”) young Werther").

Along with the pathetic ones, symphonies of a different type appeared in the same years. One of the most festive, brilliant, with trumpets and timpani is No. 48, performed in Eszterhaz on September 1, 1773, when the empress visited the estate. The title “Maria Theresa” reminds us of this, while other symphonies were assigned titles given by listeners based on the details of the music that struck them. Thus, No. 55, with clear, pedantic variations of the second movement, is known as “ School teacher"; No. 73, imitating the sound of hunting horns in the finale - “Hunting”; No. 82, with an imitation in the finale of the tunes of bear guides against the background of humming bagpipes - “Bear”; No. 83, with the cackling side theme of the first movement, “Chicken,” etc.

The last two symphonies are among the Paris symphonies (Nos. 82–87) and testify to Haydn’s popularity, which crossed the borders of Austria in the 70s and 80s. They were written by order of the Parisian concert society, which bore the Masonic name “Olympic Lodge”. At the same time, in the mid-80s, the composer received orders from Madrid (oratorio “The Seven Words of the Savior on the Cross”) and Naples (concerts for a rare instrument - a hurdy-gurdy played by the king), his works were published in London, and competing English entrepreneurs invite him on tour. But the most amazing thing is that on April 27, 1781, two of Haydn’s symphonies were performed in New York! His name is becoming famous in Russia. At the end of 1781, when the future Emperor Paul I was in Vienna, Haydn dedicated 6 quartets opus 33 to him, called “Russian”, and gave his wife lessons in playing the harpsichord.

These years were illuminated by friendship with Mozart, which was never overshadowed by envy or rivalry. Mozart claimed that it was from Haydn that he first learned how to write string quartets, and dedicated six quartets of 1785 to his older friend, whom he usually called “Papa Haydn,” with a touching preface. And Haydn considered Mozart " greatest composer“what the world has now” and all his life he remembered the impression that Mozart’s playing made on him. Almost simultaneously, both composers joined the Masonic order: Mozart in the Crowned Hope lodge, Haydn in Towards True Unanimity (1785). However, unlike Mozart, Haydn did not write Masonic music. The last two decades of the composer's life are sharply different from the previous ones. Continuing to be listed as the court conductor of Esterhazy, Haydn finally received his freedom. This happened in 1790, when the heir of Prince Nikolaus dissolved the chapel. At the same time, the composer moved to Vienna, and in 1791 he went on tour to England at the invitation of the London impresario J.P. Salomon. According to the contract, Haydn had to write six symphonies and perform them in London, and, in addition, compose an opera and 20 other works. Salomon placed at the composer's disposal one of the best orchestras of the time, consisting of 40 people and including clarinets, which Haydn had not yet used in symphonies. The year and a half of his stay in London, during which symphonies Nos. 93–98 were written, became truly triumphant for him.

The second London tour was no less successful, which also lasted a year and a half (1794–1795) and brought the last six symphonies (Nos. 99-104), which became the pinnacle of the composer’s work. In total, during two trips to England, Haydn wrote about 280 works. On July 8, 1791, Haydn was awarded the title of Doctor of Music by Oxford, the oldest university in England. On this occasion, Symphony No. 92, written before the trip, and called the Oxford Symphony, was performed.

English life amazed the composer. London, this, in his words, “infinitely large city” with unbearable street noise, more than once made him remember cozy Vienna, where he could work so calmly. Musical life was booming and, being organized on a commercial basis with inevitable advertising and competition, differed sharply from the musical life of Austria. There were many different societies, corporations, academies, foundations that gave symphonic, choral, solo concerts- from Westminster Abbey and theaters to parks and clubs. An unprecedented - more than a thousand - number of performers took part in the regularly held celebrations in honor of Handel. Rival entrepreneurs also dragged Haydn into their struggle: they tried to bribe him, organized hostile speeches in the press, and expelled the rival composer from abroad. However, nothing could shake Haydn's success. Already his first concert became a major social event. The composer was greeted with loud applause and demanded that the slow part of the new symphony be repeated. The benefit brought him almost twice as much income as was provided for in the contract. He did not suffer losses even due to the fact that the opera series “The Soul of a Philosopher” written for London was not staged - the fee was paid to him in advance. Haydn received an offer from the king to stay in England forever, but refused.

Upon returning to his homeland, Haydn saw the first of the monuments erected to him - not far from Rohrau. A concert was held in Vienna, where three of his new symphonies were performed, and the maestro’s student, Beethoven, performed his piano concert. Their meeting took place in Beethoven's hometown, Bonn, which Haydn visited on his way to London. And although the lessons were not without friction, Beethoven treated the old composer with great respect and dedicated three piano sonatas opus 2 to him.

