Symphony No. 2 (Haydn)

Joseph Haydn's Symphony No. 2 in C major, Hoboken I/2, is believed to have been written between 1757 and 1761.

It is scored for 2 oboes, bassoon, 2 horns, strings and continuo. [H. C. Robbins Landon, "The Symphonies of Joseph Haydn". London: Universal Edition & Rockliff (1955): 616. "2 ob., 2 cor., str., [ fag., cemb. ] "] Like many of the earliest symphonies by Haydn and others of the time, it is in three movements:

* I. Allegro
* II. Andante in G major, 2/4
* III. Presto, 3/8

In the second movement, the wind instruments are omitted and the violins play in semiquavers from start to finish (a kind of "perpetuum mobile") with the pattern frequently broken by the use of trills.HC Robbins Landon, Haydn: Chronicle and Works, 5 vols, (Bloomington and London: Indiana University Press, 1976-) v. 1, Haydn: the Early Years, 1732-1765] The writing for the violas in this slow movement is unimaginative as they double the bass part throughout [(Landon, 1955): 203] (e.g., "col basso," which was common in the period). The last movement is "Haydn's first attempt at a symphonic rondo and is characterized by a preoccupation with imitative processes." [William E. Grim, "Haydn's "Sturm und Drang" Symphonies: Form and Meaning". Lewiston: The Edwin Mellen Press (1990): 95]

Discography

Symphony No. 2 is available on a CD with No.s 1, 3 - 5 performed by the Sinfonia Finlandia conducted by Patrick Gallois on Naxos Records. But besides that recording, the low-numbered symphonies without nicknames are generally available only as part of a boxed set of all the symphonies or a large number of symphonies, such as Adrian Shepherd's set with Cantilena of No.s 1 - 12 on Chandos Records or the Nimbus Records set of No.s 1 - 20 by the Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra with various conductors.

References