Symphony No. 23 (Haydn)
Encyclopedia
Joseph Haydn
wrote Symphony No. 23 in G major
, Hoboken I/23, in 1764.
The work is scored for 2 oboe
s, bassoon
, 2 horn
s, and strings
with continuo. The symphony is in four movements:
The slow movement is scored for strings only and contains numerous five-note thirty-second-note slides in the lower strings.
In the Minuet, Haydn writes the movement as a canon between the higher voices (violins and oboes) and lower voices (violas and cellos) at an interval of a single bar. Haydn had written such a canon in the minuet of his third symphony
and similar canons would be later be written into G major minuets by Michael Haydn
and Mozart
. Haydn himself would later develop this technique into the "Canones in Diapason" of the minuet of his Trauer Symphony
and the "Witches Minuet" of his D minor string quartet from Op. 76.
The last movement is notable for fading away unexpectantly at the end, first pianissimo in the string along and then after a grand pause ending with a single pizzicato
note. The second half is marked for repeat, but the conductor may choose "whether to omit the da capo in order not to risk the surprise ending being anticipated." H. C. Robbins Landon
believes this may be "the first positive example of Haydn's famous sense of humour."
Joseph Haydn
Franz Joseph Haydn , known as Joseph Haydn , was an Austrian composer, one of the most prolific and prominent composers of the Classical period. He is often called the "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet" because of his important contributions to these forms...
wrote Symphony No. 23 in G major
G major
G major is a major scale based on G, with the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has one sharp, F; in treble-clef key signatures, the sharp-symbol for F is usually placed on the first line from the top, though in some Baroque music it is placed on the first space from the bottom...
, Hoboken I/23, in 1764.
The work is scored for 2 oboe
Oboe
The oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...
s, bassoon
Bassoon
The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family that typically plays music written in the bass and tenor registers, and occasionally higher. Appearing in its modern form in the 19th century, the bassoon figures prominently in orchestral, concert band and chamber music literature...
, 2 horn
Horn (instrument)
The horn is a brass instrument consisting of about of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. A musician who plays the horn is called a horn player ....
s, and strings
String instrument
A string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
with continuo. The symphony is in four movements:
- Allegro, 3/4
- Andante, 2/4
- Menuetto e Trio, 3/4
- Presto assai, 6/8
The slow movement is scored for strings only and contains numerous five-note thirty-second-note slides in the lower strings.
In the Minuet, Haydn writes the movement as a canon between the higher voices (violins and oboes) and lower voices (violas and cellos) at an interval of a single bar. Haydn had written such a canon in the minuet of his third symphony
Symphony No. 3 (Haydn)
Joseph Haydn's Symphony No. 3 in G major, Hoboken I/3, is believed to have been written between 1760 and 1762.It is scored for 2 oboes, bassoon, 2 horns, strings and continuo...
and similar canons would be later be written into G major minuets by Michael Haydn
Symphony No. 12 (Michael Haydn)
Michael Haydn's Symphony No. 12 in G major, Perger 7, Sherman 12, MH 108, written in Salzburg in 1768, was at one time mistaken for a symphony by Joseph Haydn Michael Haydn's Symphony No. 12 in G major, Perger 7, Sherman 12, MH 108, written in Salzburg in 1768, was at one time mistaken for a...
and Mozart
Symphony No. 12 (Mozart)
Symphony No. 12 in G major, K. 110/75b, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, was composed in Salzburg in the summer of 1771. The symphony was apparently prepared in anticipation of Mozart's second Italian journey, which was to take place between August and December 1771. The symphony is in four movements,...
. Haydn himself would later develop this technique into the "Canones in Diapason" of the minuet of his Trauer Symphony
Symphony No. 44 (Haydn)
The Symphony No. 44 in E minor, Hoboken 1/44, was completed in 1772 by Joseph Haydn. It is popularly known as Trauer...
and the "Witches Minuet" of his D minor string quartet from Op. 76.
The last movement is notable for fading away unexpectantly at the end, first pianissimo in the string along and then after a grand pause ending with a single pizzicato
Pizzicato
Pizzicato is a playing technique that involves plucking the strings of a string instrument. The exact technique varies somewhat depending on the type of stringed instrument....
note. The second half is marked for repeat, but the conductor may choose "whether to omit the da capo in order not to risk the surprise ending being anticipated." H. C. Robbins Landon
H. C. Robbins Landon
Howard Chandler Robbins Landon was an American musicologist.He was born in Boston, Massachusetts and studied music at Swarthmore College and Boston University. He subsequently moved to Europe where he worked as a music critic. From 1947 he undertook research in Vienna on Joseph Haydn, a composer...
believes this may be "the first positive example of Haydn's famous sense of humour."