IN last decade Life under the impression of the grandiose Handel Festival at Westminster Cathedral Haydn shows great interest in choral music. He creates six masses and the oratorios “The Creation of the World” and “The Seasons”. Haydn's 76th birthday was celebrated with a performance of "The Creation" in the assembly hall of the University of Vienna. Romain Rolland wrote: “The highest aristocracy, mingling with musicians, waited at the doors of the university for the son of a coachman from Rohrau, who arrived in the carriage of Prince Esterhazy. With the thunder of trumpets and timpani, to the sound of applause, he was carried into the hall. Prince Lobkowitz, Salieri and Beethoven kissed his hand. Princess Esterhazy and two other noble ladies took off their cloaks to wrap the old man's feet. The frenzy of the audience, screams, and enthusiastic tears were beyond the power of the author of “The Creation of the World.” He retired in tears in the middle of his oratorio and blessed Vienna from the threshold...” Haydn died on May 31, 1809 in Vienna, occupied by Napoleonic troops. The French emperor himself, having learned of his death, gave the order to place a guard of honor at the door of his house. The funeral took place on June 1. However, when in 1820 Prince Esterhazy ordered the reburial of Haydn’s remains in the church of Eisenstadt, and the coffin was opened, it turned out that there was no skull under the surviving wig (it was stolen to study the structural features and, moreover, to protect it from destruction). The skull was connected to the remains only in the middle of the next century, on June 5, 1954.

Symphony No. 45

Symphony No. 45, F sharp minor, “Farewell” (1772)

Orchestra composition: 2 oboes, bassoon, 2 horns, strings (no more than 9 people).

History of creation

At the turn of the 60s and 70s, a stylistic turning point occurred in the composer’s work. One after another, pathetic symphonies appear, often in a minor key. They represent Haydn's new style, linking his search for expressiveness with the German literary movement"Sturm and Drang".

The name “Farewell” was assigned to symphony No. 45, and there are several explanations for this. One thing, according to Haydn himself, was preserved in the memoirs of his contemporaries. At the time of writing this symphony, Haydn served in the chapel of Prince Esterhazy, one of the Hungarian magnates, whose wealth and luxury rivaled those of the Emperor. Their main residences were located in the town of Eisenstadt and the Esterhaz estate. In January 1772, Prince Nikolaus Esterhazy ordered that during his stay in Esterhazy the families of the chapel musicians (there were then 16 of them) should live there. Only in the absence of the prince could the musicians leave Eszterhaz and visit their wives and children. An exception was made only for the conductor and first violinist.

That year, the prince stayed at the estate for an unusually long time, and the orchestra members, exhausted by their bachelor life, turned to their leader, the bandmaster, for help. Haydn cleverly solved this problem and managed to convey the musicians' request to the prince during the performance of his new, Forty-fifth Symphony. According to another version, the request related to the salary that the prince had not paid to the orchestra for a long time, and the symphony contained a hint that the musicians were ready to say goodbye to the chapel. Another legend is exactly the opposite: the prince himself decided to dissolve the chapel, leaving the orchestra members without a livelihood. And finally, the last, dramatic one, put forward by the romantics in the 19th century: The Farewell Symphony embodies farewell to life. However, the title is missing from the score manuscript. The inscription at the beginning - partly in Latin, partly in Italian - reads: “Symphony in F sharp minor. In the name of God from me, Giuseppe Haydn. 772,” and at the end in Latin: “Praise God!”

The first performance took place in Eszterhaz in the autumn of the same 1772 by the princely chapel under the direction of Haydn.

The farewell symphony stands apart in Haydn's work. Its tonality is unusual - F-sharp minor, rarely used at that time. The eponymous major, in which the symphony ends and in which the minuet is written, is also not typical for the 18th century. But what is most unique is the symphony's slow conclusion, a kind of additional adagio following the finale, which is why the Farewell Symphony is often considered a five-movement symphony.

Music

The pathetic character of the first movement is already determined in the main part, which opens the symphony immediately, without a slow introduction. The expressive theme of the violins, falling along the tones of a minor triad, is aggravated by the characteristic syncopated rhythm of the accompaniment, juxtapositions of forte and piano, and sudden modulations into minor keys. A side part sounds in one of the minor keys, which is unexpected for a classical symphony (the major key of the same name is assumed). The secondary, as usual with Haydn, is not melodically independent and repeats the main one, only with a falling moaning motif of the violins at the end. The short final game, also in a minor key, with winding, seemingly pleading moves, further enhances the woeful pathos of the exposition, almost devoid of major foundations. But the development immediately affirms the major, and its second section forms a bright episode with new topic- peaceful, gallantly rounded. After a pause, the main theme is proclaimed with sudden force and the reprise begins. More dynamic, it is devoid of repetitions and is full of active development.

The second part - adagio - is light and serene, refined and gallant. The sound is predominantly of a string quartet (the double bass part is not highlighted), and the violins are muted, the dynamics are within the pianissimo range. A sonata form with similar themes is used, with a development performed by strings alone, and a compressed reprise, in which the main part is decorated with a “golden move” of horns.

The third movement - the minuet - is reminiscent of a village dance with a constant juxtaposition of the effects of piano (only the violin) and forte (the whole orchestra), with a clearly articulated theme and an abundance of repetitions. The trio begins with a “golden move” of horns, and at the end there is an unexpected darkening - the major gives way to the minor, anticipating the mood of the finale. The return of the first section makes one forget about this fleeting shadow.

The fourth part figuratively echoes the first. The side part is again not melodically independent, but, unlike the minor main part, it is colored in carefree major tones. The development, although small, is a truly classic example of the mastery of motivic development. The reprise is gloomy, does not repeat the exposition, but suddenly ends on the rise... After a general pause, a new adagio with variations begins. The gentle theme, presented in thirds, seems serene, but the sonority gradually fades away, and a feeling of anxiety arises. One by one, the instruments fall silent, the musicians, having finished their part, extinguish the candles burning in front of their consoles and leave. After the first variations, the wind instrument players leave the orchestra. Musicians' departure string group starts with bass; a viola and two violins remain on stage and, finally, a duet of violins and mutes quietly finishes their touching passages.

