AH

Lecture 8 Notes – Critical Listening & The World of Joseph Haydn 7/7/25

Critical-Listening Exercise Set-Up

  • Instructor opens Lecture 8 with the usual in-class routine — a critical listening exercise.
  • Ignore on-screen label “song 5” and any squeaking from the instructor’s dog (Golden Retriever “Annie”).
  • On scratch paper list the five core musical elements that guide observation:
    • Instruments
    • Sound (tone color & dynamics)
    • Rhythm
    • Melody
    • Harmony / Texture
  • Detailed prompts for what to notice in each element are displayed on screen (same as previous classes).
  • Task: cut-and-paste the YouTube title
    Hauser – Haydn Cello Concerto in C, 3rd Movement
    into YouTube, listen critically (≈ 6!:!55), then return.
  • Instructor may eventually collect one of these listening sheets for assessment.

Critical-Listening Findings — Haydn Cello Concerto in C (3rd Movement)

Instruments / Ensemble

  • Solo cello (virtuoso cellist Stjepan Hauser).
  • Accompanying small string orchestra:
    • Violins
    • Violas
    • Section cellos
    • One double-bass
  • Absent families: percussion, woodwinds, brass.

Performance Techniques & Stage Presence

  • Hauser’s left-hand finger work is extremely fast (virtuosic passagework).
  • Alternates long, sustained bow strokes with rapid short bow strokes (staccato).
  • Staccato: bow barely touches the string, producing crisp detached notes.
  • Highly animated body language; nods/head-motions serve as informal conducting cues to the orchestra.

Sound (Tone Color & Dynamics)

  • Overall dynamic range is moderate—occasional crescendos and abrupt terraced dynamics (sudden loud ↔ soft changes typical of Classical era).
  • Predominantly major mode; brief shifts to minor for color and variation.
  • Emotional impression: “happy rush” — energetic motion without panic.

Rhythm & Meter

  • Tempo sits faster than \text{Moderato}, edging toward or slightly beyond \text{Allegro}.
  • Small-note subdivisions (16ths/32nds) intensify the sense of speed.
  • Clear, steady pulse; downbeat easy to locate.
  • Meter: 4/4 (quadruple simple), occasional syncopation for interest.

Melody & Large-Scale Form

  • At least two contrasting themes; form resembles A–B–A:
    • A: principal themes stated (orchestra + soloist)
    • B: solo cadenza-like section — Hauser improvisatory flourishes, heightened tension
    • A: return of opening materials, resolution
  • Melody is tuneful but so brisk that it is not “singable” / ear-worm-style memorable.
  • Climax occurs in middle (B) section where dynamics and note-density peak.

Harmony & Texture

  • Tension mechanisms: louder dynamics, rapid note clusters, upper-register thrills.
  • Release: slower bowing, lyrical phrasing, softer dynamics.
  • Texture overwhelmingly homophonic (solo melodic line over chordal accompaniment); fleeting hints of polyphonic imitation.

Spotlight on the Composer: Franz Joseph Haydn

Nicknames & Legacy

  • Universally called the “Father of the String Quartet” and “Father of the Symphony.”
  • Output towering: 68 string quartets, 104 numbered symphonies, concertos, masses, operas, etc. — sheer prolificacy partly driven by full-time court employment.

Early Life & Musical DNA

  • Born in a small Austrian village near the Hungarian border; one of \approx 9 children in a musical family active in church.
  • Possessed a striking boy-soprano voice; also obsessed with any instrument he could touch.

St Stephen’s Cathedral (Vienna) — Choirboy Years

  • A visiting talent scout (the “Yankees recruiter” analogy) hears him sing; offers full scholarship/boarding at prestigious St Stephen’s.
  • Architectural jewel (still standing) — epicenter of sacred music in what had become the musical capital of Europe.
  • Notable episode:
    • Choirmaster proposes castration so Haydn will become a permanent soprano castrato.
    • Father’s surprise visit \approx 2 h before surgery ends the plan; fear of scandal halts procedure.
  • Voice changes at 15; remains \approx 2 more yrs, yet expelled for prank (snipping a girl’s pigtails) & vocal unreliability.

