As the movement goes on, Haydn draws out all of its motivic and harmonic possibilities. The beginning of the Allegro is deceptively simple, with its singing melody in the violins. Haydn decided to accentuate this harmonic difference with a dramatic dynamic contrast between fortissimo and pianissimo. The solemn proclamations on D and F of the Adagio announce the two harmonic poles of the symphony, but since 18th-century brass instruments could only play in D, there is a built-in hierarchy to this fanfare. The “London” Symphony is more monumental, although not without Haydn’s characteristic wit, and it more than earned its acclaim. 95 in C minor, on the other hand, was decidedly unenthusiastic. The response to the oddity of the Symphony no.
94, the “Surprise,” which prompted delighted gasps. Coming from a relative backwater, near what is still a rural area of the Austrian-Hungarian border, Haydn was aware of the international taste of London audiences and “interested in surprising the public with something new.” Now with an orchestra twice the size of his old one at Esterháza, he made good on his promise with the dynamic tomfoolery of the Symphony no. When he was finally freed from his contract with the princely family of Esterházy at the age of 59, Haydn immediately set out for London at the invitation of German violinist and impresario Johann Peter Salomon.
104 in D major, the “London,” was the last of twelve symphonies he wrote for English audiences, and while there is no evidence that he intended it to be his last, it is a fitting capstone to the symphonic tradition he helped to build. Here is Handel’s career in miniature, a careful balance of nationalities. Likewise, the politesse of the minuet is offset by a walking bass line that sounds more like Corelli than Couperin. The triple meter, balanced phrases, and two-part form of the Presto seem to signify the courante, although in its quicker Italian version rather than the more restrained French dance. The second and fourth movements both gesture toward the fugue, showing a particularly German preoccupation with counterpoint, although the lightness of the Allegro and the lyricism of the Largo are more Italianate in character. The opening bugle call from the first violin, however, is Handel’s own humorous touch.
The stately rhythms, thickly ornamented with trills and tirades (flourishes), ground the overture in the French operatic tradition.
Written between his Italian operas for the King’s Theatre and Covent Garden and his English oratorios, this smaller work for string orchestra opens nonetheless in a grand fashion. 5, is a travelogue of sorts, blending elements of diverse Continental styles in an effort to suit the cosmopolitan tastes of the London public. Born in Halle, he spent his early career shuttling between Hamburg, Hanover, Düsseldorf, Florence, Rome, and Venice, before settling more or less in London. It seems only fitting that someone equally comfortable with the London Philharmonic or an international jazz festival, as at home in Buenos Aires as he is in Los Angeles, should be surrounded on tonight’s program by his fellow cosmopolitans.Īlthough George Frideric Handel’s English was notoriously poor, he had French, Italian, and his native German to fall back on. It was an invitation from Dizzy Gillespie that brought him to the United States, where he also turned his talents to film and television scores and conducting. Raised in Argentina, where he returned in the 1950s to lead his own big band, he was educated at the highly traditional Paris Conservatory before setting out on his career as a jazz pianist and arranger, performing and recording all over Europe. Lalo Schifrin is a border-crossing musician in several senses.