Symphony No.31 in D major (“Horn Signal”)

Whatever Haydn thought of hunting, as practised by his noble masters at Eisenstadt, he was clearly fascinated by the horn calls associated with it. No less clearly, he was also very proud of the four hornists he had acquired for his orchestra in the early 1760s. Between 1763 and 1765 he wrote two symphonies in D major specifically designed to display the virtuoso qualities of his horn section. Of the two, No.31 is the better known, partly because it is more accomplished and more mature (No.72 is the earlier work in spite of the numbering) and partly because it has attracted a “Horn Signal” nickname which is both striking and appropriate.

Actually, there are two horn signals, both of which are introduced in the opening bars. The first is a brisk fanfare scored for all four horns; the second is a hunting call involving the first horn in adventurous leaps up and down the upper octave of its range. Violins and a solo flute turn their attention to other themes but the two horn signals, melodically rudimentary though they are, remain the main source of thematic interest. An anomalous diversion to the minor at the end of the development inspires the first horn to put matters right with a dramatic recall of the hunting call at its original pitch, leaving the preliminary fanfare to be recalled only in the closing bars of the movement.

Far from being given a rest in the slow movement, as they might well have expected, the Eisenstadt hornists found themselves faced by another challenge. It is true that solo strings take on some of the pressure here but as soon as the leader of the orchestra has introduced the main theme - in a lilting siciliano rhythm with pizzicato accompaniment - second and third horns are called upon to comment on it. After another violin solo, first and second horns come forward in an elaborately scored duet. On their third entry, however, the horns give way to a solo cello and, although they recall their duet in a higher tessitura at the beginning of the development, violin and cello take the solo responsibilities after that.

After playing a scarcely more than conventional part in the harmonic background to the outer section of the Menuet, the horns are tempted by the oboes and then the flute to seize the melodic initiative in the central Trio. Similarly, in the theme-and-variations Finale, after supporting the oboes in the first variation they leave the solo role in the second and third variation to cello and flute respectively. They do, on the other hand, make a heroic four-part contribution to the fourth variation, after which they are given a rest - the solo role now passing in turn to violin, flute and double bass - until their dramatic re-entry with another hunting call in the Presto coda and, at the very end, their inspired recall of the opening fanfare.

Gerald Larner©