40
F major
Sinfonien 1761-1763
Herausgeber: Sonja Gerlach und Jürgen Braun; Reihe I, Band 3; G. Henle Verlag München
Symphony No. 40 in F major
Not only the differing paper-types (see the note on chronology), but also the different styles, suggest that this symphony may represent an after-the-fact combination of originally separate movements. While the opening Allegro and the minuet are typically symphonic, the remaining two movements are unique each, however, in a very different way. The masterful sonata-form Allegro employs 'neutral' thematic material, compact scoring, and continually forward-driving rhythms (except for one curious incident in the second group). The minuet is in free, irregularly phrased two-part counterpoint; the trio features concertante horns and oboes.
The Andante più tosto Allegretto Haydn at first wrote merely “Allegretto” - is written for strings alone in bare two-part harmony, “sempre stacccato e piano”, primarily in short, repeated-note motives and sequences. (It would be a sin to disfigure this unique sound with a keyboard continuo.) Was it intended to suggest 'conspiratorial' goings-on? The finale is the only formal fugue in Haydn's entire symphonic output: of the other two finales often cited in this context, that of No. 3 conflates fugue and sonata form, while the severe triple fugue in No. 70 is framed by extensive homophonic sections at either end. Even this movement includes occasional passages in more or less homophonic texture, but the subject (or at least its descending-skip headmotive) is never lost sight of, so that the entire movement indeed derives, fugue-like, from its theme. Although it bristles with contrapuntal artifices, especially strettos, it maintains a jaunty, forward-driving air that is appropriate to its role as a finale.
Analysis

Analysis of the movements




Musicians

Musicians
Due to the unclear time of origin of most of Haydn’s symphonies - and unlike his 13 Italian operas, where we really know the exact dates of premieres and performances - detailed and correct name lists of the orchestral musicians cannot be given. As a rough outline, his symphony works can be divided into three temporal blocks. In the first block, in the service of Count Morzin (1757-1761), in the second block, the one at the court of the Esterházys (1761-1790 but with the last symphony for the Esterház audience in 1781) and the third block, the one after Esterház (1782-1795), i.e. in Paris and London. Just for this middle block at the court of the Esterházys 1761-1781 (the last composed symphony for the Esterház audience) respectively 1790, at the end of his service at the court of Esterház we can choose Haydn’s most important musicians and “long-serving companions” and thereby extract an "all-time - all-stars orchestra".
Flute | Franz Sigl 1761-1773 |
Flute | Zacharias Hirsch 1777-1790 |
Oboe | Michael Kapfer 1761-1769 |
Oboe | Georg Kapfer 1761-1770 |
Oboe | Anton Mayer 1782-1790 |
Oboe | Joseph Czerwenka 1784-1790 |
Bassoon | Johann Hinterberger 1761-1777 |
Bassoon | Franz Czerwenka 1784-1790 |
Bassoon | Joseph Steiner 1781-1790 |
Horn (played violin) | Franz Pauer 1770-1790 |
Horn (played violin) | Joseph Oliva 1770-1790 |
Timpani or Bassoon | Caspar Peczival 1773-1790 |
Violin | Luigi Tomasini 1761-1790 |
Violin (leader 2. Vl) | Johann Tost 1783-1788 |
Violin | Joseph Purgsteiner 1766-1790 |
Violin | Joseph Dietzl 1766-1790 |
Violin | Vito Ungricht 1777-1790 |
Violin (most Viola) | Christian Specht 1777-1790 |
Cello | Anton Kraft 1779-1790 |
Violone | Carl Schieringer 1768-1790 |
Medias

Music
Antal Dorati
Joseph Haydn
The Symphonies
Philharmonia Hungarica
33 CDs, aufgenommen 1970 bis 1974, herausgegeben 1996 Decca (Universal)



