HAYDN AND MOZART.
FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN.
Born April 1, 1732, at Rohrau.
Died May 31, 1809, in Vienna.
Haydn came of peasant stock, his father being a wheelwright, and the
little Franz Joseph the second of twelve children. At the age of eight
his beautiful voice attracted the attention of the director of the
choir of St. Stephen's Church in Vienna and he was entered as a choir
boy. Here he received a thorough training in singing, in clavier, and
violin playing, and also a good education. When his voice broke he
managed to sustain himself in an honorable way by various subordinate
positions as organist and violinist, playing the organ at an early mass
in one church, the violin at a mass an hour or two later in another
church, and finally, at eleven o'clock perhaps, reaching his principal
position. Thus for several years he passed an extremely industrious
and fruitful, but unrecognized, existence.
[Illustration: Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang A. Mozart]
As early as 1750 he had written his first string quintette, and soon
after he was twenty years of age he held various positions as musical
director in noblemen's houses. In 1761--Haydn being now twenty-nine
years of age--he was appointed assistant musical conductor of the
private orchestra of Prince Esterhazy. The orchestra consisted of
sixteen men. Five years later the senior director died, and Haydn
became the chief director and remained in this position until 1790,
when, in consequence of the death of the old Prince Esterhazy, his son
discontinued the private orchestra and dismissed Haydn upon a pension
of 1000 florins a year. He was now invited by a professional manager
to make a visit to England, which he did in 1790-92 and again in
1794-95, conducting many concerts there, and composing for the English
market a series of twelve symphonies for full orchestra, which are now
considered to represent his best work in this line. Still later he
turned his attention to oratorios and produced his "Seasons" and the
"Creation."
During his long service in the Esterhazy establishment, where he had to
produce a constant succession of new and pleasing music, he had the
opportunity of trying all sorts of combinations and devices, and in
this way he turned out an enormous amount of music, including 125
symphonies, more than 100 compositions for viol da gamba, an instrument
of which the old Prince Esterhazy was very fond, and a variety of music
of almost every kind then practiced. All of this music reflects
Haydn's character, which was simple, unassuming, kindly, and sincere.
As a composer he must be considered as the first of what we might call
the homophonic writers,--that is to say, he was the father of the
modern free style in which the normal form of the musical idea is that
of a melody and an accompaniment, as distinguished from the style of
Bach, in which the ground form is that of independently moving voices.
The following list will give a better idea of the astonishing range of
Haydn's activity as composer: One hundred and twenty-five symphonies;
20 clavier concertos and divertisements with clavier; 9 violin
concertos; 6 concertos for 'cello, and 16 concertos for other
instruments (contra-bass, baritone, lyra, flute, horn, etc.); 77 string
quartets; 68 trios; 4 violin sonatas; 175 pieces for baritone; 6 duets
for solo violin and viola; 53 works for piano; 7 nocturnes for lyra,
and various other pieces for the same instrument; 14 masses; 2 Te
Deums; 13 offertoriums; 24 operas.
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART.
Born January 27, 1756, at Salzburg.
Died December 5, 1791, in Vienna.
Mozart was the son of an excellent musician, and as soon as the boy
began to show his astonishing sensitiveness of ear and bias for music
in every direction, his father commenced to give him instruction. His
activity as a composer commenced when he could scarcely read, for
before he was five years old he showed his father a manuscript of a
violin concerto which at first the father took to be mere meaningless
marks, but on having them explained by the boy he found there was
indeed a musical idea and, of course, a composition.
