HAYDN SYMPHONY

New Zealand Listener, Volume 25, Issue 630, 27 July 1951, Page 17

HAYDN SYMPHONY

N Thursday, August 2, the National Orchestra, conducted by Michael Bowles, will present the first concert of the season at Dunedin. The programme includes: "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini" | for piano and orchestra (Rachmaninoff), in which the soloist is Richard Farrell: and Haydn’s Symphony No. 102 in B Flat.

Here

BESSIE

POLLARD

discusses the last-named work in‘ outline.

ACCORDING to the autograph, the B flat .symiphony is the ninth of the series "Haydn called the "London" symphonies, and, history, named the "Salomon" after the fathous cohcert entrepreneur who commissioned, their production in the years 1791-95. Johann Peter Salomon, a Gernian violinist, settled in London in 1781, where he won success and high reputation as a soloist. In 1786 he organised subscription concerts in competition with the existing Series of the Professional Concerts. Salomon had been one of Haydn’s .admi for, some time, and it was for his concert series that hé ‘wished to engage theiservices of the then 59-year-old master, = ae . ot The brilliant success Haydn, earned in the Salomon concerts in London had far-reaching effects. Haydn’s creative powers were stimulated tremendously by the enthusiasm he aroused among the music-lovers of the world’s largest capital, and the result, the twelve London Symphonies (six were written for his first London visit, and six for his second) gave to posterity twelve masterworks in which Haydn’s orchestral writing reached its peak of perfection. : The 22-bar Introduction (Largo) to the first movement of the Symphony in B Flat begins with a solemn, sustained B flat for the full orchestra, then the strings play a calm melody. This introductory passage is developed just sufficiently to give the listener an impression’ of breadth, and after a long pause on dominant harmony it proceeds straight into the first movement proper (Allegro vivace). First violins give Out the main themé of the movement (below)rg

At bar 35 ("A" below) we hear a subsidiary theme from first violins while the woodwinds play its variant; a second subject ("B" below) appears at bar 61 in the strings, punctuated by a strong chord from full orchestra-

Fitst violins give out the richly ornamented melody (below) upon which the slow moyement-Adagio-is based, supported later by flute and bassoon-

The «main. theme. of -the -Minuet*section of the third movement (Allegro-"A" below), announced by flute and violins, is gay; the Trio section is quieterhere oboe and barge give out the main melody ("B" below)i a a

Tovey says of the Finale: "The last movement begins with one of Haydn’s best themes of the kittenish type. Young tigers also are very charming as kittens, and this Finale has powerful muscles with which to make it spring." "A" and "B" below quote two of the main themes of the movement-