The Symphony No. 102 in
B major
B major is a major scale based on B. The pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A are all part of the B major scale. Its key signature has five sharps. Its relative minor is G-sharp minor, its parallel minor is B minor, and its enharmonic equi ...
,
Hoboken I/102, is the tenth of the twelve
London symphonies
The London symphonies, sometimes called the Salomon symphonies after Johann Peter Salomon who introduced London to Joseph Haydn, were composed by Joseph Haydn between 1791 and 1795. They can be categorized into two groups: Symphonies Nos. 93–98, ...
written by
Joseph Haydn
Franz Joseph Haydn ( ; ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions ...
, at the instigation of impresario
Johann Peter Salomon
Johann Peter Salomon (20 February 1745 aptized– 25 November 1815) was a German violinist, composer, conducting, conductor and musical impresario. Although an accomplished violinist, he is best known for bringing Joseph Haydn to London a ...
. It is one of three symphonies he worked on in 1794, along with his 103 and 104th symphonies.
Despite being lesser-known than many of the other works in the group, it is sometimes viewed as Haydn's best symphony, in terms of successful use of compositional strengths unified in a quality undisturbed throughout the work.
Background
It was completed in the summer of
1794
Events
January–March
* January 1 – The Stibo Group is founded by Niels Lund as a printing company in Aarhus (Denmark).
* January 13 – The U.S. Congress enacts a law providing for, effective May 1, 1795, a United St ...
, and premiered at benefit concerts at the King's Theatre in May 1795.
It is now believed by many scholars to be the symphony at the premiere of which a chandelier fell from the ceiling of the concert hall in which it was performed. According to the ''Morning Chronicle'' (3 February 1795), "The last movement was encored; and not withstanding an interruption by the accidental fall of one of the chandeliers, it was performed with no less effect." The audience escaped unharmed, supposedly because they had rushed the stage to get a better view of Haydn. It was long believed that this "miracle" event took place at the premiere of his
Symphony No. 96, which had happened in 1791.
[ Steinberg, Michael. "The Symphony: a listener's guide". p. 239–241. Oxford University Press, 1995.]
Movements
The work is in standard four-
movement form and scored for two
flute
The flute is a member of a family of musical instruments in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, producing sound with a vibrating column of air. Flutes produce sound when the player's air flows across an opening. In th ...
s, two
oboe
The oboe ( ) is a type of double-reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites.
The most common type of oboe, the soprano oboe pitched in C, ...
s, two
bassoon
The bassoon is a musical instrument in the woodwind family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuosity ...
s, two
horns, two
trumpet
The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz musical ensemble, ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest Register (music), register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitche ...
s,
timpani
Timpani (; ) or kettledrums (also informally called timps) are musical instruments in the percussion instrument, percussion family. A type of drum categorised as a hemispherical drum, they consist of a Membranophone, membrane called a drumhead, ...
and
strings.
It is the only symphony in the second set (99-104) of so called London Symphonies (93-104) where the composer dispenses the clarinets.
#
Largo — Vivace
#
Adagio in
F major
F major is a major scale based on F, with the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. Its key signature has one flat.Music Theory'. (1950). United States: Standards and Curriculum Division, Training, Bureau of Naval Personnel. 28. Its relati ...
#
Menuetto.
Allegro
Allegro may refer to:
Common meanings
* Allegro (music), a tempo marking that indicates to playing quickly and brightly (from Italian meaning ''cheerful'')
* Allegro (ballet), brisk and lively movement
Artistic works
* L'Allegro (1645), a poem b ...
#Finale.
Presto
The second movement is an orchestration of the second movement of the
F minor piano trio, Hob. XV/26, transposed from
F major
F major is a major scale based on F, with the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. Its key signature has one flat.Music Theory'. (1950). United States: Standards and Curriculum Division, Training, Bureau of Naval Personnel. 28. Its relati ...
to
F major
F major is a major scale based on F, with the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. Its key signature has one flat.Music Theory'. (1950). United States: Standards and Curriculum Division, Training, Bureau of Naval Personnel. 28. Its relati ...
. The repeats in the trio are written out in the symphony, allowing for changes in the orchestration the second time through. The orchestral version also features a rolling triplet accompaniment in the cellos where in the trio the cello simply doubles the piano's bass line.
References
External links
*
Symphony 102
Compositions in B-flat major
1794 compositions
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