When he was about six years old his father decided to take the boy and
his older sister upon a concert tour, which accordingly he did,
visiting the principal courts of Germany, and finally reached Paris
November 18, 1763. Here his first compositions were printed--four
concertos for violin. In Paris he was very successful, and the tour
was continued to London, where he published six additional concertos
for violin. By the time he was ten years of age he had written his
first oratorio, and now when he was upon a concert tour he was met with
skepticism and misrepresentations, the claim being put forward that the
compositions being published under his name had really been written for
him by his father, since it was evident from the face of them that no
boy of his age could have composed so well. To counteract these
charges poems were brought to him upon which he had to improvise and
fit the music to the words in the presence of the audience. In 1769 he
went to Italy, where, being now thirteen years of age and
correspondingly mature as compared with his early appearances, he made
a most astonishing success. In Bologna and in Rome as well as in
Venice he was examined by the most eminent theorists in Italy, and
received memberships in the societies of artists, and the Pope made him
a Knight of the Golden Spur. His first opera, "Mitridate," was
composed in 1770, Mozart being then fourteen years of age. The opera
was played twenty times. In Milan, two years later, he composed his
opera "Lucio Silla," and the same year his opera "Idomeneo," for
Munich. His other celebrated operas followed in fairly rapid
succession: "Figaro," 1785; "Don Giovanni," 1787; "Cosi fan Tutte,"
1790, and the "Magic Flute" in 1791. His last was his "Requiem." The
works of Mozart included thirteen operas, thirty-four songs, forty-one
sonatas, thirty-one divertisements for orchestra. The best biography
is that by Otto Jahn.
* * * * *
The epoch of Haydn is a very important one in art, since it was in his
time, and almost entirely by his own work, that the sonata and
symphony, the two most important forms in modern music, were invented
or discovered and brought to something like definite form. Practically
speaking, a symphony is merely a sonata written for orchestra; but the
possibilities of orchestral contrasts and changes in the working out of
the part known as "free fantasia" permits the symphonic composer to
conduct his work in larger lines and carry it to a greater length than
is advisable for the composer of sonatas for a single instrument, in
which monotony of tone-color is an element which must not be forgotten.
The "sonata-piece," as the principal movement of the sonata has been
called, is one of the great typical forms in music. Its greatness lies
in the latitude it permits the composer and the practically unlimited
field it gives for the illustration of musical beauty, contrast,
sweetness, and musical strength in a single composition. In this
respect it binds up in itself some of the most valuable possibilities
of the entire art of modern composition. In order to understand what
we are to have in the sonatas of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven, some of
the peculiarities of the form need first to be noticed.
The sonata-piece consists practically of three chapters, of which the
third is substantially a repetition of the first, with a few not very
important modifications. The first chapter contains from two to four
different melodic subjects, of which one comes as principal, and is
substantially of a thematic character. The second is almost invariably
a lyric subject. In the sonatas of Mozart and Beethoven some very
lovely melodies will be found in this position. Between the first and
second subjects modulating periods may appear; and after the second
there is a concluding subject, which brings up to a close at the double
bar, upon the dominant of the principal key. In the older practice
there is a repeat sign at this point, and the whole of the first part
is gone over again. In modern practice this repeat is often
disregarded, since the memory of musical ideas appears more lasting in
our day than formerly. After the double bar comes the great
characteristic opportunity of this form of art-music, in what the
Germans call a working out (Durchführungssatz), in which the composer
makes a free fantasia upon any or all of the material introduced in the
first division of the work, already described. This working out is
often mere play, rarely rising to a seriousness at all approaching that
of fugue; still, a clever composer manages to afford many attractive
features in this part of a sonata, and still more in the larger
opportunities of symphony.
Haydn is entitled to the credit of having given the sonata-piece its
main characteristics of form. In this respect it follows the
suggestion of the older "binary form," in which sarabands, gavottes,
and the like were written by Bach. All of these, being composed upon a
single melodic idea, necessarily had to develop this idea by means of
sequences, imitations, transpositions, and transformations of one sort
and another, employing in this treatment much of the art which fugue
had supplied. All the pieces in this old binary form come to a half
close at the double bar upon the dominant of the principal key, or upon
the relative major if the principal key be minor. After the double bar
the development is taken up in the dominant, or in whatever key the
preceding part had ended in. Later the principal key is resumed and
the work concluded.
Haydn enlarged this form by completing his leading periods generally to
a symmetrical length of eight measures, and by adding a second subject
and a different melodic material for conclusion, both before the double
bar and at the end of the movement.
The style of the Haydn sonata-piece is generally light and pleasing.
Only in a very few cases, and in those for a few measures only, does he
attempt pathos. Thus the principal movement of the Haydn sonata seems
to have been developed from a dance motive, and the carrying out is
generally done in regular period forms--the form being substantially
verse throughout, the meter regular and not capricious. Haydn arrived
at this treatment through his natural fondness for symmetry and order,
and through having had for thirty years to produce a constant
succession of interesting pieces, mainly orchestral, primarily designed
to interest and please his princely patron, the old Prince Esterhazy.