“Starving Artist” Period in Vienna (≈ 7–8 yrs)

  • Penniless but refuses to return home.
  • Income sources: children’s lessons, street-band violinist, freelance composer.
  • Largely self-taught in composition during these lean years.

Patronage under Prince Esterházy

  • At 29 meets the Esterházy family — wealthiest Hungarian nobility; palaces include Eisenstadt (≈ 200 guest rooms, two concert halls, theatre, opera house).
  • Hired as assistant to aging Kapellmeister; later promoted when predecessor dies.

Duties & Status

  • Classified as a high-ranking servant; dress code: powdered wig, white stockings, braid.
  • Administrative jobs:
    • roll-call/attendance of salaried musicians
    • uniform upkeep, instrument repair
    • maintain formal decorum with Prince at all times
  • Key advantage: permanent in-house orchestra — could workshop and premiere his own compositions instantly.
  • Workload heavy, but output correspondingly vast.

Personality Snapshot

  • Affable, prank-loving, radiated good humor.
  • Famous line: “Since God has given me a cheerful heart, He will forgive me for serving Him cheerfully.”
  • Orchestra musicians adored him for conscientious and caring leadership.

Humor Reflected in the Music — Three Classic Examples

  1. String Quartet in E-flat “The Joke” (Op. 33 No. 2)
    • Finale riddled with false endings — awkward silence → sudden restart; audiences laugh at their own premature applause.
  2. Symphony No. 45 in F\sharp minor “Farewell”
    • Context: court orchestra on extended tour; players homesick.
    • Last movement composed so that musicians gradually stop playing, extinguish candles, and leave the stage until only two violins remain.
    • Subtle message to Prince Esterházy → tour ended shortly after.
  3. Symphony No. 94 in G “Surprise”
    • Observed London patrons dozing.
    • 2nd movement begins whisper-soft, then delivers an unexpected fortissimo chord — startle effect; additional jolts recur.

Other Landmark Work — Trumpet Concerto in E-flat

  • Especially the 3rd movement: bright, hummable tune; perpetual concert-hall favorite.
  • Instructor announces this movement will appear on the next exam’s listening identification.

Later Career & London Triumphs

  • After Prince Esterházy’s death, London impresario invites both Haydn & Mozart.
  • Friends decide Haydn (older) should accept first; Mozart (younger) plans to follow (though Mozart dies prematurely).
  • In London Haydn writes celebrated “London” symphonies, is wined, dined, and receives an honorary doctorate from Oxford.

Course Logistics & Upcoming Tasks

  • Lecture 8 concludes with reminder:
    • Critical Listening Song Analysis #1 due today.
    • Access via Modules → “Listening Song Analysis Instructions” → “Critical Listening Song #1.”
    • Focus piece: “Jupiter.”
    • Submit as PDF through Assignments.
  • Instructor open to questions via message.

Connecting Threads & Study Tips

  • Remember the five listening elements; they structure every analysis.
  • Haydn’s Classical-era style: balanced forms (e.g.
    \text{A–B–A}), clear tonal centers, playful surprises.
  • Court patronage shaped his productivity; having a house orchestra was like owning a private research lab for musical experiments.
  • Humor is both aesthetic (false cadences, surprise chords) and pragmatic (communicating workplace grievances).
  • Compare Haydn’s melodic gift with Mozart’s — both prized singable melody within Classical restraint.
  • On exams: be ready to identify pieces by hearing specific quirks (e.g., sudden loud chord ⇒ Symphony 94, disappearing players ⇒ Symphony 45, false endings ⇒ “The Joke,” bright trumpet tune ⇒ Concerto 3rd mvmt).