2/25/2023 0 Comments Haydn compositions92 would eventually receive the nickname “Oxford.” I guess nobody actually knew that the origins of the work go back to Paris, and a commission by the French aristocrat, the Comte d’Ogny. But I have much to thank for this doctor’s degree in England indeed, I might say everything as a result of it, I gained acquaintance of the first men in the land and had entrance into the greatest houses.” As such, it’s actually not surprising that Haydn’s Symphony No. Haydn later told a friend, “I felt very silly in my gown, and I had to drag it around the streets for three whole days. Since this degree required the candidate to prove his skill in composition, Haydn presented a number of compositions for examination, and he conducted three concerts at the University. He had been composing in seclusion for the Esterházy family for many decades, but when Johann Peter Salomon brought Haydn to England at the beginning of 1791, Charles Burney suggested that Haydn should receive an honorary doctorate degree from Oxford University. In his day, Joseph Haydn was the most famous composer in Europe. Truth be told, I couldn’t hear anything of that sort, and the nickname “Oxford” has its origin not necessarily in the world of music. When I listened to the “Oxford” I half expected to find some musical references to this city dominated by the 38 colleges of its prestigious university. 94 in G Major “Surprise” (Andante)Ī number of Haydn symphonies carry nicknames that identify a particular geographic location or place. Encore! Encore! sounded in every throat…” As a listener, there is no escaping that delicious fortissimo chord, and it still makes a huge impression. The first Allegro of my symphony had already met with countless Bravos, but the enthusiasm reached its highest peak at the Andante with the Drum Stroke. Haydn replied, “No, but I was interested in surprising the public with something new, and in making a brilliant debut, so that my student Pleyel, who was at that time engaged by an orchestra in London and whose concerts had opened a week before mine, should not outdo me. The Haydn biographer Georg August Griesinger asked the composer whether he composed the surprise to wake up the audience. The music immediately returns to the quiet beginning and in the variations that follow, the surprise is not repeated. It is like an exclamation mark at the end of an otherwise very quiet opening. The “Surprise” happens in the second movement when the orchestra joins the first violins in a sudden fortissimos chord. I’ve long heard the anecdote that Haydn had wanted to startle an inattentive and sleeping audience into paying attention. Composed during Haydn’s first visit to England, Haydn conducted the premiere at the Hanover Square Rooms in London in March 1792. 94 is so famous that the “Surprise” really isn’t a surprise anymore. Let’s get started with one of Haydn’s most famous nickname symphonies. While some nicknames seemingly lend themselves to be heard in the music, others are far more abstract. In the absence of a consistent numbering system, it was much easier for the concert-going public to identify a symphony by its nickname. Alternately, contemporary critics, concert presenters, or even audience members also added nicknames. I suppose publishers might add descriptive titles to characteristic works in order to make their products more attractive to buyers. Without looking at a score or reading various descriptions, would I be able to hear the nickname in the music? I wasn’t particularly worried whether that nickname originated with Haydn or with somebody else. There is a “Bear,” a “Queen,” a “Philosopher,” a “Surprise,” a “Miracle” and so on. I noticed that 35 out of 106 Symphonies by Joseph Haydn carry a nickname of sorts. Over the last couple of days, I have conducted a little musical experiment.
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