Such an unprecedented finale always made an irresistible impression: “When the orchestra members began to extinguish the candles and quietly leave, everyone’s hearts sank... When the faint sounds of the last violin finally died away, the listeners began to leave, silent and moved...” wrote the Leipzig newspaper in 1799. “And no one laughed, because it was not written for fun,” Schumann echoed almost forty years later.

Symphony No. 94, No. 98

Symphony No. 94, G major, “With a Timpani Strike,” “Surprise” (1792)

Orchestra composition: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, strings.

Symphony No. 98, B-flat major (1792)

Orchestra composition: flute, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, strings.

History of creation

At the end of 1790, Haydn, who had just been released from almost 30 years of service in the chapel of the Esterhazy princes and was living in Vienna at that time, came to see Haydn, the famous violinist John Peter Salomon, who entered into a contract with him on very favorable terms for a tour in London. . The composer was to write, among other works, six symphonies for Salomon's orchestra - unusually large for the time (40 people) and having only recently included clarinets in the symphony orchestra. Despite the fears of his friends, who were afraid that the almost 60-year-old composer would not survive the voyage and would feel bad in England, not knowing the language, Haydn did not hesitate - he wanted to fully enjoy freedom and glory. He celebrated the New Year 1791 on English soil, where he stayed for a year and a half. Glory was not long in coming. All the newspapers reported about his arrival, many people wanted to meet him, he was honored at concerts, received at court balls, and invited to accompany the heir to the throne at the palace. And in July, the forced bandmaster of the princes Esterhazy, who had difficulty writing letters in his native language, became a doctor of music at Oxford, the oldest university in England. In honor of this event, Symphony No. 92, written before the tour, called Oxford, was performed.

Struck by the greatness of London and the noise that reigned on its streets, Haydn was no less surprised by the activity of musical life, the abundance of concert organizations that worked on a commercial basis and used all means of competition. He himself was drawn into it. Salomon's first concert, which was twice postponed, was preceded by a concert by his competitor, the head of the Professional Concerts, who thereby managed to present one of Haydn's symphonies to Londoners earlier. However, this did not prevent the success of the composer’s original concert, in which his new symphony, written especially for London, was performed. He was greeted with loud applause, which was unusual - in Eszterhaz this was how the prince was greeted, not his bandmaster. The new symphony was liked so much that the public demanded a repetition of the slow movement. And this became a tradition: the second movements of Haydn’s symphonies were usually encored in London. Concerts were held every week with a full hall. And Haydn’s benefit performance, which took place two months later, in addition to artistic success, also brought material success - the income turned out to be twice as much as the contract with Salomon provided for.

At the beginning of the next season, representatives of the rival Professional Concertos came to Haydn and tried to lure him away from Salomon by offering more favorable terms. When the composer refused, his former student, composer and conductor I. Pleyel, was invited from Strasbourg, who was supposed to become his rival, confirming the claims of the bribed newspapers that the old master had written himself off. However, Pleyel showed respect for his teacher everywhere and performed his symphony at the very first concert. Nevertheless, the alarmed Salomon asked Haydn to write a new composition for each concert.

In such conditions, the first six symphonies, called London symphonies (Nos. 93–98), were created. They embodied the best features late style Haydn and with the exception of one (No. 95) are similar in character. Pictures of overflowing folk fun, an abundance of dance rhythms and humorous touches, variations on authentic themes folk songs or themes composed by the composer in the folk spirit, a classic double orchestra with two pairs of brass (horns and trumpets) and timpani - these are them distinctive features. The first sonata allegro lacks contrast, but is contrasted with the slow introduction.

The premiere of the 94th symphony took place on March 23, 1792 in London in Salomon's concert under the direction of the author and was a resounding success.

Music (Symphony No. 94)

The symphony begins with a very slow, adagio-tempo introduction, built on a comparison of phrases of wind and string instruments, which is contrasted by a very fast sonata allegro (vivace assai). The exposition, full of unbridled fun, seems to have been written in one breath. The development captures the mastery of Haydn's motivic development, with minor keys dominating, further enhanced by chromatic harmonies. The return of the bright main part in a reprise is striking in its unexpectedness.

The second, slow movement is variations on the theme of a Moravian children's song. Very simple, with a lot of repetitions, it is instantly remembered, and any listener, leaving the concert, takes it with him. Haydn loved the melody, and a few years later he used it in the plowman's aria in the oratorio The Seasons. In the symphony, the presentation of the theme is accompanied by a humorous effect: after the piano and pianissimo strings, suddenly a thunderous fortissimo chord is heard from the entire orchestra, in which the timpani strike stands out - hence the various names of the symphony, given to it by no means by the author - “With the strike of the timpani”, “Surprise”. Various legends are associated with this effect. According to one of them, the composer noticed that the audience at the concert had dozed off, and decided to wake them up in this way. According to another, the surprise was planned in advance.

