Symphony No. 98 (Haydn)
Encyclopedia
The Symphony No. 98 in B flat major
, Hoboken 1/98, is the sixth of the so-called twelve London Symphonies
(numbers 93-104) written by Joseph Haydn
. It was completed in 1792
as part of the set of symphonies composed on his first trip to London. It was first performed at the Hanover Square Rooms
in London on 2 March 1792.
, two oboe
s, two bassoon
s, two horns
, two trumpet
s, timpani
, strings
and keyboard (harpsichord
or piano
).
The symphony's scoring is singular among Haydn's later symphonies. It requires an obbligato
part for harpsichord
, which has a prominent eleven-bar solo passage near the end of the finale. Although the harpsichord was often used as a continuo
or solo instrument, it was rarely given a prominence of this kind in purely orchestral works. Most likely, Haydn himself played the harpsichord at the premiere.
The Adagio is alluded to in the Agnus Dei of the Harmoniemesse
.
B flat major
B major or B-flat major is a major scale based on B-flat, consisting of the pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A. Its key signature has two flats, B/E .Its relative minor is G minor, and its parallel minor is B minor....
, Hoboken 1/98, is the sixth of the so-called twelve London Symphonies
London symphonies
The London symphonies, sometimes called the Salomon symphonies after the man who introduced London to Joseph Haydn, were composed by Joseph Haydn between 1791 and 1795...
(numbers 93-104) written by Joseph Haydn
Joseph Haydn
Franz Joseph Haydn , known as Joseph Haydn , was an Austrian composer, one of the most prolific and prominent composers of the Classical period. He is often called the "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet" because of his important contributions to these forms...
. It was completed in 1792
1792 in music
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as part of the set of symphonies composed on his first trip to London. It was first performed at the Hanover Square Rooms
Hanover Square Rooms
The Hanover Square Rooms or the Queen's Concert Rooms were assembly rooms established, principally for musical performances, on the corner of Hanover Square, London, by Sir John Gallini in partnership with Johann Christian Bach and Carl Friedrich Abel in 1774. For exactly one century this was the...
in London on 2 March 1792.
Instrumentation
The work is scored for fluteFlute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
, two oboe
Oboe
The oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...
s, two bassoon
Bassoon
The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family that typically plays music written in the bass and tenor registers, and occasionally higher. Appearing in its modern form in the 19th century, the bassoon figures prominently in orchestral, concert band and chamber music literature...
s, two horns
Horn (instrument)
The horn is a brass instrument consisting of about of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. A musician who plays the horn is called a horn player ....
, two trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
s, timpani
Timpani
Timpani, or kettledrums, are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum, they consist of a skin called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally made of copper. They are played by striking the head with a specialized drum stick called a timpani stick or timpani mallet...
, 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...
and keyboard (harpsichord
Harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
or piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
).
The symphony's scoring is singular among Haydn's later symphonies. It requires an obbligato
Obbligato
In classical music obbligato usually describes a musical line that is in some way indispensable in performance. Its opposite is the marking ad libitum. It can also be used, more specifically, to indicate that a passage of music was to be played exactly as written, or only by the specified...
part for harpsichord
Harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
, which has a prominent eleven-bar solo passage near the end of the finale. Although the harpsichord was often used as a continuo
Figured bass
Figured bass, or thoroughbass, is a kind of integer musical notation used to indicate intervals, chords, and non-chord tones, in relation to a bass note...
or solo instrument, it was rarely given a prominence of this kind in purely orchestral works. Most likely, Haydn himself played the harpsichord at the premiere.
Movements
- Adagio - Allegro, 2/2
- Adagio, 3/4
- MenuettoMinuetA minuet, also spelled menuet, is a social dance of French origin for two people, usually in 3/4 time. The word was adapted from Italian minuetto and French menuet, and may have been from French menu meaning slender, small, referring to the very small steps, or from the early 17th-century popular...
. Presto, 3/4 - Finale. Presto, 6/8
The Adagio is alluded to in the Agnus Dei of the Harmoniemesse
Harmoniemesse
The Harmoniemesse in B-flat major by Joseph Haydn, Hob. XXII:14, Novello 6, was written in 1802. It is because of the prominence of the winds in this mass and "the German terminology for a kind of wind ensemble, Harmonie," that this mass setting is called "Harmoniemesse" or "Wind-Band Mass."...
.
External links
- BBC Discovering Music Program for Symphony #98 and Variations in F minor