The best symphonies of Haydn were written late in life, after he had
been called to London to conduct some new works of his. The glance
into the outer world, and perhaps the availability of a larger body of
players, gave his ideas a freer scope; and these twelve London
symphonies belong to a higher type than those of his earlier time.
As yet we have not spoken of the lyric melody, which in the Beethoven
sonata forms almost invariably a second subject. This idea appears to
have been due to Mozart, whose second subjects not only are sweet and
song-like melodies, but many of his first ones as well. Thus the
Mozart sonata, while excelling that of Haydn in melodiousness and
sweetness, is almost invariably of less musical interest, the
development of a musical thought being rarely considered. In the few
cases in which Mozart takes a serious mood he succeeds well, notably so
in the famous sonata in C minor, the last one in the volume of his
works. But in general, particularly in the sonatas, Mozart is
melodious in pure lyric pattern. These melodies of Mozart, while of
great sweetness and beauty, do not, as a rule, have much depth; they do
not sing from the soul. The soul has not "seen trouble," as folks say;
it sings with the instinctive sweetness of childhood, and thus fails to
touch the feelings of adults. The selections following illustrate
these points:
PROGRAM.
Sonata in E-flat (entire). No. 3, Schirmer edition. Haydn.
"My Mother Bids Me Bind My Hair." Canzonetta. Haydn.
Sonata in C-sharp minor (entire). No. 6, Schirmer edition. Haydn.
Trio from "The Creation," "Most Beautiful Appear." Haydn.
Soprano, tenor, and bass.
Sonata in F major. No. 6, Peters edition (first movement). Mozart.
Air of Cherubino in "The Marriage of Figaro," "Voi Che Sapete."
Mozart.
Sonata in E-flat (first and second movements only). Schirmer edition,
No. 1. Haydn.
Quintette, "Magic Flute," Mozart. Scene X, Act I, Andante. "Drei
Knaben, Knäbchen jung."
Aria of Countess from "The Marriage of Figaro," "Dove sono," Mozart.
Fantasia and Sonata in C minor. Mozart.
Trio from "The Creation," "On Thee Each Living Soul Awaits."
Haydn.
(The copies for this program are as follows: Haydn sonatas, Schirmer
edition, first volume, paper, seventy-five cents. This is a very
elegant and in every way satisfactory edition for study or for the
library. Mozart sonatas, Peters edition, $1.50 (retail). The songs
are to be had separately. Copies of "The Creation" and "The Magic
Flute" will be necessary.)
The selections above are made for the purpose of illustrating the more
prominent characteristics of the two composers mentioned. Haydn is now
beginning to be undervalued, and, in fact, his works are used mainly
for purposes of instruction, and comparatively little for that. This
is unjust, for while Haydn does not belong to the class of composers
whose music is conceived by them as a message to mankind, but rather is
conceived as an intelligent and refined form of delight, he is as
musical as Bach himself, and consequently his music remains fresh and
interesting despite the comparatively small forms. This will be
noticed in every one of the sonatas selected here. The Sonata in
E-flat, No. 3, is the one oftenest selected and studied, because it
shows Haydn in his most genial mood. The spirit is bright, pleasing,
fresh, and not a little vigorous. Practically, every single movement
of a Haydn sonata is developed mainly out of one leading motive. In
the present instance there is a second idea, of a quasi-lyric
importance, introduced in the thirteenth measure--counting each measure
from the first bar. In the forty-third measure a closing theme is
introduced. The places are marked in the Schirmer copies, so there
will be no difficulty in finding them. The second movement, if played
in a very singing but not dragging manner, will be found enjoyable,
although by no means sensational. The ideas are musical and the spirit
earnest. The finale, in the tempo of a minuet, is very pleasing
indeed. Here, also, the purely musical idea rules everything. The
problem with the composer is to treat an idea which pleased him, and to
carry it through all the changes and modifications which occurred to
him as attractive.
