# Haydn Symphony Series Part 11: 93-98 - "London I"



## Ramako

So, we are now onto the London symphonies - The most famous group of Haydn symphonies! In this series, however, they have been divided into two which I believe reflects the historical and musical reality of these symphonies more closely. In between the table and the links at the bottom to the Haydn symphony website and the previous threads of this series, I have quoted Wikipedia in order to give a rough outline of the context in which they were composed for anyone who didn't previously know.


Hoboken NumberingOrder of compositionYear of composition9397179294981792959517919696179197991792981001792



> In 1790, Prince Nikolaus died and was succeeded as prince by his son Anton. Following a trend of the time, Anton sought to economize by dismissing most of the court musicians. Haydn retained a nominal appointment with Anton, at a reduced salary of 400 florins, as well as a 1000-florin pension from Nikolaus. Since Anton had little need of Haydn's services he was willing to let Haydn travel elsewhere, and the composer accepted a lucrative offer from Johann Peter Salomon, a German impresario, to visit England and conduct new symphonies with a large orchestra.
> 
> The visit (1791-92), along with a repeat visit (1794-95), was a huge success. Audiences flocked to Haydn's concerts; Haydn augmented his fame and made large profits, thus becoming financially secure. Charles Burney reviewed the first concert thus: "Haydn himself presided at the piano-forte; and the sight of that renowned composer so electrified the audience, as to excite an attention and a pleasure superior to any that had ever been caused by instrumental music in England."
> 
> Musically, the visits to England generated some of Haydn's best-known work, including the Surprise, Military, Drumroll, and London symphonies, the Rider quartet, and the "Gypsy Rondo" piano trio. The only misstep in the venture was an opera, L'anima del filosofo, which Haydn was contracted to compose, but whose performance was blocked by intrigues.


http://www.haydn107.com/index.php?id=21&lng=2

Previous Haydn symphony threads: 1-10, 11-20, 21-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51-60, 61-70, 71-81, 82-87, 88-92


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## Ramako

Well we are now in the London symphonies, and thus the bar rises again in terms of quality. For myself certainly I find it hard to judge these against all the previous ones objectively. Nevertheless I don't find this first set of London symphonies of a particularly higher quality, overall, than some of the previous sets. However, that is not to say that some of them aren't very good.

My favourite is probably 93. The first movement is good, but not particularly exceptional for a London symphony (most tend to blur in my mind). The second movement is really good. I haven't figured out it's form (as with several other slow movements) but it seems to be like a fantasia and there are some really beautiful episodes. Probably the most beautiful one towards the end of the movement dissolves into some high chords and then… A blaring bassoon in the low register, designed to imitate a certain live event which breaks up the atmosphere in true Haydn-humour style! After the minuet is the last movement, which is why I have picked this as my favourite. I just think that, although so many of these last movements in the London symphonies sound the same (even I will admit it), this time he just got it right. I love the chromatic version of the theme which comes shortly after its initial statement!

Incidentally symphony 93 is a very influential symphony for Haydn, but in a rather unusual way:



> In his autobiography he recalled how he found his vocation when his music teacher played him a recording of Haydn's Symphony No 93. "Do you mean, sir, there are 104 symphonies by Haydn like this one?" asked the awestruck 13-year-old. "More or less," came the reply. "I was amazed, and wanted to know how I could go about becoming a Haydn scholar," Robbins Landon recalled.


Robbins Landon has done so much for Haydn scholarship, and the 20th century Haydn revival, that I would say that this is quite a major event in its own way. 

94 is also very good, and it is a tough call saying I prefer 93. It is probably the most famous of this group. Certainly the highlight of this symphony is the slow movement, which is just one of those classic tunes. So classic, in fact, that Haydn re-used it in The Seasons for some peasants singing a popular tune of the day! The minuet of this one is actually quite good as well, and it has a good finale even if I don't find it as memorable as 93.

96 has a good slow movement too - and of course its nickname is mistaken. It originated from a story that a chandelier fell from the ceiling in the concert hall during the premier of the symphony, however no one was harmed. This event did take place, but the symphony in question was 102, not 96. I have to admit I don't find 95 up to much in comparison with those around it. But if anyone finds this or any other of these symphonies remarkable, or unjustly neglected, then you can post about them


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## Mahlerian

I heard the Boston Symphony play No. 93 a few years ago, so it's special to me. I really should spend more time with the Haydn symphonies before voting here, though.


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## Alydon

Always love _The London Symphonies_, and voting for one from the 1st 6 set is almost impossible, but has to be no. 96 by a very close margin. All the movemenys in all these symphonies are marvellous creations but no 96 seems to have a perfect symmetry for me from the slow introduction to the final bars of the thrilling finale. I nearly went for the lesser known no. 97 as am always swayed the the beautiful 2nd movement first heard on an old recording with Sir Thomas Beecham -


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## Bill H.

Was it Tovey? who speculated in his writings that the heartfelt slow movement of No. 98 may have been Haydn's reaction to hearing of the death of Mozart. Surely it must have saddened him greatly. 

And maybe (my speculation) the little keyboard solos at the end of the finale might have been a tribute to WAM's immortal piano concertos?


