Symphony No. 23 (Haydn)

Joseph Haydn wrote Symphony No. 23 in G major (Hoboken I/23) in 1764. [Antony Hodgson, "The Music of Joseph Haydn: The Symphonies". London: The Tantivy Press (1976): 202. The chart places "23" in boldface in the year 1764, indicating that there is also a surviving autograph score.]

The work is scored for 2 oboes, bassoon, 2 horns, and strings with continuo. [H. C. Robbins Landon, "The Symphonies of Joseph Haydn". London: Universal Edition & Rockliff (1955): 651. "2 ob., 2 cor., str. [ fag., cemb. ] ."] The symphony is in four movements:

# Allegro
# Andante
# Menuetto e Trio
# Presto assai

In the Minuet, Haydn writes the movement as a canon between the higher voices (violins and oboes) and lower voices (violas and cellos) at an interval of a single bar. Haydn had written such a canon in the minuet of his third symphony and similar canons would be later be written into G major minuets by Michael Haydn and Mozart.HC Robbins Landon, Haydn: Chronicle and Works, 5 vols, (Bloomington and London: Indiana University Press, 1976-) v. 1, Haydn: the Early Years, 1732-1765] Haydn himself would later develop this technique into the "Canones in Diapason" of the minuet of his Trauer Symphony and the "Witches Minuet" of his D minor string quartet from Op. 76.

The last movement is notable for a surprise at the end of the second half: "an indeterminately spaced single "pizzicato" note." The second half is marked for repeat, but the conductor may choose "whether to omit the "da capo" in order not to risk the surprise ending being anticipated." [(Hodgson, 1976): 63] H. C. Robbins Landon believes this may be "the first positive example of Haydn's famous sense of humour." [(Landon, 1955): 250]

Discography

Antal Doráti in his recording with the Philharmonia Hungarica chooses not to repeat the second half of the finale. [(Hodgson, 1976): 63, footnote]

On Naxos Records, Nicholas Ward conducting the Northern Chamber Orchestra, pairs this symphony with the contemporary No. 24 and the later No. 61 (of 1776). Ward, unlike Doráti, opts to take the repeat of the second half of the finale.

References