88

G major

Order by Hoboken
Hob.I: 88
Chronological order
91
Key
G major
Period
Apotheosis of the chamber-Symphonies 1787 to 1789; „Johann Tost“ and „Paris“
Date of composition
-1788
Customer
Johann Tost
Number of movements
4
Authenticity proof
Entwurfs-Katalog
Score edition

Sinfonien 1787-1789
Herausgeber: Andreas Friesenhagen; Reihe I, Band 14; 2010, G. Henle Verlag München

Hob.I:88 Symphony in G Major     
Composed in 1787, Symphony No. 88 is the first of the pair of symphonies that Joseph Haydn gave the Esterházy violinist Johann Tost on his journey to Paris in order to keep the Parisians interested in Haydn’s compositions. What is unusual about this G major symphony is that Haydn allows the trumpets and timpani to pause for the entire first movement. This was ascribed to Haydn having to work long and with interruptions on this symphony so that he “forgot” about the instrumentation for the first movement. Far more likely responsible for these instruments being saved for the surprise in the second movement is a calculated economy of composition, for as a “professional composer” Haydn simply forgetting about it is too absurd. And when the work is heard in context it is obvious how simple it was for Haydn to achieve an enormous impact without particular effort. One sees that not just any instruments were held in reserve, but specifically the timpani and trumpets – only then to be brought in when a slowdown would be expected – that is, in the second movement. Yet back to the beginning of the symphony. The first movement requires the slow introduction, for its principal theme is extremely terse, actually just an accented rhythmic figuration of little melodic individuality. The introduction misleads the listener to expect that something “important” will now occur. Yet an almost spartanic theme is presented, simultaneously providing Haydn with the opportunity to unfold his exceptional virtuosity in composition and his orchestral brilliance. The movement also tends toward the monothematic with an extremely casual secondary theme. As one is wont to believe, Haydn set about the “intellectual challenge” of creating an absorbing movement (based indeed on all the “rules” of the art) with a “little thematic content.” The second movement, in particular, became famous, probably as a result of its consummate melody and tone combined with Haydn’s compositional skill at varying the basic material seven times without making any essential changes to the melodic substance, yet presenting something “new” every time. The finale is a perpetual-motion kehraus, in which a plethora of variations and combinations are unfolded out of an inconspicuous motival core as in the first movement. It is one of those movements which the listener is unable to get out of his or her head even hours after the end, boldly put, a “hit.”

Analysis

Analyse

Analysis of the movements

1. movement
90,1a
 
90.1b
Title of the movement
Adagio / Allegro
Key
G major
Form
sonataform
2. movement
90,2
Title of the movement
Largo
Key
D major
Form
variationrondo
3. movement
90,3
Title of the movement
Menuetto Allegretto / Trio
Key
D-D major
4. movement
90,4
Title of the movement
Allegro con spirito
Key
G major
Form
rondo
Duration
appr. 22 min.

Musicians

Musiker

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".

Instrumentation
1|2|0|2 – 2|2 – 1 – Str.
Cast oft he orchestra
1|2|0|2 – 2|2 – 1 – Str.
Cast
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

Medien

Music

Choose the interpreter

Antal Dorati

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

1. movement
90,1a
 
90.1b
2. movement
90,2
3. movement
90,3
4. movement
90,4



Score

88









Haydn13

1757

1. Periode
Hob.I:1

1757-1759

1. Periode
Hob.I:37
Hob.I:18
Hob.I:2

1757-1760

1. Periode
Hob.I:4
Hob.I:27

1758-1760

1. Periode
Hob.I:10
Hob.I:20

1761/1762

1. Periode
Hob.I:36
Hob.I:33

1766

4. Periode

1771

4. Periode
Hob.I:52
Hob.I:42

1773/1774

4. Periode
Hob.I:50

1774/1775

5. Periode
Hob.I:68

1776

5. Periode
Hob.I:61

1777/1778

5. Periode
Hob.I:53 "L'Impériale"

1778/1779

5. Periode
Hob.I:71

1780

5. Periode
Hob.I:74
Hob.I:62

1781

5. Periode
Hob.I:73 "La chasse"

1787

8. Periode
Hob.I:89

-1788

8. Periode
Hob.I:88

1788

8. Periode
Hob.I:90
Hob.I:91

1789

8. Periode
Hob.I:92 "Oxford"

1791/1792

9. Periode
Hob.I:98

1793

10. Periode
Hob.I:99

1794

10. Periode
Hob.I:102

1796

1799

1801

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I. Periode
Acide
 
I. Periode
 
I. Periode
 
I. Periode
La canterina
I. Periode
 
I. Periode
Lo speziale
 
I. Periode
 
I. Periode
Le pescatrici
 
I. Periode
 
I. Periode
 
II. Periode
 
II. Periode
 
II. Periode
 
II. Periode
Il mondo della luna
 
II. Periode
 
III. Periode
 
III. Periode
La fedeltà premiata
 
III. Periode
Orlando paladino
 
III. Periode
Armida
 
III. Periode
La vera costanza II