Paris Sinfonia – Wikipedia

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Joseph Haydn (painting by Ludwig Guttenbrunn, around 1770)

The Paris symphonies are a set of six symphonies that Joseph Haydn composed in 1785 and 1786 for the Paris concert series “Concert de la Loge Olympique”. In the Hobaken directory you have numbers I: 82 to I: 87:

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In addition to the twelve London symphonies, they are among the best known and most frequently listed symphonies of Haydn.

The Symphonies No. 82 to 87 were commissioned in 1784 or early 1785 by Claude-Francois-Marie Rigoley, a co-founder of the Paris concert series “Concert de la Loge Olympique”. The “Concert de la Loge Olympique” has been the most important in Paris concert series in addition to the “Concert Spiritis” since 1781. It was worn by the elegant and rich Freemason lodge “De la Parfaite Estime & Société Olympique”, which organized her concerts in the Cent Suiss Salle in the Tuileries. [first] The orchestra consisted of at least two thirds of professional musicians who played and wore in blue ceilings. The concerts were not public. In 1786, the maximum strength was 65 people, i.e. significantly more than in Haydns until then the main place of work at the court of Esterházy. [2]

However, Haydn only carried out the order in the following two years. After the dating on the autographs, No. 83 and 87, 1786 then No. 82, 84 and 86. Of No. 85, only the undated introduction as an autograph, based on Haydn’s letter of August 2, 1787 (see below), however, it can be assumed that it was composed in 1785. Haydn sent the autographs to his client in Paris, where they were probably listed immediately. [3]

Although the Lodge Olympique had most likely acquired publishing rights, the history of publication of the Paris symphonies is complicated. Michael Walter [4] gives the following brief overview (see details below):

“The early publication history of the ‘Paris Symphonia’ is not atypical for Haydn’s business handling. Together with the symphonies, he had also sold the publication rights to the ‘Lodge Olympique’. Of course, this exclusive right was only for France; In this respect, he was able to easily sell the works to the Artaria publisher in Vienna. However, Haydn’s insurance was that Artaria should ‘be operated all by itself’ just as a lie as the insurance company against the London publisher Forster that the symphonies have not yet been ‘given’. […] Of course, a composer had to watch because of the lack of copyright at the end of the 18th century that he sold his symphonies to publisher as possible before they could use pirated copies (or simply had the output of a competitor stabbed); In this respect, the modern exploitation-moral standards will be difficult to create. ” [4]

The symphonies first appeared at the publisher Artaria in Vienna in 1787, but Haydn seems to have been looking for the “Lodge Olympique” and received them (see letters from May 2, 1787). When Haydn was already in negotiations with Artaria, an unknown person apparently tried to make a business with illegally acquired copies by offering them artaria [5] (Letter from April 26, 1787). Excerpts from the letters to Artaria: [3]

  • April 26, 1787 to Artaria: “… especially, when you as a true friend and righteous man, you only openly admit to me, who was, so I have asked my new symphonies, I swear to you with my honor not to report a word of it; However, since such theft can also make me very unhappy, which you may also be able to suffer in the future, it will be able to win the truth to me and to discover this dangerous adjacent to me in time … ”.
  • May 2, 1787: “I am extremely delighted with the untruth about my symphonies. I expect a letter from Paris every day: As soon as I will have permission, they should be operated all by themselves. ”
  • June 21, 1787: “… if you want to have the former symphonies from me, so let me know how to know your opinion …”
  • August 2, 1787: “… I finally forgot to display the order of the symphonies, and I have to be engraved as follows. The symphony ex A. Numero 1, ex BFA Nro. 2, ex g Nro 3, ex Es Nro 4, ES D Nro 5, EX C No. 6. ”

After the directors of the “Concert de la Loge Olympique” had apparently sold their publishing law, Artaria, however, fulfilled Haydns, not to print the symphonies in order No. 87, 85, 83, 84, 86 and 82, but did not publish them accordingly the numbering used today (“first authentic edition” [6] ).

