Utwory na płycie:

• 1 Haydn & Beethoven - Symphonies - Adagio – Allegro.mp3
• 2 Haydn & Beethoven - Symphonies - Largo.mp3
• 3 Haydn & Beethoven - Symphonies - Menuetto.mp3
• 4 Haydn & Beethoven - Symphonies - Finale.mp3
• 5 Haydn & Beethoven - Symphonies - Adagio.mp3
• 6 Haydn & Beethoven - Symphonies - Adagio.mp3
• 7 Haydn & Beethoven - Symphonies - Menuetto.mp3
• 8 Haydn & Beethoven - Symphonies - Finale.mp3
• 9 Haydn & Beethoven - Symphonies - Adagio molto.mp3
• 10 Haydn & Beethoven - Symphonies - Andante cantabile con moto.mp3
• 11 Haydn & Beethoven - Symphonies - Menuetto.mp3
• 12 Haydn & Beethoven - Symphonies - Finale.mp3

Haydn:
Symphony in G, H.I No.88
Symphony in E flat, H.I No.99

Beethoven:
Symphony No.1 in C, Op.21

INGENIOUS GAMES

WITH FORM AND CONTENT

Joseph Haydn was the embodiment of the symphonic composer, contributing no less than 106 symphonies to the genre during a period of some 40 years. At first, the emphasis lay on the quantity of output; however, this slowed down during the course of the years – thanks to his tremendous enthusiasm for experimentation – in favour of an enormous increase in quality.

Before finally concluding his symphonic oeuvre with his 12 London Symphonies, Haydn composed five symphonies, of which the first symphony included in this CD – his Symphony in G, Hob. I: 88 – dates from 1787 and was commissioned by the Viennese cloth merchant and violinist, Johann Tost. This work, which at first appears to be so simple, contains unusually detailed writing, which as such, however, is hardly to be detected. Here, the cliché of “Papa Haydn”, which was kept alive for decades, is put to rest in exemplary fashion. The slow, self-important, unisono Introduction is followed by a light-footed Allegro, which is constructed monothematically and achieves mainly one goal: a high level of virtuoso orchestral playing. In the slow movement (the themes of which were later frequently quoted by Beethoven), the oboes and solo cello present a lyrical melody, which is permanently subjected to a subtle variation technique – without, however, undergoing a change in its melodic substance! The pounding, uncouth character of the Minuet is in stark contrast to this. The easy, perpetuum-mobile nature of the Finale carries the music onwards with the precision of a Swiss watch; however, the contrapuntal intensification of the middle part turns it in the direction of the final movements of the London Symphonies.

The Symphony in E flat, H. I: 99 – which received its premiere in London on February 10, 1794 – is the first work in his second cycle of six symphonies. It was written in 1793 and also begins with a slow introduction, in which the main key dominates in a cadenza covering 18 bars and ranging through distant keys. The ensuing first movement is developed from a short, two-bar motif: a truly contrasting second “theme” is not introduced. The Adagio forms the heart of the symphony and contains echoes of themes from the first movement. The strength of character in the Minuet already points forward to Beethoven’s Scherzi. And finally, the last movement follows the scheme of the sonata-rondo. Here, Haydn is playing an ingenious game, full of small gags and surprises.

Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1 brings this CD to an end in a conclusive manner, openly referring to the traditional musical lines of the 18th century as established by Haydn (and Mozart). However, it also consciously leaves this “well-trodden” historical path and marks the beginning of Beethoven’s own individual journey, which culminated in the 19th century in his Symphony No 9.

Beethoven composed his Symphony No. 1 in 1799/1800, and it enjoyed a successful premiere on April 2, 1800 during an “Akademie” at the Vienna Hofburg Theatre. Five years later, the “Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung” wrote the following: “[] Beethoven’s Symphony in C was performed with precision and ease. A wonderful work of art. All instruments are put to excellent use, an unusual wealth of beautiful ideas is developed in a splendid and charming manner, yet everywhere there is coherence, order and light.” This “order” is mainly demonstrated in Beethoven’s masterly dominance of the musical form. Three of the four movements follow the main sonata form neatly, perhaps even too obviously. At the head of the first movement – as in both Haydn Symphonies – there is a slow introduction (Adagio molto), of which the unusual opening by means of a dissonant chord in clear need of solution – in Beethoven’s day nothing less than a musical sensation! – targets one thing only: the introduction of the note of C as the pivot and nucleus of the entire work. The tonic key of C is not only the basic key for this work, but also for Beethoven’s entire symphonic oeuvre. Already in the middle part of the first movement, Beethoven introduces his development technique: the motivic-thematic work, in which he first breaks down his basic musical forms into small components and subsequently “resurrects” them in new and different forms. The themes of the following movements are derived from the material of the first movement. This manner of motivic cross-association refers for the first time to the cyclical correlation of the individual movements. In fact, the Minuet is already a typical Scherzo, and the Finale, which also begins with an introduction, fulfils to the expectations of a cheerful farewell dance – for the last time in Beethoven’s symphonic oeuvre.