Joseph Haydn (1732–1809)
Sonata in D Major, Hob. XVI:37 [1780]
Recognised as the ‘Father of the Symphony’ and the ‘Father of the String Quartet’, Haydn has been venerated as the first of the three ‘Viennese Classics’ (Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven). He began his career in the traditional patronage system of the late Austrian Baroque, and ended as a ‘free’ artist within the emerging Romanticism of the early 19th-century. In the 20th century he was seen mainly as a composer of ‘absolute’ music and a master of wit. However, earnestness and depth of feeling are equally important to his style. Haydn’s style reflected the duality in his own personality between seriousness and humour. These were expressed in his own words: ‘I sat down [at the keyboard] and began to fantasise, according to whether my mood was sad or happy, serious or trifling’.
Haydn’s career is an example of the impact of patronage on composers’ outputs. The Esterházy family, the richest and most influential among the Hungarian nobility, were important patrons of culture and the arts. The increased operatic activity at the Esterházy court from 1776 on led to a significant reduction of instrumental music. Despite the prince’s loss of interest, Haydn was able to continue his career as an instrumental composer with some assistance from the publisher Artaria & Co. in 1778. Beginning in the early 1780s, and decisively from the late 1780s on, Haydn composed for the fortepiano rather than the harpsichord.
This Sonata in D major was dedicated to the talented sisters Franziska and Maria Katherina von Auenbrugger, whose playing in aristocratic salons drew much admiration. Its popularity stems naturally from its high spirits. The virtuosic first movement reminds us of Scarlatti with its chirping main theme. The prevailing mood of jocularity is intercepted by a powerful sequence of suspensions in the development, which lend some gravity to the character. The second movement, in D minor, is a stoic, sonorous sarabande. Its archaic tone suggests a Baroque French overture through its dotted rhythms and imitative textures. This leads straight into the finale, an innocent rondo.
Programme Notes by See Ning Hui.
Joseph Haydn’s Sonata in D Major, Hob. XVI:37 was performed by pianist Lim Yan at our 10th Anniversary Concert on 15th December 2020.
Read more about our 10th Anniversary Concert.
