Symphony No. 37 (Haydn)

The Symphony No. 37 in C major (Hoboken I/37) is a symphony by Joseph Haydn. The symphony was composed prior to 1762, quite likely prior to most of the other symphonies numbered in the 30s. [Antony Hodgson, "The Music of Joseph Haydn: The Symphonies". London: The Tantivy Press (1976): 59. "Symphony No. 37 is certainly an early composition—early enough to be considered a misnumbering, except that its exact position is unclear. Sufficient to say, however, that it must surely have been a Lukaveč symphony."] 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): 671. "2 ob., 2 cor. (prob. in C "alto") and/or 2 clarini (trpt.), timp., str. [fag., cemb.] ."] It is possible the trumpet and timpani parts were added later. [Hodgson (1976): 59. "The trumpet and timpani parts were almost certainly added later."]

The work is in four movements:

# Presto (2/4)
# Menuet e Trio
# Andante
# Presto (3/8)

The work is one of the few symphonies of the Classical era to place the Minuet second (others include Haydn's 44th and his brother Michael's 15th and 16th).

Discography

Antal Doráti's recording with the Philharmonia Hungarica inexplicably omits trumpets and timpani. [Hodgson (1976): 175. "Dorati's recording should be avoided due to the unaccountable omission of trumpets and timpani from this example of Haydn's C major "festival" writing, and use of horns in low C."] From the LP era, pickings are slim, with each of the few available recordigns of that era flawed in some way or another.

In the CD era, Christopher Hogwood and the Academy of Ancient Music chose to put it on a 3-CD set with contemporary symphonies (such as No.s 1, 10, 27 and 32). Helmut Müller-Brühl conducting the Cologne Chamber Orchestra, on the other hand, pairs it with the numerically closer Symphonies No.s 38, 39, and 40 on the Naxos Records label.

References