Symphony No. 57 (Haydn) Explained

The Symphony No. 57 in D major, Hoboken I/57, is a symphony by Joseph Haydn. The symphony was composed in 1774, under the auspices of Nikolaus Esterhazy, for whom he would compose symphonies until 1789. It is scored for two oboes, two horns and strings.

Movements

  1. Adagio – (Allegro)
  2. Adagio
  3. Menuet & trio: Allegretto
  4. Finale: Prestissimo

Daniel Heartz has noted Haydn's use of a "repeated D motif", from the very beginning of the symphony throughout the work.[1] The second movement is structured as a theme with four variations. The finale is based on a traditional melody which was also used by Baroque composer Alessandro Poglietti in his composition "Canzona and Capriccio on the Racket of Hen and Rooster".[2] Here, the melody is adapted to a tarantella/saltarello dance rhythm similar to the previous Symphony No. 56.[3]

Notes and References

  1. Daniel Heartz, Haydn, Mozart, and the Viennese School, 1740-1780 (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1995), pp. 368–71.
  2. [H. C. Robbins Landon]
  3. A. Peter Brown, The Symphonic Repertoire (Volume 2) (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2002), pp. 157–159.