The minuet reproduces the images of an unpretentious folk dance. The elastic theme is led by flutes, violins and bassoons in the octave, the texture of the accompaniment anticipates the waltz. In the middle section, development techniques characteristic of the sonata allegro are used. The trio is built on the theme of the minuet, which is entrusted to the first violins and the octave bassoon. This technique, borrowed from the practice of folk music playing, was considered unworthy high genre. One of modern critics wrote: “When I hear Haydn’s minuets in octaves, it seems to me that two beggars - father and son - are singing nasally, begging for alms.” The element of dance also reigns in the finale, which echoes the first part. The lively theme of the violins with sudden rhythmic interruptions is repeated many times, varying, as if all new dancers are joining a common round dance. After a general pause, the main part becomes the background against which the violin, oboe and flute weave their patterns. Between these topics are episodes in which the motives of the main party are developed with the addition of various humorous details. A whirlwind coda completes the picture of folk fun. Symphony No. 98 completes the first series of London symphonies, but its premiere was not the last (the 94th was performed later). The symphony was performed in Salomon concerts conducted by the author on March 2, 1892 and was a great success.

Music (Symphony No. 98)

A harsh minor-key slow introduction, built on a sharp juxtaposition of sonorities. The contrast of the main part is due to the fact that it is an unexpected version of the opening theme - danceable, moving, cheerful. The next contrast is formed by the development: in its polyphonic development, gloomy, anxious moods arise. And in the reprise, carefree fun reigns again. The slow movement opens and closes with a smooth, graceful, even gallant theme, intonated either by strings or wind instruments. The middle episode forms a dramatic contrast, bringing to mind the harsh introduction to the first part.

The lively minuet is permeated with humor and paints a picture of common people's fun. In the trio, where woodwinds play an important role, Haydn used his favorite technique, borrowed from the practice of everyday music playing: the melody is played by the violins and bassoon in the octave.

The fast-paced finale echoes the mood of the first part, but the comic effects are even more pronounced here. “It’s hard to resist their sparkling liveliness and infectious humor,” writes the famous Soviet critic A. Rabinovich. - The moments of the return of the main theme are made with inexhaustible inventiveness. It’s wonderful when sometimes two or three characteristic notes of its beginning appear in timid, abrupt figures in the violins alone, against the background of the silence of the rest of the orchestra; the first theme seems to stick its head through the door, and then, making sure that the place is free, jumps back onto the stage and spins in a fascinating dance.” In the development, a contrast emerges for the last time: the solo violin is contrasted with the menacing chords of the orchestra, reminiscent of one of Haydn's most dramatic symphonies - the Farewell. The sound of a solo violin also opens the reprise. The code affirms the inexhaustible joy of life.

Symphony No. 100, No. 101, No. 103, No. 104

Symphony No. 100, G major, Military (1794)

Orchestra composition: flute, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, triangle, cymbals, big drum, strings.

Symphony No. 101, D major, “The Hours” (1794)

Symphony No. 103, E-flat major, "With tremolo timpani" (1795)

Orchestra composition: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, strings.

Symphony No. 104, D major (1795)

Orchestra composition: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, strings.

History of creation

In the fall of 1793, the famous London entrepreneur and violinist J.P. Salomon offered Haydn a new contract for a tour to England. The first, which lasted a year and a half (1791–1792), brought the composer great moral satisfaction and considerable income. He had at his disposal one of the best orchestras of that time, consisting of 40 people, and there were from 12 to 16 violins alone, that is, almost the same number as all the musicians in the Prince Esterhazy Chapel, which Haydn led for almost 30 years.

The wind instruments were especially richly represented: in addition to a pair of oboes, bassoons and horns, it included two flutes and trumpets, which the princely bandmaster did not always have at his disposal, as well as two clarinets - this instrument had just entered the symphony orchestra and had never been used by Haydn. The composer wrote many new works for London, including his last opera, “The Soul of a Philosopher,” and six symphonies (Nos. 93–98), immediately performed under the direction of the author and called the London Symphonies. The slow parts, usually repeated at the request of the public, enjoyed particular success. Much - both good and bad - was unusual for Haydn in England. His concerts became a major public event, the composer was greeted with applause - only the prince was greeted in this way in Eszterhaz. The listeners were numerous music lovers from all walks of English society who paid for the pleasure. The scale of London, "infinitely big city“, according to the composer, the number of various musical societies, corporations, academies, foundations that organized concerts from Westminster Abbey to clubs, the number of performers - everything was amazing.

The second trip, which also lasted a year and a half - from February 4, 1794 to August 15, 1795 - further strengthened Haydn's fame in London. Now Salomon had no competitors; the composer did not have to prove his superiority, as happened during the first tour. His works were used huge success, the concerts that took place every week invariably attracted a full house. At the last one, before the summer break - May 12, 1794 - three symphonies of Haydn were performed at once.

All of London was talking about him. According to the recollections of contemporaries, “sometimes it happened that some Englishman would approach Haydn and, having looked him up and down and exclaiming, “You are a great man,” he would leave.” By that time, Haydn had already mastered English so much that he could communicate. He wrote several choral works in English texts, and also made arrangements of 445 Scottish and Welsh songs. In the summer, the 62-year-old composer went to explore the sights of England. He visited the spa in Bath, where ancient Roman baths were preserved; in the oldest Winchester Cathedral, on the Isle of Wight and on a warship in Plymouth; at Hampton Court Castle and the Bank of England; examined the ruins of a Catholic monastery and quarries where marble was mined; visited in country house Italian castrato and in the castle of an English lord. Everyone considered it an honor to host the famous composer.