The Sonata in C-sharp minor (No. 6, Schirmer) is more significant, and
approximates the spirit of later works in the same key. The principal
subject has a great deal of vigor, and the musical treatment is very
fresh and original. The scherzando which follows is a very light
movement, and needs to be played with great delicacy and spirit. The
whole concludes with a menuetto, moderate in movement, song-like.
To my mind the strongest of the Haydn sonatas is the one which stands
first in the Schirmer edition, also in E-flat, a favorite key with
Haydn. The principal subject is very forcible, and the treatment
varied to a degree. The whole work is one which a musician can play
many times through, and always with enjoyment.
The second movement has the remarkable peculiarity of being in the key
of E major--a violent modulatory relation to that of the first
movement. I should say that this fact indicated that Haydn did not
conceive of the three movements of the sonata as constituting a single
whole, because if he had he could not have followed a close in E-flat
major with an opening in E major, exactly a semitone higher, without
the slightest modulation. This proceeding is inexplicable to me, if he
expected the sonata to be played through entire at a single hearing.
The slow movement, however, is a very strong one, the subject full of
musical feeling, and the treatment clever and interesting. All the
melodic passages in this movement need to be sung with great feeling.
Then the contrast with the lighter portions will produce their proper
effect. The finale, presto, is a very light and, one might almost say,
insignificant movement, relieved only by a few moments of something
better.
The Mozart collections are calculated to show the peculiar and womanly
sweetness which Mozart introduced into music. In Haydn, moments of
sweetness do indeed occur, and in his "Creation" they are frequent; but
in his instrumental works they are not so frequent. The Sonata in F,
of Mozart, is full of pleasing melodic ideas, and the first and second
periods and the first episode are all very attractive melodies. Note
that each of these ideas comes in the form of a fully completed melody,
and not in the form of a musical motive of one, or at most two,
phrases. Each of the Mozart subjects is eight measures long. The
characteristic tone of the Mozart sonatas is this melodic sweetness,
and the stronger parts only intensify this fundamental tone. The slow
movement is rather meager, but it is also pleasing and well made. The
so-called "Alberti" bass should be played in such a manner as to
minimize the motion of the sixteenths, and to intensify the chord
feeling. This will be done by playing softly with the left hand,
bearing down a little, and using the pedal with every chord, except
where it will mix up the melody.
The Fantasia and Sonata of Mozart, which concludes the program, is a
work which is well worth studying. The fantasia opens with a very
serious subject, which is carried through a variety of delightful
changes, in a manner indicating a poetic intention. The expression
must be carefully observed in the playing, and in the elaboration,
where the subject occurs in several keys in connection, the first tone
is taken rather strong and with a slight dwelling upon it. The slow
melody in D major, as well as the adagio in E-flat, illustrate Mozart's
faculty with sweet and rather deep melodies which, while perfectly
simple in structure, nevertheless have in them the soul of the artist.
The tone has to be full, round, singing, and never loud. There are
parts of the fantasia which do not come up to the level of the others;
particularly the allegro in G minor, which is inconvenient to play, and
almost never played in a musical manner. It has, however, to be gotten
over the best one can.
The vocal selections are of peculiar attractiveness. The canzonetta of
Haydn, "My Mother Bids Me Bind My Hair," is a fresh, girlish affair,
which can not fail to please. The trio, "Most Beautiful Appear," is so
sweet that Mozart might have written it.
Then in the Mozart selections, the "Dove sono" is an aria requiring to
be sung with a very pure tone and good style. All of Mozart's operatic
arias were intended for well-trained Italian singers having a refined
and high-bred style of singing. When so done, they are always
delightful. The Cherubino air is very fresh, and full of the charm of
youth and love. The trio of girls from "The Magic Flute" is given
because it is so taking, while involving a succession of implied
consecutive fifths. And the great trio, "On Thee Each Living Soul
Awaits," concludes the concert in a noble manner. If the resources of
the local society should happen to make it easy, it will afford an
admirable close to give along with this trio the two choruses,
"Achieved is the Glorious Work."
It is to be understood that the selections here offered from these two
great masters illustrate but a small part of their individualities.
The selection has been determined by the convenience of copies and the
likelihood of the resources in every place being equal to their
acceptable performance.