Haydn Symphonies Nos. 61 – 92

[Read Part One of this tour here.]

This group of Haydn symphonies features five of distinction.  As usual, there are parts of many other symphonies that are worth noting and warrant repeat listenings but they are all of particular symphonies that are just “okay” Haydn when taken as a whole.  Still wonderful to listen to, but not of the highest quality as I experienced him on this tour. 

I called the Symphony No. 88 “great” back in 2011.  But, this time it did not call attention to itself in the same way.  In the context of his vast body of work, I concluded that it really is only a half-great symphony.  It's Minuet and Finale are wonderful and outshine the first two movements of the piece, which are not as great as some of the other material I heard while listening to these works several times over the past weeks.

The 60's perfectly exemplify the enormous plethora of Haydn symphonies that are not that special overall and yet contain special movements that do not live up to the rest of the given symphony.  The Presto that starts Symphony No. 67, for example, is one of my favorite movements in all of Haydn's repertoire.  (Once again, none of these symphonies are “bad.”  All Haydn is wonderfully refreshing to hear.)  

That movement masterfully captures the inspiring nature of much of Haydn's music.  It is upbeat, confident, refined and easy to enjoy.  It also strikes me as sort of a preamble to the composer as a symphonist.  If you could only listen to a single movement of Haydn this is in the running for the one to hear.

Symphony No. 63 is another half-great composition.  The opening and second movements are basically standard Haydn.  But the Minuet and Presto – Finale are exquisite.  With Haydn, the string section does most of the heavy lifting but this Minuet features horns and winds wonderfully.  The Finale is spirited and features a great thematic development that lingers in your mind afterward.

Symphony No. 66 opens with a sophisticated Allegro that, at about 8:40, is one of the longest movements Haydn composed.  Of course, this makes for plenty of time for splendid variations.  The Finale in Symphony No. 68 is another Presto that is well worth repeat listenings.  It is typical of Haydn's playfulness.  He makes good use of accenting the movement with bassoons here.

The opening Vivace of Symphony No. 69 certainly deserves a mention.  This is the “Laudon” (not London) composition honoring a great Field Marshall of the day.  It is an example of Haydn's sense of writing something that would undoubtedly be popular among the classical music aficionados of his period.  While a comparatively short movement, it packs a lot of punch with repeated sweeping performances for strings.

There are few slower movements that I admire among the fragments in this section of Haydn's symphonic compositions.  One of them is the Andante from Symphony No. 72.  It begins with a solo violin trading melodies with a flute.  Here is a simple, lyrical example of Haydn concentrating on just a couple of instruments while the rest of the orchestra plays a supporting role.  The prominence of the flute is uncommon for him, which makes this movement so distinctive.

The Adagio/Allegro that opens Symphony No. 86 is, at times, thrilling.  This symphony is worth noting as it is the first time Haydn composed such a work in D major.  He would only do it four more times, making it the least frequent key in his oeuvre.  This movement contains a little bit of everything, reflecting a much more balanced contribution by the non-string sections of the orchestra.  The Finale – Allegro likewise is much more balanced than Haydn's earlier symphonies, displaying the composer reaching his full maturity.  The horns and drums make for a particularly powerful finish,  This opening and closing makes No. 86 another half-great symphony.

Symphony No. 88, which I called “great” years ago is, as I said, not so noteworthy when listening collectively to Haydn's works.  It, too, now rates half-great with me with a distinctive, Minuet which is not as danceable as many others yet it is, nevertheless, intriguing and perhaps more sophisticated.  There is also a strong Finale – Allegro, again featuring a wider range of instrumentation though it is rather brief.  But the first two movements are nothing special within the context of Haydn and sound like most of the rest of his music (which is just fine).

The Vivace that opens Symphony No 89 is special.  It's strings almost predict Wagner a century later.  The horns are strongly supportive and the winds are all given distinct roles to play and are, at times, dominant with the pre-Wagnerian strings.  The opening of Symphony No. 90 shows a further evolution in Haydn's non-string orchestration.  The horns and winds reach equality with the strings in a splendidly bold and regal sound.  

So, scattered hither and yon, there are frequently fantastic moments throughout the whole of Haydn's symphonies.  Again, there's not a bad one in the bunch.  But, when it comes to complete symphonies that are truly distinctive from start to finish there are several in this part of my tour that kept me coming back.  

