Symphony No. 38 (Haydn)

The Symphony No. 38 in C major (Hoboken I/38) is a festive symphony [Antony Hodgson, "The Music of Joseph Haydn: The Symphonies". London: The Tantivy Press (1976): 68. No. 38 is introduced as "another C major Festive Symphony."] by Joseph Haydn. The symphony was composed some time between 1765 and 1769. It is sometimes called the "Echo" Symphony because of an echo effect in the second movement between the first violins and the muted second violins. [Hodgson (1976): 68. "The Andante Molto of No. 38 remains a strings-and-continuo affair but Haydn has by now assimilated his own inventions in syncopation and echo effect. The answering between first and second violins is the more fascinating since only the seconds are muted and the tonal contrast is obvious even to the most untutored ear."] The work is scored for two oboes, bassoon, two horns, trumpets, timpani and strings with continuo. [H. C. Robbins Landon, "The Symphonies of Joseph Haydn". London: Universal Edition & Rockliff (1955): 673. "2 ob., 2 cor. in C (prob. "alto"), 2 clarini (trpt.), timp., str. [fag., cemb.] . In many sources, trpt. and timp. omitted."]

The work is in four movements:

# Allegro di molto
# Andante molto
# Menuet e Trio
# Allegro di molto

Whereas the winds and timpani are dismissed for the slow movement, in the other movements the winds are given more independent parts [Hodgson (1976): 68. "The high horns and trumpets have parts which are quite independent of one another."] than in most previous symphonies.

Discography

Christopher Hogwood and the Academy of Ancient Music choose to put it on a 3-CD set with contemporary symphonies (namely No.s 35, 49, 41, 58, 59, 65). Helmut Müller-Brühl conducting the Cologne Chamber Orchestra, on the other hand, pairs it with the numerically closer Symphonies No.s 37, 39, and 40 on the Naxos Records label, conducting the Cologne Chamber Orchestra.

References

ee also

*List of symphonies by name