Haydn Symphony No 96 - A Minor Mystery

[Petrushka]

There's a little puzzle regarding the trio in the third movement of Haydn's Symphony No 96 that has me intrigued. The oboe carries the melody but in older recordings by eg van Beinum and Bruno Walter the trumpet finishes off the line. All modern recordings and performances I've heard have the oboe throughout.

Was the oboe in Haydn's day restricted in what notes it could play or is there some other reason? When I first heard the trumpet it startled me but I now rather like it.

I'm sure someone with more knowledge than I have will explain.

[Roehre]

IIRC the completely oboe played recordings use the Robbins Landon edited score of 96, the others the older Breitkopf (if my memory serves me wll here, not sure)

[Petrushka]

Thanks, Roehre. Is Haydn's score still in existence? I am wondering why R-L made this amendment which may have logic on its side but does sound less interesting.

[rauschwerk]

The Breitkopf edition is corrupt (some editor thought he could improve Haydn's orchestration, here and elsewhere!), the Robbins Landon correct.

[Suffolkcoastal]

I would think that any score of a Haydn symphony or almost any symphony of that period that had a melodic line in the trumpet would be corrupt. Orchestral trumpet parts in the late 18th early 19th century were very limited until the advent of the valved trumpet. There was a keyed trumpet invented towards the end of the 18th century (for which Haydn wrote his famous concerto) but that wasn't very successful. Basically in Haydn and Beethoven's time the trumpet parts were limited to basic punctuations of tonic and dominant harmony (often in partnership with the timps) and the occasional tonic or dominant triads.

[rauschwerk]

The editor in question was one Hans Sitt, whose other emendations included full strings instead of solo quartet at the beginning of Sym. 93 (ii) and altering that sudden timp entry near the end of 94 (iv) from ff to p crescendo, thus ruining Haydn's other surprise in this piece!

[Bryn]

Sitt did a fair bit of bowdlweizing of Mozart too. It's a bit surprising that, since he died back in 1922, his editions might still be in use. Hurrah for HCRL.

[Lion-of-Vienna]

Petrushka,

Yes, the score of No96 still exists but, as others here have said, that did not prevent publishers in the 19th century from bringing Haydn up to date. These changes were not corrected until 1954. In No96 the trumpet, timpani and bassoon parts were altered whilst No 98 seems to have been badly affected as well.

One other minor mystery about No96 concerns its nickname, "The Miracle". This was given to the piece because a chandelier was supposed to have fallen from the ceiling during a performance and, by a miracle, no one was injured. However, HCRL tells us that the incident occured in 1795 during a performance of No102. Perhaps those who bother about nicknames of symphonies should transfer this one to the correct symphony.

[Alf-Prufrock]

Trumpet tunes

This is the kind of statement that exists to be immediately stuffed, but I understand that the first symphony where the trumpet is given the tune is Mozart's 20th symphony in D K133. And he makes the most of it by not doing so until the last few bars of the first movement when suddenly the trumpet rings out with the first subject, previously withheld from him. It is a thrilling moment, I think, and I have always loved this symphony as a result.

[Suffolkcoastal]

The trumpet in K133 is doubled by 1st violin and oboe, the theme appears to have been constructed so it was playable on natural D trumpets it mainly keeps to tonic & dominant except for the written F (sounding G) which the trumpet players of Mozart's day may have found a bit tricky to keep in tune, though the date of 1772 could possibly mean that there could have possibly been a few clarino players still around at that time.

[Roehre]

This is the kind of statement that exists to be immediately stuffed, but I understand that the first symphony where the trumpet is given the tune is Mozart's 20th symphony in D K133. And he makes the most of it by not doing so until the last few bars of the first movement when suddenly the trumpet rings out with the first subject, previously withheld from him. It is a thrilling moment, I think, and I have always loved this symphony as a result.

And that is exactly why I call this symphony of Mozart's privately his Trumpet-symphony.

[verismissimo]

One of the live concert pleasures of this year was hearing David Blackadder playing the Haydn trumpet concerto with OAE at one of my favourite halls, St George's Bristol. He played a keyed (as opposed to natural or valve) trumpet, I was informed at TOP by genialhorn. Where he?

[Class Warrier]

I have a recording from the 1960's by Haitink with the trumpet parts. Must say I rather like them and it is so rare you hear the trumpets with any sort of tune in a classical symphony. Please feel free to disagree!

[Tony Halstead]

One of the live concert pleasures of this year was hearing David Blackadder playing the Haydn trumpet concerto with OAE at one of my favourite halls, St George's Bristol. He played a keyed (as opposed to natural or valve) trumpet, I was informed at TOP by genialhorn. Where he?

'genialhorn' used to be 'yours truly' and then was 'waldhorn' for a while, until about 3 or 4 years ago.