Haydn, Symphony No.95, Hob.I:95 (Sigiswald Kuijken, La Petite Bande)

Haydn's Symphony No.95 in C minor, Hob.I:95, with with a theme-and-structure analysis and synchronized sheet music (score) Performance: Sigiswald Kuijken (conductor), La Petite Bande, release in 1993 Analysis, Score Editing, Synch: ScoreMan 00:00 Movement 1: Allegro moderato 06:19 Movement 2: Andante 11:54 Movement 3: Menuetto 16:20 Movement 4: Finale: Vivace OVERVIEW Joseph Haydn composed his Symphony No. 95 in C minor, Hob. I:95, in 1791 during his first visit to London. It is one of the twelve celebrated “London Symphonies” and the only one of them written in a minor key. Compact, dramatic, and unusually concentrated, the work combines the intensity of Haydn’s earlier minor-key music with the sophistication of his mature symphonic style. HISTORICAL CONTEXT Haydn traveled to London in 1791 at the invitation of the impresario Johann Peter Salomon, and his concerts there brought him extraordinary public success. Symphony No. 95 was written for this first London season, alongside Nos. 93, 96, and other works. Unlike several London Symphonies, No. 95 has no slow introduction. Haydn instead begins immediately with a forceful C-minor statement, giving the symphony an unusually direct and serious character. MUSICAL CHARACTER The first movement opens dramatically in C minor with a concise principal idea that becomes fundamental to the movement. Haydn develops his small amount of thematic material with remarkable economy, while the eventual return of the music in C major changes the character of the opening idea. The second movement is a graceful Andante cantabile in E-flat major, constructed as a set of variations. Its calm character provides a strong contrast to the concentrated drama of the opening movement. The Menuetto returns to C minor with considerable weight and seriousness. Its Trio contains an unusually prominent solo cello, creating an intimate chamber-music contrast within the symphony. The finale begins with contrapuntal writing and develops into an energetic combination of sonata form and fugal technique. Haydn transforms seemingly learned counterpoint into brilliant orchestral momentum, bringing the symphony to a confident C-major conclusion. MUSICAL SIGNIFICANCE Symphony No. 95 demonstrates how much Haydn could achieve through economy. Rather than relying on numerous contrasting melodies, he develops short motifs with extraordinary flexibility. Its minor-key intensity, contrapuntal finale, and close thematic integration give the work a particularly concentrated character. It also shows Haydn balancing older techniques such as fugue and counterpoint with the dramatic possibilities of the mature Classical symphony.    • J.S.Bach Masterpieces      • Handel Masterpieces      • D.Scarlatti: Keyboard Sonatas      • Haydn Masterpieces      • Mozart Masterpieces      • Beethoven Masterpieces      • Weber: 4 Piano Sonatas      • Schubert Masterpieces      • Mendenssohn Masterpieces      • Chopin Masterpieces      • Schumann Masterpieces      • Liszt Masterpieces      • Brahms Masterpieces      • Saint-Saëns Masterpieces      • Bizet Masterpieces      • Tchaikovsky Masterpieces      • Sarasate Masterpieces      • Albéniz Masterpieces      • Debussy Masterpieces      • Scriabin Masterpieces      • Rachmaninoff Masterpieces      • Ravel Masterpieces      • Prokofiev Masterpieces      • Shostakovich Masterpieces      • Piano Sonata Collection      • Violin Sonata Collection      • Piano Concerto Collection      • Violin Concerto Collection      • Symphonic Poems Collection      • Lieder & Art Songs      • Suite Collection      • Iberian Echoes      • Gypsy Fire