In contrast to the excellent handling of the even-numbered movements' counterpoint, the odd-numbered movements seem clumsy but of course deliberately so.
Not sure that any of this symphony is supposed to be humorous, though much of what listeners take for humour in Haydn is actually better described as playful ingenuity.
@@johns.4708 Three of the four movements contain an unusually significant amount of contrapuntal activity - almost none of which could be described as humorous; the symphony was specifically composed for the ceremony to mark laying the foundation stones for the re-building of the Eszterhaza opera house which had burned down a month earlier - again, hardly a cause for amusement to the opera-mad Prince Nicholas. In the first movement, the opening two notes are worked out with avant la lettre Beethovenian ferocity in the development; the Andante is a set of double variations - major and minor - both entirely serious in character, and in the minor version, the theme is built so that it can use double counterpoint with the top and bottom lines inverted later in the movement - it really is not humorous but a very clever and profound masterclass in strict counterpoint. The three subjects of the fugal finale are unsettling rather than humorous, and the built-in silences are intended to be dramatic in effect rather than funny. Further, the opening five crotchets (and the soft reply) in the finale create an uneasy tension which I simply cannot understand how some listeners can possibly mistake for humour. I really struggle to see in all this what is to me misdiagnosed humour in Haydn, and just lazy cliché propagation; humour does occur sometimes, but then it does in Mozart and Beethoven as well. In the case of Haydn 70, allegations of the composer being humorous simply distract us and obscure the truth of what is a very fine and in many respects, a unique symphony. Or perhaps you’re right, and I just can’t hear all the humorous (= funny) bits, need to lighten up, and start laughing at this very jokey/amusing/comic/facetious symphony; one of us has got it completely wrong.
@@elaineblackhurst1509 The statement of H's supposed humour is long lived and imo wrong. In fact music is not suited to express humour. Then it gets gross and embarrassing( the Toy Symphony f.i.). H was intelligent enough to see this. What is taken for humour is a tendency to write unpredictible and surprising things without becoming excentric. In this particular symphony this is very much present and I find it more ominous and threathening than funny especially the finale.
Flamboyant but tasteful playing by the timpanist,
Haydn's humour runs throughout; irregular phrase lengths, unexpected modulations, sharp dynamic contrasts... all expertly and concisely crafted... The second "surprise" symphony.
In contrast to the excellent handling of the even-numbered movements' counterpoint, the odd-numbered movements seem clumsy but of course deliberately so.
Not sure that any of this symphony is supposed to be humorous, though much of what listeners take for humour in Haydn is actually better described as playful ingenuity.
@@elaineblackhurst1509 I suppose one would have to have a sense of humour to recognize it.
@@johns.4708
Three of the four movements contain an unusually significant amount of contrapuntal activity - almost none of which could be described as humorous; the symphony was specifically composed for the ceremony to mark laying the foundation stones for the re-building of the Eszterhaza opera house which had burned down a month earlier - again, hardly a cause for amusement to the opera-mad Prince Nicholas.
In the first movement, the opening two notes are worked out with avant la lettre Beethovenian ferocity in the development; the Andante is a set of double variations - major and minor - both entirely serious in character, and in the minor version, the theme is built so that it can use double counterpoint with the top and bottom lines inverted later in the movement - it really is not humorous but a very clever and profound masterclass in strict counterpoint.
The three subjects of the fugal finale are unsettling rather than humorous, and the built-in silences are intended to be dramatic in effect rather than funny.
Further, the opening five crotchets (and the soft reply) in the finale create an uneasy tension which I simply cannot understand how some listeners can possibly mistake for humour.
I really struggle to see in all this what is to me misdiagnosed humour in Haydn, and just lazy cliché propagation; humour does occur sometimes, but then it does in Mozart and Beethoven as well.
In the case of Haydn 70, allegations of the composer being humorous simply distract us and obscure the truth of what is a very fine and in many respects, a unique symphony.
Or perhaps you’re right, and I just can’t hear all the humorous (= funny) bits, need to lighten up, and start laughing at this very jokey/amusing/comic/facetious symphony; one of us has got it completely wrong.
@@elaineblackhurst1509 The statement of H's supposed humour is long lived and imo wrong. In fact music is not suited to express humour. Then it gets gross and embarrassing( the Toy Symphony f.i.). H was intelligent enough to see this. What is taken for humour is a tendency to write unpredictible and surprising things without becoming excentric. In this particular symphony this is very much present and I find it more ominous and threathening than funny especially the finale.
Lovely symphony by one of the original "Masters"
Textura homofônica e dinâmica "stürm und drang". O equilíbrio cordas sopros predomína, a marcação dos tímpanos sobressai.
epic
Wonderful!