Haydn - Development of the Symphony Points. Flashcards
1
Q
Overall Form:
A
- Follows traditional pattern of four movements with a slow second, minuet third, and lively finale.
- 2nd movement Andante and subdominant (conventional).
- Haydn creates motivic links between the movements, e.g. M1 and M2 melodies.
2
Q
First movement (and sonata form):
A
- First (and last) movement is monothematic (common for Haydn, unusual for others).
- Starting the first movement was a practice established by Haydn. Here, the tonic (D) minor.
3
Q
Second/slow movements:
A
- Marked Andante = very common tempo for a second movement.
- Subdominant (G major).
- Ternary form with elements of variation.
- B section = minor-key variation of the opening bu this is interrupted by a dramatic sturm und drang style episode.
4
Q
Minuet/third movements:
A
- Traditional minuet rather than a scherzo but is marked as Allegro and the off-beat accents in the opening give it an energetic feel.
- The end of the Menuet, Haydn seems to start a modulation to the subdominant in bar 43 only to stop and leave the upbeat at the end of bar 44 for two whole bars of rest.
5
Q
Finale/Last movements:
A
- The finale starts with a folk feel, including a tonic drone and a melody based on a folk song from Croatia (Oj Jelena).
- The finale is complex and weighty in comparison to earlier lightweight works.
- It is typical of later Haydn and Mozart symphonies (even more Beethoven) for it to be more substantial.
6
Q
Development of the orchesta:
A
- Standard mature Classical orchestra.
- Haydn uses varied doublings e.g. in the trio where the violin is first doubled by oboe (bar 53) and then in the next phrase on bassoon.
- Haydn is writing for natural brass, so his D horns and trumpets play at the opening but fall silent at bar 7 where the F major tonality is too awkward for them.
7
Q
Development of harmony and tonality:
A
- Basic tonic/dominant structural relationships and use of closely related keys are present, as well as unusual features in this piece as well.
- The last movement has an unusual approach for the return of D major in bar 193 (the recapitulation) by an interrupted cadence in F# minor (bars 192-3) which replaces the expected dominant preparation.
8
Q
Drama, narrative, programme:
A
- The fanfare-like introduction provides a dramatic opening to the piece – the minor-key seriousness is soon dispelled once the main Allegro starts, however.
- Haydn’s use of silence creates drama and tension. e.g. the use of silence is the two-bar rest in the Menuet (bars 45-6) where Haydn suddenly interrupts the flow of the music before landing on a two-bar trill idea.
9
Q
Melody and theme:
A
- Haydn’s melodies tend to be presented in short, regular phrases, influenced by folk melody. The main melody from the last movement has a strong resemblance in fact to the Croation folk song ‘Oj Jelena’.
- Haydn’s sonata form is monothematic, meaning he uses the same melodic material for both first and second subjects, a regular feature of his writing.
- Many motivic connections between movements, e.g. the very strong resemblance of the first subject in the opening movement (bar 17) and the opening of the Andante.
10
Q
Texture:
A
- Typical MDH, e.g. the opening of M2.
- Counterpoint; alternations between woodwind and lower string in in bars 115-20 to the more complex imitative texture at the end of the development in the last movement starting at bar 167.
11
Q
Tempo, metre, rhythm:
A
- Silence, e.g. the Menuet, where Haydn inserts a two-bar rest in all parts in bars 35-36.
- Haydn enlivens the 3/4 dance with accents on the third beat (starting in bar 1) and a hemiola in bar 21-22.
12
Q
Dance and national styles:
A
- Haydn’s melodies are short, regular phrases, influenced by folk melody, e.g. the opening Allegro idea from M1 = relatively simple textures and harmonies alongside the periodic phrasing.
- The main melody from the last movement is even more strongly folk inspired and bears a strong resemblance in fact to the Croatian folk song ‘Oj Jelena’.