The next great symphony after No. 60 is No. 73, nicknamed “The Chase”.  This was one of his most popular works during his lifetime.  The opening Adagio – Allegro proclaims one of Haydn's catchiest themes.  At times, the music displays a layering that Haydn was just beginning to perfect.  At 10 minutes it is one of his longest movements.  The Andante is stately and proud, yet delicate.  Several themes are masterfully interwoven.  Definitely, one of his best slow movements from this period.  The Minuet is very strong, one of Haydn's best.  The highlight is an oboe and bassoon that team up to carry the middle of the movement.  It is highly contemplative, not at all dance-worthy.  The Presto at the end is astonishing in its boldness and power.  Hugely sweeping strings and loud horns/winds blare as if proclaiming a glory.  All this with a driving, chase rhythm that seems to rush us to climax when, suddenly, there is a soft, sweet landing.  No wonder the people loved it.  A complete work compared with any of the other symphonies reviewed so far in this post.

Symphony No. 76 begins with a powerful, sweeping string-heavy thematic Allegro with frequent dexterous flourishes.  The following Adagio is excellent.  At times sweet, at times playful, at times suddenly bawdy, proud and rhythmic with satisfying gentility.  The winds nurture the piece mid-way through.  This one also takes its time, being one of the composer's longest (and best) slow movements.  The Minuet is fun, a bit mysterious, and totally accessible.  The Finale – Allegro transforms into something wonderful out of ordinary beginnings.  Here we find another fine balance between the strings and horns/winds, giving the non-string section frequent opportunities to move the work forward.

Immediately following it, Symphony No. 77 possesses great moments of its own.  It starts with a Vivace that is carefree and swirling along again with brief instances of a more profound layered effect.  The following Andante is easy and immensely satisfying.  The Minuet is a folkish carnival and danceable, punctuated humorously with regular, insistent horns.  The closing Allegro is agile, bright, dramatic, and momentarily glorious.

In 1785, while visiting Paris, Haydn likely met Giovanni Battista Viotti, a renown Italian violinist and composer.  Viotti was a great admirer of Haydn and was well-connected with French aristocracy.  He arranged for Haydn to present six symphonies in a series to be performed at the famous Concerts de la Loge Olympique in the French capital city.  The “Paris Symphonies” were extremely well-received and rocketed Haydn from being a widely admired composer into super stardom.

These were the largest orchestras Haydn had yet composed, more than double the number of players he was accustomed to working with.  The Paris Symphonies numbered 82 through 87.  The first two in the set, nicknamed “The Bear” and “The Hen”, are great works.  Symphony No. 82 begins with a Vivace which, though string heavy, features outstanding, triumphant parts for the horn section.  The Allegretto is memorable with another catchy, folksy theme that is explored in many variations.  The Minuet is one of Haydn's best.  While a toe-tapper it makes for pleasant listening more so than being dance-like.  The symphony concludes with a second Vivace that is also folksy but this time in a more layered, flamboyant manner leading to a exulting finish.

Symphony No. 83 has a terrific, dramatic opening Adagio.  It offers a couple of skipping, countryside type of themes that splendidly contrast with the supposed drama.  A very memorable movement.  There is a bit of humor here too, with the orchestra sounding like a chicken clucking along at several points.  The second movement Andante is tender and sweet punctuated by moments of striking boldness.  The Minuet fits the countryside motif as a kind of celebration of peasantry.   The concluding Vivace races along compared with the rest of the symphony.  It features pieces for the entire orchestra, especially the winds, but, once again, the stirring strings bring us to powerful finale.

As a whole, these Haydn symphonies are not as great as the most distinctive ones in his first sixty, though they clearly demonstrate his evolution as a composer into more sophisticated instrumentation.  Non-string elements are much more pronounced in these symphonies.  Obviously, there is still plenty of great work to enjoy here, as I have highlighted in this post.  I am so fortunate to have started this Haydn symphonic journey before my present situation.  This great music is a thread that connects me back to my basic yearning for fine art and how important that is in my life.  To be able to continue to listen to and appreciate this music is an example of not losing touch with that need, it has become more precious to me than ever in my life.  

Once more, Haydn's symphonies put a smile on my face and a song in my heart.