He repeatedly received invitations from the royal family. He played music at the wedding of the Duke of York, the king’s youngest son: sitting at the clavier, he conducted his symphonies, performed by the heir to the throne, the Prince of Wales, who, according to the composer, “played the cello quite decently.” The same thing was repeated at the prince’s musical evenings, where almost exclusively Haydn’s music was played. And two days after the wedding of the heir to the throne, Haydn sang German and English folk songs with the newlywed. The king convinced him to stay in England forever, the queen tempted him with offers to play music at Windsor Palace. However, the composer refused, citing obligations to Prince Esterhazy, and even remembered his unloved wife left in Vienna (whom he once called a hellish beast).

All of Haydn's last symphonies were created according to a single plan, are similar in character and embody the best features of the composer's late style. The four-part cycle opens with a slow introduction; it contrasts with the sonata allegro, which, on the contrary, lacks the contrast between the main and secondary parts. The full-blooded joy of being reigns in the music; it is nourished by a variety of folklore sources - dance and song, with numerous humorous effects. Inventive motivic, variational, polyphonic development is combined with harmonious harmony and clarity of form. The sonata allegro is followed by slow variations, followed by a lively minuet with a more intimate trio. The conclusion is a rapid finale, combining the features of sonata allegro and rondo. The sound of a classical double orchestra, including new tool- clarinet (it first appeared in Mozart's symphonies in 1788), striking in its lightness and fullness. And in the Hundredth, in two parts, unusual for XVIII symphonies century percussion instruments, borrowed from the military orchestra (triangle, cymbals, bass drum). It was the appearance of new drums, the strengthening of the role of wind instruments, as well as marching rhythms, that gave it the name (not the author’s) - “Military”.

Symphony No. 100 was composed in 1794 and was first performed with great success under Haydn in Salomon's concert on March 31.

Music (Symphony No. 100)

The general character of the symphony is already determined in the slow introduction. The dotted rhythm, the timbre of the bassoons, and the final loud tutti chords with the tremolo of the timpani conceal the melodiousness of the calmly focused theme. And the main theme of the sonata allegro, related to it intonationally, sounds like brass band(flute and two oboes) and only for the second time is it presented with strings. But its character - cheerful, danceable - is typical of Haydn's last symphonies, as is the absence of an independent side part. But the final one attracts attention: it is very simple, built on constant repetitions, it has irresistible charm Viennese household music. It is this that forms the basis of the development, which captivates with its continuity of development. The variation of the final theme continues in the reprise, where it occupies a much larger place than the main one, and even opposes it, playing the role of a secondary one.

The music of the second movement was written almost ten years before the symphony, for one of five concerts for a rare instrument - a hurdy-gurdy (it was played by the King of Naples, who commissioned them from Haydn in 1785). The form is the composer's favorite variations, in which his inexhaustible inventiveness and subtle skill are especially clearly demonstrated. The presentation of the melodious, elegant theme is unpretentious - flute and violins, and for the second time - oboes and clarinets sounding for the first time in the symphony. Particularly interesting are the minor variations in the center of the movement. The theme takes on a militant character when performed by a full orchestra with brass and percussion. In the process of further variation, Haydn finds new effects, among which the most unexpected is the militant signal of the solo trumpet, ending with the tremolo of the solo timpani, which grows from pianissimo to fortissimo. The orchestra's alarming, unstable chord is sustained for a long time - like a warning of impending danger. But this is only a moment - the movement ends with the return of graceful initial motives in a jubilant C major. In the Military Symphony, even the minuet takes on a warlike appearance and an unusually energetic sound. The rhythm is played by, among other instruments, horns, trumpets and timpani; in the middle of the minuet the main motive is repeated out of time by the bass. What emerges is a picture of not even a common peasant dance, but a rough soldier’s dance. And the chamber-sounding trio is marked by a dotted rhythm, rare for Haydn, which completely deprives this music of smooth danceability.

But the element of dance reigns in the finale, endlessly varying the light, swirling theme. In its development there are a lot of humorous effects, coloristic comparisons of distant tonalities, contrasts orchestral groups, unexpected pauses and sforzandos. The main part is so persistent that it completely absorbs the side part: the rapid movement simply subsides for a few bars, the basses of the string group and the violin echo with individual scattered staccato sounds. It is wonderful to carry out a side part in a reprise - against the background of the turns of the main part, accompanied by the “golden move” of the horns, to the sound of all the percussion. And in the coda, on this elegant accompaniment, the jubilant main theme sounds for the last time.

Symphony No. 101 premiered before the Military Symphony, No. 100, on March 3, 1794, in Salomon's concerto conducted by Haydn, and was a great success. The title “The Hours,” not given by the author, arose due to a peculiar effect in the slow movement, as was the case with other titles (“Surprise,” “Military”).

Music (Symphony No. 101)

The symphony opens with an introduction at a very slow tempo (adagio). Minor, with an abundance of chromaticisms, with a linear theme presented polyphonically in the middle voices, it develops as if with difficulty and foreshadows music of a completely different type than the carefree sonata allegro that sounds after it, at the fastest tempo (presto). The main part of the strings is staccato - light, rapidly rushing upward - forms a bright contrast to the thoughts of the introduction, although intonationally it grew out of it. What gives it a special piquancy is its division not into four beats, as is typical classical music, but for five cycles. Side parts in Haydn's later symphonies often represent a re-statement of the main dominant in the tonality. In this same symphony, the mood is general, but the themes are independent: the secondary one is not so fast-paced, more intimate and feminine. In development, both themes are dramatized. Lightheartedness returns in a reprise. The coda is another variation of the main theme with a different orchestration.

