Symphony No. 7 (Haydn)

The Symphony No. 7 in C major (Hoboken I/7) is a symphony by Joseph Haydn, sometimes called "Le midi." The symphony was most likely composed in 1761, together with the other two of the Day Trilogy, No.s 6 and 8. [Antony Hodgson, "The Music of Joseph Haydn: The Symphonies". London: The Tantivy Press (1976): 52. "The first three symphonies to be composed for the Prince were almost certainly the "Morning," "Noon" and "Evening" trilogy."]

It is scored for 2 flutes, 2 oboes, bassoon, 2 horns, strings and continuo, [H. C. Robbins Landon, "The Symphonies of Joseph Haydn". London: Universal Edition & Rockliff (1955): 626. "2 fl., 2 ob., 1 fag., 2 cor., vln. I concertante, vln. II concertante, vcl. concertante, violone (cb.) solo, str., 'Basso Continuo' ("i.e." cembalo)"] and exhibits "many concertante features;" indeed, the principal players of each of the string sections "have solos," while the winds are given fairly difficult parts. [(Hodgson, 1976): 52.] The work is in five movements:

# Adagio - Allegro
# Recitativo
# Adagio
# Minuetto und Trio
# Allegro

Discography

Naturally, it makes sense to group this symphony with the two others of the Day Trilogy, and that's precisely what Neville Marriner does for his recording with the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields on Philips, as well as Roy Goodman with the Hanover Band on Helios and Nicholas Ward with the Northern Chamber Orchestra on Naxos Records.

Despite the recommendations of musicologists (such as Robbins Landon) that Haydn's early symphonies ought to be played with continuo, [Robbins Landon (1955): 118. "The first 40 odd symphonies also require the presence of a harpsichord as part of the "basso continuo". ... It often happens than an early Haydn symphony receives a performance without any "continuo" instrument at all, which is a grave error."] not all recordings of this symphony include harpsichord continuo. Of the recordings mentioned so far, Harnoncourt's and Marriner's do not, while Fischer's and Ward's do. Nor does Christopher Hogwood with the Academy of Ancient Music, [Jamie James, "RECORDINGS VIEW; He'd Rather Fight Than Use Keyboard In His Haydn Series" "The New York Times" Oct. 2, 1994] on the advice of James Webster. [James Webster, "On the Absence of Keyboard Continuo in Haydn's Symphonies" "Early Music" 18 4 (1990): 608. "In a properly sized hall with a live acoustic, and especially in recordings, the majority of harpsichord realizations in Haydn's symphonies are an abomination: rhythmically stiff, the incessant jangle wearying to the ear and vexing to the nerves, muddying the marvellously open 'middle' of Haydn's texture and all too often disfiguring his breathtaking silences by tasteless embellishments. By contrast, when produced with a first-rate 'original-instrument' ensemble of proper size, the single cello, violone and bassoon etch the bass crisply and effortlessly against the distinctly articulated parts above, and the genius of Haydn's spare part-writing is unmediately present to the ear."]

References