41
C major
Sinfonien um 1766-1769
Herausgeber: Andreas Friesenhagen und Christin Heitmann; Reihe I, Band 5a; 2008, G. Henle Verlag München
Symphony No. 41 in C major
In distinction to No. 38 (in the same key), this work eschews all staginess in favour of unmediatedly symphonic style. The opening Allegro con spirito in 3/4 moves from cantabile phrases initiated by short, isolated forte attacks to a grand continuation; the second group recalls that of No. 35 in its rushing, tremolo, rhythmically unstable character. The development is one of Haydn's first to make an aesthetic point of the 'immediate reprise' (a statement of the main theme in the tonic towards the beginning of the development, before the real action gets under way); this was a precursor of his better-known 'false recapitulations'. The movement ends with a brief, climactic codetta; another example of Haydn's increasing tendency, during these years, to expand the normal symmetry of the sonata-like forms.
The delicate and subtly expressive Andante features an elaborate flute solo, supported for much of its course by the other winds (the first oboe also has real melodic stature). It is one of Haydn's first slow movements to include the horns, and to mute the violins (both soon became standard practice). The minuet adopts a deliberate, galant, downbeat-oriented style, with (again) paired oboes and horns in the trio. The finale is a winning perpetuum mobile on a jig-motive (2/4 metre, but with constant triplets as if in 6/8), with a rhythmically intricate second phrase and an occasional pretence at counterpoint; like the opening movement, it closes with a fortissimo codetta extension not heard in the exposition.
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)