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In England, the symphonies appeared in the same order as at Artaria at the publisher Longman & Broderip (Artaria’s London business partner) around the turn of the year in 1788 according to templates of Artaria. [3]

In April and August 1787, Haydn also offered the symphonies to the Forster publisher in London, giving the symphonies in order No. 82, 87, 84, 83 and 86. Forster paid, exchanged when published (“second authentic edition”) but No. 83 and 85. [3] The publication took place shortly after the Longman & Broderip. “The embarrassment was great.” [2] Longman & Broderip seem to have objected to the edition of Forster as a competition. On February 28, 1788, Haydn wrote: “The most favorite Mons. Ranger! Are you not angry with me if you have annoying with H. Longman. […] You will see that much by themselves that those who want to own 6 new pieces for themselves have to donate more than 20 Guinée. ”Probably this statement refers to the Paris symphonies that Haydn had sold to Forster, while Longman & Broderip they had legally received from Artaria. After his arrival in London, Haydn was apparently sentenced to pay a penalty benefit in 1791 (see Symphony No. 93). [3]

The “Third Authentic Edition” was published in 1788 at the publisher Imbault in Paris, which had probably acquired the publishing rights from the director of the “Concert de la Loge Olympique”. He published the works in order No. 83, 87, 85, 82, 86 and 84. [3]

Also in 1788, the symphonies were also published by the Paris publisher Sieber in order No. 85, 83, 87, 86, 82 and 84. The latter had received the templates from the then concert champion of the orchestra of the Lodge Olympique (Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges). The concert champion may have been entrusted with the negotiations between Haydn and the Lodge Olympique, could claim rights to the symphonies and “resign” to the publisher Sieber. [3]

“In 1781, Haydn’s share of the symphonies listed was 17%, 1782 already 39%, 1783 73%, 1784 64.5%, 1785 57%, 1786 75%and 1787 63%. 1788, in the year in which the Paris symphonies probably came to the public concert for the first time, it was 90%, 1789 84%and 1790 80%. Other composers hardly appear […]. ” [2] Haydn was celebrated and praised in the local press. On April 12, 1788, the “Mercure de France” wrote: “Symphonies of Mr. Haydn have been listed at almost all concerts. Every day you perceive them better, and as a consequence you admire the productions of this great genius, which it understands so well in each of its pieces, to derive such rich and so different developments from a single topic, in contrast to the others Composers who constantly continue from one idea to the next without being able to present a single form in changed forms and who constantly piling up effect on effect in a mechanical way without connection and without taste. ” [7] [8]

The frequent repetitions of Haydn symphonies in the concert series, in which new performances were constantly common, led to the fact that the works could be studied more and more and became more and more known. This resulted in another feedback effect on the repetitions. The beginnings of the stable symphonic game plan are also here. [2]

“The Paris Symphonies are Haydn’s first symphonies cycle, in which unity and diversity also combine on the level of the organization of the whole opus on a large scale, in principle as well as it has been realized in the string quartets: six clearly distinguished work Individualities on the basis of a personnel and genre style developed up to the last detail and connected by a clear gradation of the claim, shapes and affects and through subcutaneous relationships from work to work. In addition, there is […] the orientation of the generic style to one public, of which the composer at least has an approximate idea. […] The most striking feature in which the Paris symphonies go beyond the older works and groups of work is the orchestral treatment […]. Above all, it is about the woodwinds, which are used with a unadorned flash of fantasy […]. ” [2]

“Whether the ‘Paris Symphonia’ was designed by Haydn as a cycle is an open and presumably negative question. Because Haydn asked for a different order for the pressure of the symphonies at Artaria in Vienna as for the pressure in London […] that Haydn probably knew the skills of the – large – orchestra relatively precisely, especially the orchestral treatment, especially the Solistic use of woodwinds, for example in the concert woodwind solos in the Adagio of Symphony No. 87. ” [4]

  1. ↑ This place was used by the “Concert Spiritual” until 1784. To say goodbye and move to the Salle des Machines, Haydn’s farewell information was played (Finscher 2000 p. 330).
  2. ↑ a b c d It is Ludwig Finscher: Joseph Haydn and his time. Labeer-publisher, labey 2000, ISBN 3-9215158-9,96-6-6, P. 330 FF.
  3. ↑ a b c d It is f g Anthony van Hoboken: Joseph Haydn. Thematic-bibliographical list of works, Volume I. Schott-Verlag, Mainz 1957, p. 133 ff.
  4. ↑ a b c Michael Walter: Haydn’s symphonies. A musical work guide. C. H. Beck-Verlag, Munich 2007, p. 88 ff.
  5. ↑ Walter Lessing: Joseph Haydn’s symphonies, plus: all trade fairs. A series of Südwestfunk Baden-Baden 1987–89. 3rd volume, Baden-Baden 1989, p. 22.
  6. ↑ Terms according to van Hoboken 1957, p. 133 f.
  7. ↑ Spiritual concert. In Mercury of France , 12. April 1788, S. 77, online Auf French.
  8. ↑ Quoted and translated from French at Walter (2007) p. 86.
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