Symphony No.44 in E minor (“Trauersymphonie”)

It is one of the great good fortunes of musical history that Haydn’s early maturity as a composer coincided with the German Sturm und Drang - the brief but unstoppable romantic revolution which spread through the arts in the late 1760s, setting fire to classical conventions and emotional inhibitions, until it burned itself out in the early 1770s. The Symphony in E minor, which was written in the middle of this exciting period, is one of the finest examples of its kind. It is so passionate in expression that its Trauersymphonie (or “Mourning Symphony”) nickname has stuck with it, even though it was originally applied for a different reason.

The exposition of the first movement is a dramatic continuity, pressed forward by the opening four-note gesture which is constantly to be heard somewhere in the texture. It motivates a peculiarly violent development and the coda begins with a tensely canonic treatment of the same theme. The contrapuntal vitality of the first movement is carried over into the not very courtly, severely canonic Menuetto in E minor. There has to be an emotional contrast at some point, however, and the lovely E major Adagio duly provides it. The notion that Haydn wanted to have this serene movement played at his funeral makes little sense, even though it did gave the work its Trauersymphonie nickname. Anyway, it was definitely not performed on that solemn occasion. The E minor Finale plunges straight back into the unhappy atmosphere of the first movement and, based on one short theme, it is shaped in much the same uncompromising way.

It is one of the great good fortunes of musical history that Haydn’s early maturity as a composer coincided with the German Sturm und Drang - the brief but unstoppable romantic revolution that spread through the arts in the late 1760s, setting fire to classical conventions and emotional inhibitions, until it burned itself out in the early 1770s.

The Symphony in E minor, which was written in the middle of this exciting period, is one of the finest examples of its kind. It is so passionate in expression that its Trauersymphonie (or “Mourning” Symphony) nickname has stuck with it, even though it was originally applied for a different reason.

There is, however, no sentimental, still less funereal indulgence in the work: the emotional intensity behind it inspired a remarkably concise, unfailingly taut construction. The first movement has no time for the graceful second subject which, conventionally, would have relaxed the tension generated by the opening bars. The exposition is a dramatic continuity, pressed forward by the opening four-note gesture which is constantly to be heard somewhere in the texture. It motivates a peculiarly violent development and the coda begins with a tensely canonic treatment of the same theme.

The contrapuntal vitality of the first movement is carried over into the not very courtly, severely canonic Menuetto in E minor. But this time there has to be an emotional contrast, and the E major Trio provides it. So does the lovely E major Adagio, which is melodically more charming and texturally more appealing than any other part of the work. The notion that Haydn wanted to have this serene movement played at his funeral makes little sense, even though it did gave the work its Trauersymphonie nickname. Anyway, it was definitely not performed on that solemn occasion.

The E minor Finale plunges straight back into the unhappy atmosphere of the first movement and it is shaped in much the same way. Again the structure is tersely based on one short theme and the counterpoint develops an intensity unsurpassed in any of Haydn’s symphonies.