Symphony No. 29 (Haydn)

Joseph Haydn's Symphony No. 29 in E major (Hoboken I/29) was written in 1765. [Antony Hodgson, "The Music of Joseph Haydn: The Symphonies". London: The Tantivy Press (1976): 202. The chart places "29" in boldface in the year 1760, indicating an autograph score survives.]

The work is scored for 2 oboes, bassoon, 2 horns, and strings with continuo.

The work is in four movements:

# Allegro di molto
# Andante
# Menuetto e Trio
# Presto

The trio of the Minuet has an "oompah accompaniment in the strings" and horns sustaning Es in octaves, but apparently no melody. [(Hodgson, 1976): 65 - 66] The harpsichordist would have to provide a melody, but "no keyboard player has dared to provide such a thing for a quarter of a century" between Loibner's recording and the writing of Hodgson's book. [(Hodgson, 1976): 66] H. C. Robbins Landon also notes the "weird atmosphere" and lack of melody, but says it has a "sombre and secretive beauty" and has a "strongly Balkan" character due to an E minor to B minor modulation.HC Robbins Landon, Haydn: Chronicle and Works, 5 vols, (Bloomington and London: Indiana University Press, 1976-) v. 1, Haydn: the Early Years, 1732-1765]

Discography

In the LP era, neither Antal Doráti with the Philharmonia Hungarica nor Ron Jones with the Little Orchestra of London provide a tune for the trio of the Minuet. Loibner has the Vienna Academy Chamber Orchestra's harpsichordist Christa Fuhrmann give "the outline of a melody—a convincing example of improvisation which suits the music well." [(Hodgson, 1976): 172]

Moving on to the CD era, on Naxos Records, Nicholas Ward and the Northern Chamber Orchestra pair No. 29 with No.s 22 and 60. Ward's recording has no tune in the trio of the minuet.

References