This recording was made at the Apollo Hall of Esterhazy Palace in Fertőd-Eszterháza, Hungary, in August 2019.
Historical Context
Haydn's orchestra at the Esterházy court was a chamber ensemble of 14 members; only violin and viola parts could be doubled, with other parts played by single musicians.
Compositional Technique
The slow movement of Symphony No. 7, "Le midi," is an instrumentally performed operatic scena with an accompanied recitative and a sizable cadenza.
Composition History
Haydn's "Times of Day" Symphonies were likely commissioned by Prince Paul Anton Esterházy shortly after Haydn was hired as his Kapellmeister.
Composer's Artistic Vision
The titles of Haydn's "Times of Day" Symphonies are in French, possibly reflecting the fashion for illustrative program music in France at the time.
Compositional Technique
The "Times of Day" Symphonies feature a concertante style with multiple solos, which may have served as an audition for the newly hired musicians of the Esterházy orchestra.
Compositional Technique
The opening theme of Symphony No. 8, "Le soir," is a near-literal quotation from an aria in Christoph Willibald Gluck's comic opera "Le Diable à quatre."