The slow part is permeated with the incessant ticking of a clock - a measured accompaniment rhythm. Haydn, in his favorite form of variations, amazes with his perfect skill and inexhaustible ingenuity. The melodious theme is saturated with truly vocal coloraturas and an abundance of repetitions, which gives it a resemblance to an Italian opera aria. In the process of variation, it changes the orchestral outfit, becomes dramatized, and acquires tonal freedom, which is not characteristic of the classical type of variations.

A rough minuet is juxtaposed with the exquisite andante. Dynamic and textural contrasts, rhythmic interruptions, jumps at large intervals paint a picture peasant holiday. The trio is dominated by a muted sonority, occasionally disturbed by noisy exclamations of tutti. The easily soaring staccato flute playing in the upper register is reminiscent of the main theme of the first movement - a technique rare in the 18th century. The melody sometimes comes into comical contradiction with the harmony, and a humorous dialogue arises - flutes and bassoons at a distance of three octaves. The minuet ends with an exact repetition of the first section (da capo).

Painting folk festival unfolds in the finale. In the theme, which constantly returns in various versions, one can hear echoes of the lively passages of the first movement, and the awkward leaps of the minuet, and the humorous dialogues of his trio, and even - in some places - the uniform ticking of the andante clock. In this rondo form the episodes are contrasting. The first is lyrical, with Haydn’s favorite presentation of the theme in octave, borrowed from the practice of everyday music-making. The second is a complex fugato, distinguished by exceptional polyphonic skill. A dizzying coda establishes the main theme in the brilliant sound of horns and trumpets against a backdrop of jubilant passages of strings and woodwork.

Haydn's last London season was no longer associated with the concerts of Salomon (he abandoned his enterprise in January 1795), but with the Opera concerts of G. Viotti, the famous Italian violinist and composer. They opened on February 2, 1795 and were held twice a month in Royal Theater under the leadership of Kramer. The orchestra was even larger than Salomon's, approaching the modern one in size: it consisted of 60 people. The best musicians who were then in London wished to take part in the performance of Haydn’s last three symphonies. The premiere of the 103rd symphony took place on March 2, 1795 under the direction of the author and was a resounding success.

Music (Symphony No. 103)

The slow introduction opens with the tremolo of the solo timpani, and this first sound so impressed the listeners at the premiere that it gave its name to the entire work. The majestic theme, entrusted to the bass instruments, slowly rises up. Stops on unstable harmonies, sudden sforzandos on weak lobe tact gives it the features of secrecy and some severity. All the more carefree does the sonata allegro sound, combined general mood. Both the main and side parties are elegant light dance, only the main one is intoned by strings, and in the secondary one the violins and oboe are soloists. In development, motifs isolated from the main theme develop polyphonically; The theme of the introduction suddenly invades, subordinate to the general movement of the main one. Once again, but in its original form, the introduction is repeated in the coda, which is unusual for 18th-century symphonies. At the end, its theme transforms into a cheerful dance and smoothly transitions into the main part in a new orchestral outfit - the solo horns.

The slow movement is one of Haydn's most remarkable andantes. These are variations on two very bright folklore themes. The first, minor, for strings, coincides with the Croatian folk song“On the Lawn”, although to the ear its melodic and rhythmic turns are perceived as Hungarian. The second is a major version of the first. Folklore origins are also clear in its unusual harmonic coloring. Both themes vary consistently, enriched with new colors: either the virtuoso part of the solo violin or the scanned rhythm of the brass and timpani are highlighted.

The minuet is a rough peasant dance, solid, with sharp accents, syncopations and sudden stops. The echo effect in the winds completes the first figure of the dance, and from it the more lyrical second is born, foreshadowing the music of Schubert with its colorful sound. The trio features only strings with a smooth, rounded melody. Interspersed with their canonical roll calls is a bassoon phrase; the original cadence imitates the sounds of bagpipes.

The finale, one of the most complex in Haydn’s symphonic work, combines seemingly incompatible, but equally typical features of the composer’s style: dance themes in the folk spirit and ancient techniques of polyphonic writing. At the same time, two themes are presented: a strict one, based on the “golden course” of the horns, and a dance folklore theme for the violins, actively developing in canonical imitations. A picture emerges national holiday, for the embodiment of which Haydn masterfully combines the principles of sonata form and rondo.

Symphony No. 104 premiered on May 4, 1795. This was Haydn’s farewell benefit performance, about which he wrote in his diary: “The hall was filled with a select group. Everyone was very pleased, and so was I. This evening brought me four thousand guilders."

The 104th Symphony completes not only the 12 London symphonies, but also Haydn’s entire symphonic work, embodying the best features of his late style. Full of the joy of being, with various folklore sources - song and dance - the four-part cycle is based on a contrasting alternation of tempos. The slow introduction is juxtaposed with a sonata allegro, devoid of the contrast of the main and secondary parts. This is followed by slow variations, a lively minuet with a more intimate trio and a rapid finale combining features of sonata form and rondo. Forms with inventive motivic, variational and polyphonic development are characterized by harmonious harmony and clarity, while the sound of the orchestra with numerous humorous effects is characterized by lightness and fullness. The composition of the orchestra is classic: with four pairs of woodwinds, two pairs of brass (horns and trumpets), timpani and strings. This is how the symphony approached the threshold of the new, 19th century, which opened with the first symphonies of Beethoven.

