Day 2: Sunrise

Haydn2There’s something about the opening of Haydn’s Symphony No. 6 in D “Le Matin” that reminds me of a sunrise, which is fitting since I’m sitting here watching one as I type this.

That’s not to say this piece remains idyllic and pastoral as Debussy or a Chopin nocturne. After easing into it for nearly a minute, Symphony No. 6 bursts forth (around the :56 second mark) like the sun over the horizon, throwing color everywhere.

I knew nothing about this composition before listening to it this morning. However, I just discovered that “Le Matin” means “the morning.” According to its entry on Wikipedia:

The nickname (not Haydn’s own, but quickly adopted) derives from the opening slow introduction of the opening movement, which clearly depicts sunrise. The remainder of the work is abstract, as, indeed, are the other two symphonies in the series. Because of the initial association, however, the remaining were quickly and complimentarily named “noon” and “evening”.

Do I know my Classical music, or what?

Haydn wrote Symphony No. 6 in D in 1761. He was 29 years old.

My favorite movement in Symphony No. 6 is Part IV. Finale: Allegro. Give me a good, ol’ Allegro (Italian for “fast, quickly and bright”) any day. This one is especially nice since there are flutes and strings that dance and play like woodland creatures in a meadow.

A list of Italian words for basic tempo markings can be found here.

Symphony No. 7 in C “Le Midi” and Symphony No. 8 in G “Le Soir” are known as “The Afternoon” and “The Evening,” respectively, forming a trio of symphonies that, very loosely, represent a day from start to finish.

The three symphonies on CD 2 are nicely presented, the recordings crystal clear and bright, yet not tinny. As will be the case (I think) with all of the recordings in the Haydn Edition by Brilliant Classics, this was recorded by the Austro-Hungarian Orchestra conducted by Adam Fischer.

Haydn’s command of the symphony form seems quite deft, even for someone in his twenties. I especially like his use of horns and flutes, two of my favorite instruments. (This CD is one of my favorites to date in the Haydn collection, and No. 6 is one of my favorite Haydn symphonies.)

1 thought on “Day 2: Sunrise

  1. I wonder how long it took the Austro-Hungarian Orchestra to rehearse and learn and record every single one of Hayden’s published works? Did they nail every movement on the first take? Must’ve been a long project.

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