88
G major
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

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)