Music (Symphony No. 104)

The majestic slow introduction (adagio) is written in a minor key and is distinguished by its pathetic character and gloomy mood, which is rarely found in Haydn’s last symphonies. The opening unisons of the orchestra with a characteristic dotted rhythm evoke associations with a funeral march. Against this background, the short motif of the violins sounds like a bitter complaint. The Adagio, which forms a complete, albeit miniature, three-part form, mysteriously ends with a long pause... And immediately a cheerful, typically Haydn image appears - the main part: perky, light, danceable. It dominates the entire first part: in the dominant key it appears as a secondary part; polyphonically develops in development; twice, as main and side and returns in reprise.

The theme of the slow second movement, light, soft, rounded, is initially presented only by strings. Only when it is repeated does the bassoon enter: Haydn uses a typical technique of everyday music-making - presenting the theme in an octave. The variations are varied and show the different possibilities of the modest theme. Already the first variation, minor, explodes with the intense sound of the entire fortissimo orchestra. In another, the ticking of a clock is heard, reminiscent of Symphony No. 101, known as “The Clock.” Surprisingly for Haydn's style, a declamatory flute solo in a free tempo against the backdrop of a colorful chain of chromatic chords. The final variation is distinguished by gentle, soothing intonations and beautifully ends with the “golden move” of the horns on pianissimo.

The minuet is another rough peasant dance, of which there are many in Haydn's symphonies. At first, everyone dances - with stamping feet, with dashing accents on the last, weak beat of the bar. Then the same theme sounds pianissimo, transparent and smooth, as if dancing women's group. Then there are humorous lapses in rhythm. In the chamber trio, distant romantic calls with colorful harmonic turns are heard, while Haydn’s favorite implementation of the theme with violins and bassoon in the octave is reminiscent of everyday music-making.

The finale is imbued with the folk spirit and evokes all the more direct associations with the village festival, since it is based on the original Croatian song “Oh, Elena”. Perky and cheerful, it sounds from the violins, then is picked up by the oboe, and the extended basses of the horns and cellos, bassoons and double basses imitate the hum of a peasant bagpipe. As in the first movement, the secondary part’s theme takes the place of the main part in the dominant key and in a new orchestration. Suddenly the dance is interrupted - a strict polyphonic chorale of violins and bassoons sounds (the second secondary theme). It is repeated twice more: at the end of the development in a more complex, polyphonic presentation, and in a reprise. However, the temperamental code is dominated by unbridled fun. It was with this picture of jubilant folk dance that the 63-year-old composer said goodbye to the symphony forever.

The creator of the symphony genre is J. Haydn. A symphony is the highest form of instrumental music, providing the composer with wide scope for embodying the most grandiose themes. The most important feature of symphonic music is that the ideological concept of the work - deep and significant - is revealed in a broad and diverse development, sometimes conflicting, contradictory, intensely dramatic. The conflict, energy and conceptuality of the first part of the symphony are balanced in general in two ways: either through the fundamental contrast of “easy - complex” (after the sonata allegro - the dance part of the minuet or cheerful rondo), or through the exhaustive development of the conflict.

For more than a third of a century he created symphonies (from the late 50s to the mid-90s). Haydn's 28 program symphonies.

Haydn created his symphonies from the late 50s to the mid-90s. Haydn's first symphonies date back to the period of formation of European classical symphonism, and they were an important link in the process of forming the stylistic foundations of the mature symphonism of the Viennese school. Haydn's later symphonies were written when all of Mozart's symphonies already existed and the young Beethoven was developing the principles of his symphonic thinking in piano sonatas and chamber ensembles, approaching the creation of his first symphony. Haydn's late symphonies demonstrate mature classical symphonism.

The evolution of Haydn's symphonic work is of interest not only for studying the creative path of the great composer, but also for understanding the formation and development of classical symphonism of the 18th century in general. Haydn's early symphonies are still in no way essentially different from chamber music (which he wrote at the same time) and almost do not go beyond the usual entertainment and everyday genres of that era. Only in the 70s did works appear that expressed a deeper world of images (“Funeral Symphony”, “Farewell Symphony” and some others). Gradually, as the composer evolves creatively, his symphonies become saturated with deeper dramatic content. If many of Haydn's early symphonies differed little from the suite with its somewhat externally contrasting arrangement of parts, mainly of a dance nature, then gradually in symphonic works a process of overcoming the suite takes place. While maintaining connections with the suite, Haydn's mature symphonies at the same time become integral works, the four parts of which, different in nature, are different stages in the development of a single circle of images. All this was achieved to a certain extent in Haydn’s “Paris” symphonies of 1786, as well as in individual earlier symphonies. But the highest achievement of Haydn's symphonism are the 12 “London” symphonies.

"London" symphonies. With the exception of one (C minor), all of Haydn's London symphonies are written in major keys. Although the major or minor mode in itself cannot be a criterion for determining the content of a musical work, in this case the major nature of the vast majority of Haydn’s works is an important indicator of their optimism, bright and joyful sense of life.

