Symphony No. 26 (Michael Haydn)

Michael Haydn's Symphony No. 26 in E-flat major, Perger 17, Sherman 26, MH 340, written in Salzburg in 1783, was the first in the set of the only three symphonies of Haydn's published in his lifetime. It was one of several E-flat major symphonies attributed to Joseph Haydn (Hob. I:Es17).

Scored for 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns and strings, in three movements:

# Allegro spiritoso
# Adagietto affettuoso (in A-flat major)
# Presto

The first of these movements is now acknowledged by scholars to have been an important influence on Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Symphony No. 39, K. 543 in the same key. [Alfred Einstein, "Mozart: His Character, His Work", translated to English by Arthur Mendel & Nathan Broder. Oxford: Oxford University Press (1945): 127. "But, as regards the E-flat Symphony [K. 543] , it was probably the beginning of a symphony by Michael of 14 August 1783—Mozart was then in Salzburg and may have become acquainted with the work—that supplied the stimulus for the first Allegro: Ex. 7 [four bars of music are quoted in piano reduction] Similarly with the "Adagio affettuoso" of the Haydn work and Mozart's Andante.]

Discography

This symphony is included on disc 6 of a set of 20 symphonies on the CPO label with Bohdan Warchal conducting the Slovak Philharmonic. It has also been recorded by Capella Savaria conducted by Pál Németh on the Hungaroton label.

References

* A. Delarte, "A Quick Overview Of The Instrumental Music Of Michael Haydn" "Bob's Poetry Magazine" November 2006: 22 [http://bobspoetry.com/Bobs03No.pdf PDF]
* Charles H. Sherman and T. Donley Thomas, "Johann Michael Haydn (1737 - 1806), a chronological thematic catalogue of his works". Stuyvesant, New York: Pendragon Press (1993)
* C. Sherman, "Johann Michael Haydn" in "The Symphony: Salzburg, Part 2" London: Garland Publishing (1982): lxviii
* M. H. Schmid, liner notes to Warchal box set: 20 - 22