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## Novelette

The "Miracle" Symphony's first movement is an extraordinarily witty work!

It sits firmly in the category of continuous-exposition sonata form, but it is composed in such a way as to give us the expectation that it has a two-part exposition! We would expect in such a large work to see a medial caesura in the dominant of the dominant, so we might establish the secondary theme in the key of the dominant (A Major). Measure 56 brings us to the structural dominant of E Major, and we would expect the triple strumming chords to announce the medial caesura in that key, but it doesn't come. Instead there is a filling out of the next few measures, marked _piano_, which should ideally lead us to a secondary theme in A Major, except the strings overshoot the tonic and settle in D Major, and then shifts down to G7, and then to C! Two more measures of voice leading brings the lower strings to the triple chord strumming in A Major, but in a 6/4 chord while the upper string carries the twice-lined E on and on.

The ear expects to hear a secondary theme but that medial caesura was a tease, and we come to realize that it's actually a continuous exposition! This is the kind of witty structural play at which Haydn excelled. While his early works were in the normative sonata form, his middle and late works become more and more inventive in confusing the careful listener, who in his era, was familiar enough with normative patterns to be able to anticipate the future course of the work by the nature of its primary theme/medial caesura expositional treatment.

We don't find so much of this structural deformation in Mozart [although Mozart was a tremendous composer in his own right], although there are a few exceptions [the "Dissonance" Quartet; "Haffner" Symphony; etc.]. With Haydn, it is very common to deviate from the structural norm in ingenious ways. In this regard, Beethoven is more the heir of Haydn than of Mozart, as Beethoven very commonly created irregular examples of sonata form. His C Minor String Trio, first movement, is an especially fine testament of his debt to Haydn.

With such a clever manipulation of the listener's expectations, with his typical wit, I elect the "Miracle" Symphony my favorite.


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## Mahlerian

That post makes me want to listen to Haydn's 96th right now. And I will do so.


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## Arsakes

All of them are great, "The Miracle" and "The Surprise" are the best. I vote all the options except #98, because one cannot vote ALL the options (is considered as trolling) and that is the least favorite on this list!


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## Ramako

Mahlerian said:


> That post makes me want to listen to Haydn's 96th right now. And I will do so.


I agree! All this love for 96 is definitely making me feel like I'm missing something!


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## Tristan

Haydn's "Surprise" symphony is one of my favorite Classical-era symphonies, and yes, the 2nd movement is my favorite part


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## Arsakes

Ramako said:


> I agree! All this love for 96 is definitely making me feel like I'm missing something!


I. Adagio - Allegro. is glorious
II. Andante. is a beautiful slow (calm) movement
III. Menuetto. is majestic
IV. Vivace. is simply cool!


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## Radames

They actually played 98 up in Montreal Sunday.


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## Bill H.

In German speaking countries No. 94 is better known as "Mit dem Paukenschlag" (with the drumstroke). It's probably assumed that this refers to the "Surprise" chord in the slow movement, but I tend to think it actually refers to a fortissimo timpani flourish just before the coda in the Finale (preceded by a quiet drumroll underneath the woodwinds). It can be a really thrilling lead-in to that virtuoso, almost manic ending of the work. 

However, sometimes this doesn't always come across well in recordings. For example, Dorati completely misses it.....in this sense I believe the HIP conductors 'get it' more consistently (it helps with period timpani that are hit with hard mallets, which give a much more forceful sound). Hogwood's recording is a good example, as is Minkowski's.


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## starry

97. If it had a nickname I'm sure it would be more popular.

It is often considered to prefigure Beethoven, and could easily have been an influence on him, so I think it stands out as a different kind of Haydn work. I think it is a consistently good piece with fine ideas throughout. The cute folky Haydn we all love is largely contained in the second movement perhaps. That's delightful, but the rest has a force and majesty to it. The first movement has a grandeur and conciseness, the minuet is thrilling in its majesty and the last movement has an energy that maybe looks forward to the end of The Drumroll.


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## Roi N

95. And again everyone misses it. How can you miss the quality of this 1st Movement??? How???
And for you guys who hate minuets (I don't know why, but it's a trend on this site), listen the 3rd movement. This one is exceptional. And Haydn wrote better minuets in his 1st london series than his second.


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## HaydnBearstheClock

The 1st movement is excellent in 95, actually one of my favourites. I voted for 93, 94 and 98 - although I must say that I love all these symphonies equally. It's very hard to vote since I find each of them terrific. The slow introduction to symphony 96 is amazing and the first movement is triumphant and thrilling. I could've also imagined picking 96, 98 and 94.


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## DebussyDoesDallas

Hard to pick an overall favorite. My favorite movements are the #95 C minor 3rd mvt. minuet and the "Miracle" 4th mvt. I ended up voting "Miracle." I think... I'm going to go listen to all of them now.


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## HaydnBearstheClock

I think I agree with the Miracle at No. 1 - it is an awesome symphony. The 1st movement's Adagio part is simply excellent - elated and epic, imo. The contrast between it and the ensuing Allegro is delicious .


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## DaDirkNL

Yes, the Miracle is definitely my favourite.


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