Each of Haydn's "London" symphonies (with the exception of C minor) begins with a short slow introduction of a solemnly majestic, thoughtfully focused, lyrically pensive or calmly contemplative character (usually at a largo or adagio tempo). The slow introduction sharply contrasts with the subsequent allegro (which is, in fact, the first movement of the symphony) and at the same time prepares it. But there is no clear figurative contrast between the themes of the main and secondary parts. Both of them are usually of a folk song and dance nature. There is only a tonal contrast: the main tonality of the main parts is contrasted with the dominant tonality of the side parts. In those cases where the main and secondary parts differ in thematic material, they are largely similar in the nature of the music and in their imagery.

Developments that are built through motivic isolation received significant development in Haydn's symphonies. A short, but most active segment is separated from the theme of the main or secondary part and undergoes a rather long independent development (continuous modulations in different keys, carried out with different instruments and in different registers). This gives developments a dynamic and aspirational character.

Slow parts. The second (slow) movements have a different character: sometimes thoughtfully lyrical, concentrated, sometimes songlike, in some cases march-like. They also vary in shape. The most common are complex three-part and variation forms.

Minuets. The third movements of the "London" symphonies are always called Menuetto (minuet). But Haydn's minuets differ from the prim and gallant court minuets, to the sounds of which dancing couples bowed and curtsied. Many of Haydn's minuets have the character of country dances with their somewhat heavy gait, sweeping melody, unexpected accents and rhythmic shifts, often creating a humorous effect. The three-beat size of the traditional minuet is preserved, but the figurative and semantic content of the music changes: the minuet loses its aristocratic sophistication and becomes a democratic, peasant dance.

Finals. In the finales of Haydn's symphonies, genre images that also go back to folk dance music usually attract attention. The music of the finale rushes cheerfully and naturally at a fast pace, completing the entire symphony, which is cheerful and essentially genre-dance in its figurative structure.

The form of finales is most often sonata or rondo sonata. In some finales of Haydn’s “London” symphonies, the techniques of variation and polyphonic (imitation) development are widely used, further emphasizing the rapid movement of the music and dynamizing the entire musical fabric.

The orchestra in Haydn's symphonies consists of the usual paired composition: 2 flutes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, a pair of timpani, a string quintet. Trombones were used for the first time in symphonic music only in the finales of some of Beethoven's symphonies. Of the woodwind instruments, not all of Haydn's symphonies use clarinets. The clarinet, invented in the 17th century, was practically introduced into symphonies by composers of the Mannheim school. For example, in the G major (“War”) symphony they participate only in the second movement. Only in the scores of Haydn's last two London symphonies Nos. 103 and 104 are there two clarinets along with two flutes, oboes and bassoons. The leading role is played by the first violins, who are entrusted with the presentation of the main thematic material, but flutes and oboes also actively participate in its presentation and development, either doubling the violins or alternating with them in carrying out the theme or its passages. The cellos and double basses play the same bass line (the double basses are only an octave lower than the cellos). Therefore, in Haydn’s scores, their parts are written on the same line. Horns and trumpets generally have a very modest function, emphasizing harmony and rhythm in some places. In cases where all the instruments of the orchestra (tutti) play the forte theme in unison, the horns and trumpets participate on equal terms with the other instruments. Most often this is associated with fanfare themes. You can refer as an example to the main part (presented by the whole orchestra, from Symphony No. 97 in C Major.

Haydn is the creator of the classical symphony genre. The symphony also went through a long development path in Haydn’s work. And only his mature symphonies received the most perfect, classical form - a four-part cycle with a certain sequence of parts.

Many of Haydn's symphonies have their own titles: "Morning", "Noon", "Evening and Storm". Haydn’s symphonies most often owe their names to the second movements, where the composer likes to imitate something: this is how the “Military” symphony arose, where military fanfares are heard in the second movement, and this is how the “Clock” symphony arose, where the second movement begins with “ticking”... There are also the “Bear” symphony, the “Hunting” symphony and the “Chicken” symphony.

The first movement of Symphony No. 48, 1773, named after the Austrian Empress Maria Theresa, perfectly conveys the upbeat atmosphere of Haydn's music, its constant cheerfulness and wit. "Farewell" symphony (No. 45, 1772). Haydn got its name from the finale. During the performance, the musicians gradually leave the stage one by one. So Haydn hinted to his patron, Prince Nicholas, that the musicians were waiting for their departure from the summer estate of Esterhazy to the warm Eisenstadt, and the departure was scheduled for the very next day after the premiere. The finale of the "Farewell" Symphony clearly demonstrates the characteristic features of the music of the "gallant age".

12 London symphonies complete Haydn's symphonic work. In 1793-94, when they were created, Haydn was crowned with glory, favored by nobles, but continued to work tirelessly as always. He accomplished everything he was called to do: the London symphonies radiate contentment and peace, joy and light. They express the philosophical optimism and constant desire for action so characteristic of the Age of Enlightenment.

Symphony No. 100, 1792, “Military”, I movement. The sonata allegro best reflects the contrasts and variability of existence, expresses the theatricality and effectiveness of the Enlightenment.

Symphony No. 103, Es major, begins with a tremolo timpani, which is how it gets its name. The symphony has a bright, cheerful character.