Symphony No. 43 in

E major E major is a major scale based on E, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has four sharps. Its relative minor is C-sharp minor and its parallel minor is E minor. Its enharmonic equivalent, F-flat maj ...

, Hoboken I/43, is a

symphony A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, most often for orchestra. Although the term has had many meanings from its origins in the ancient Greek era, by the late 18th century the word had taken on the meaning c ...

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 ...

. Since the nineteenth century it has been referred to by the subtitle " Mercury". The source of the "Mercury" nickname remains unknown according to Matthew Rye. It could refer to its use as incidental music from some play or other given at Eszterháza, or it may not have appeared until the nineteenth century. It would certainly be unnecessary to impose any programmatic elements onto the abstract musical piece, or to search for evidence of a musical portrait of the ancient Greek gods’ winged messenger. The symphony was composed by

1771 Events January– March * January 5 – The Great Kalmyk (Torghut) Migration is led by Ubashi Khan, from the east bank of the Lower Volga River back to the homeland of Dzungaria, at this time under Qing dynasty rule. * January ...

. It is scored for 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, ...

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 ...

, two

French horn The French horn (since the 1930s known simply as the horn in professional music circles) is a brass instrument made of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. The double horn in F/B (technically a variety of German horn) is the horn most o ...

s and

strings String or strings may refer to: *String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...

. The work is in four movements: #

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 ...

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Adagio Adagio (Italian for 'slowly', ) may refer to: Music * Adagio, a tempo marking, indicating that music is to be played slowly, or a composition intended to be played in this manner * Adagio (band), a French progressive metal band Albums * ''Adag ...

A major A major is a major scale based on A, with the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Its key signature has three sharps. Its relative minor is F-sharp minor and its parallel minor is A minor. The A major scale is: Changes needed for the ...

, #

Menuetto A minuet (; also spelled menuet) is a social dance of French origin for two people, usually written in time. The English word was adapted from the Italian ''minuetto'' and the French ''menuet''. The term also describes the musical form that ...

& Trio, #Allegro, H. C. Robbins Landon describes the work as "the Austrian chamber symphony ''par excellence''". The first movement's first theme is "one of the longest of its kind that Haydn ever wrote". The movement lacks a true second subject. The slow movement is scored for muted violins with sparing use of woodwind. Robbins Landon describes the movement as having "a strong sense of nostalgia". It is the only movement of any of Haydn's symphonies to be in the key of

. The menuetto is "marvellously kinetic and very Austrian". The final movement has a long coda in which "finally everything dies away except for the first violin, which goes up to an enigmatic g-flat. There follows one of Haydn's magnificent silences, and then the music plunges into a last ''tutti'' and this elegant chamber symphony is at an end".H. C. Robbins Landon, Programme notes to Haydn Symphonies Vol. 8. CBS Records I3M 39040

References

Symphony 043 Compositions in E-flat major 1771 compositions {{symphony-stub

See also

References