Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) is the composer who,
more than any other, epitomizes the aims and
achievements of the Classical era. Perhaps his most
important achievement was that he developed and evolved
in countless subtle ways the most influential
structural principle in the history of music: his
perfection of the set of expectations known as sonata
form made an epochal impact. In hundreds of
instrumental sonatas, string quartets, and symphonies,
Haydn both broke new ground and provided durab...(+)
Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) is the composer who,
more than any other, epitomizes the aims and
achievements of the Classical era. Perhaps his most
important achievement was that he developed and evolved
in countless subtle ways the most influential
structural principle in the history of music: his
perfection of the set of expectations known as sonata
form made an epochal impact. In hundreds of
instrumental sonatas, string quartets, and symphonies,
Haydn both broke new ground and provided durable
models; indeed, he was among the creators of these
fundamental genres of classical music. His influence
upon later composers is immeasurable; Haydn's most
illustrious pupil, Beethoven, was the direct
beneficiary of the elder master's musical imagination,
and Haydn's shadow lurks within (and sometimes looms
over) the music of composers like Schubert,
Mendelssohn, and Brahms.
A favorite of the trumpet repertoire and possibly
Haydn's most popular concerto, this work was composed
in 1796 while the composer was working on the Creation.
In the final years of his career Haydn seemed to prefer
large choral works to instrumental pieces, but he was
intrigued by a request for a concerto from Anton
Weidinger, the trumpeter in the Vienna Court Orchestra.
The valveless trumpets of the time could play only
notes derived from a fundamental pitch and its related
harmonic series, and so trumpet music tended to be
melodically limited. Weidinger invented a keyed trumpet
along the lines of a woodwind instrument; with drilled
holes in the body of the instrument, the player could
easily raise the pitch in half-tone steps, enabling
them to play chromatic passages. The modern trumpet has
been greatly refined since Weidinger's time, but the
principle remains the same. Weidinger did not perform
the Concerto in public until 1800. Surviving in a
single manuscript copy, this extraordinary work wasn't
performed again until 1929.
Splendidly orchestrated, Haydn's concerto fully
exploits the trumpet's new technical abilities. The
opening Allegro is festive and radiant, with the
orchestra introducing the main themes before they're
taken up by the soloist. There's a motif that initially
rises, subsequently allowing the trumpet to show off
its new stock of notes in the low register. This motif
evolves into a fanfare-like subject, which the soloist
enriches with effective trills and other ornamentation.
The development section requires the trumpeter to play
in different keys, which would have been impossible on
a valveless trumpet. Opening with a lovely, expansive
melody in siciliano style, the second movement reveals
the full lyrical and expressive potential of the new
trumpet. In addition, this movement, which exemplifies
the consummate melodic artistry of Haydn's late works,
showcases the instrument's ability to easily modulate
from key to key. Written in a sonata rondo form, the
concluding Allegro begins with an angular, fanfare-like
theme, continuing with material which calls upon the
soloist's dexterity in handling trills and other
technical effects. Following a concise, brief
development section which mainly negotiates primary
thematic material, a recapitulation leads the trumpeter
to a higher, brighter tessitura. A spirited combination
of technical brilliance and musical élan, the third
movement ends with a gleaming, celebratory coda.
Although originally written for Orchestra with solo Bb
Trumpet, this simplified arrangement pairs the Trumpet
with Acoustic Piano.
PARTITION