Post by erik on Jan 27, 2018 13:30:09 GMT -5
The third of Haydn's set of six symphonies written for Paris is in this week's Classical Works Spotlight, one with a nickname that is still largely both unofficial and a total mystery:
Haydn: SYMPHONY NO. 84 IN E FLAT MAJOR (IN NOMINE DOMINI)
During 1784 and 1785, Franz Joseph Haydn was very much involved in the evolution of the symphony, all the while he was receiving not so much competition as he was gaining a friend in the younger Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. And during those two years, he composed a set of six symphonies for the city of Paris, nos. 82-87,which were not only works that Mozart followed with great interest, but which served as precursors to the finale twelve that he would compose for London in 1791. The middle one of these, the 84th Symphony, in E Flat Major, is nicknamed (though not officially) “In Nomine Domini” for whatever reason, possibly by someone in the Parisian musical circles of the time. Like many of Haydn’s symphonies, it too has a slow introduction leading into the main body of the work, utilizing the full string compliment of the Concert de la Longe Olympique orchestra that he wrote the symphonies for, but with the noticeable absence of trumpets and timpani (by our standards, the orchestra size required for this work is fairly compact, with just a single flute, plus pairs of oboes, bassoons, and horns). The typical Haydnesque wit is evident in the 84th Symphony, and the nature of this work’s finale seems to have been a significant influence on how Mozart would approach some of his own symphonic finales.
St. Paul Chamber Orchestra/HUGH WOLFF (Teldec)
Included:
SYMPHONY NO. 82 IN C MAJOR (BEAR)
Haydn: SYMPHONY NO. 84 IN E FLAT MAJOR (IN NOMINE DOMINI)
During 1784 and 1785, Franz Joseph Haydn was very much involved in the evolution of the symphony, all the while he was receiving not so much competition as he was gaining a friend in the younger Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. And during those two years, he composed a set of six symphonies for the city of Paris, nos. 82-87,which were not only works that Mozart followed with great interest, but which served as precursors to the finale twelve that he would compose for London in 1791. The middle one of these, the 84th Symphony, in E Flat Major, is nicknamed (though not officially) “In Nomine Domini” for whatever reason, possibly by someone in the Parisian musical circles of the time. Like many of Haydn’s symphonies, it too has a slow introduction leading into the main body of the work, utilizing the full string compliment of the Concert de la Longe Olympique orchestra that he wrote the symphonies for, but with the noticeable absence of trumpets and timpani (by our standards, the orchestra size required for this work is fairly compact, with just a single flute, plus pairs of oboes, bassoons, and horns). The typical Haydnesque wit is evident in the 84th Symphony, and the nature of this work’s finale seems to have been a significant influence on how Mozart would approach some of his own symphonic finales.
St. Paul Chamber Orchestra/HUGH WOLFF (Teldec)
Included:
SYMPHONY NO. 82 IN C MAJOR (BEAR)