Haydn: Symphony No. 49 in F minor “La passione“ (with Score)

Franz Joseph Haydn: Symphony No. 49 in F minor, Hob. I/49 “La passione“ (with Score) Composed: 1768 Orchestra: Academy of St Martin in the Fields Conductor: Sir Neville Marriner 00:00 1. Adagio (F minor) 07:55 2. Allegro di molto (F minor) 12:43 3. Menuet (F minor) – Trio (F major) 17:45 4. Finale. Presto (F minor) The adventurous, expressive nature of Haydn’s symphonies from the mid-1760s shows the composer’s desire to expand the scope of the genre beyond its traditional role as graceful entertainment for the gentry; the popular nicknames some of these works inspired, such as “Trauersinfonie“ (Funeral Symphony) (No. 44) and “La passione“ (No. 49), indicate that he succeeded. Of special significance are the symphonies in minor keys from this period: Nos. 26, 49, 39, 44, 45 and 52; they exhibit the well-honed wit that would characterize his later works. However, they also contain a harsher, more emotional language than the composer had previously employed -- a language he would later abandon. Many commentators, including Haydn himself, have attributed the composer’s experimentation to his physical separation from the musical mainstream. In 1766, Haydn’s patron, Nikolaus Esterházy, completed the family residence, called Esterháza, where Haydn would live and work until 1790. The palace was just far enough from Vienna to make frequent visits to the city difficult and Haydn’s numerous duties made them nearly impossible. As Haydn later related to a biographer, “I was isolated from the world, no one near me could confuse and torment me, and so I had to become original.“ Some, however, have linked Haydn’s style in this period with the contemporaneous Sturm und Drang (Storm and Stress) movement in literature. Considered the most radical of the symphonies Haydn composed between 1766 and 1772, the Symphony No. 49 in F minor was given its nickname, “La passione,“ by its French publisher. For Haydn and his contemporaries, F minor was the appropriate key for somber and supernatural scenes in stage works as well as for the expression of passion in instrumental works (such as Beethoven’s “Appassionata“ sonata). Haydn produces unity in part by using F (either major or minor) as the tonic all of the movements, which are arranged in the old-fashioned, “church sonata“ format -- four movements in the order slow-fast-slow-fast; here, the third movement is a slow Minuet and Trio. The work is scored for two oboes, two horns, bassoon, and strings. From the beginning of the Adagio we sense a weighty seriousness, typical of Haydn’s works in the church sonata format. Contrasting dynamics do not diminish the dark atmosphere, which continues through the rest of the symphony. The second movement, an Allegro molto in sonata form, is arguably the most “passionate“ of the symphony. The opening motive leaps violently before a fiercely syncopated gesture takes over. After a modulation from the opening F minor to A flat major and a repeat of the exposition, an intense development section begins, featuring nearly full presentations of the themes from the exposition, but on the “wrong“ harmonies. What is most striking is the return, in the development section, from the serene secondary theme back to the original key. Wide dynamic contrasts materialize unexpectedly throughout the movement, while passages of syncopation produce nervous energy. Beginning with the same motive as the Allegro, the Minuet and Trio provide a welcome break from the somber atmosphere of the first two movements. The Trio provides contrast by shifting to the major mode. The closing Presto is a monothematic sonata-form movement that is thematically related to the previous movements. It is most notable for its highly concentrated melodic material. Again, Haydn does not attempt to lighten the atmosphere of the piece in any way. All Music Guide () Haydn107 () Wikipedia article ((Haydn)) International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP) (,_Hob.I:49_(Haydn,_Joseph))