The Symphony No. 18 in

G major G major (or the key of G) is a major scale based on G, with the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has one sharp. Its relative minor is E minor and its parallel minor is G minor. The G major scale is: Notable compositi ...

, Hoboken I/18, is a

symphony A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, most often for orchestra. Although the term has had many meanings from its origins in the ancient Greek era, by the late 18th century the word had taken on the meaning com ...

Joseph Haydn Franz Joseph Haydn ( , ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions ...

. The composition date is conspicuously uncertain. The Breitkopf catalogue entry assures that it was composed no later than March 1766, the date of the Esterhazy orchestra moving to Esterhaza, but most scholars believe it was composed at least a few years before then. Dates between 1757 and 1764 have been also suggested but not proven.A. Peter Brown, ''The Symphonic Repertoire'', volume 2 (Bloomington and London: Indiana University Press, 2002): 30. . Table reads: Landon 55: c1761–64, Hoboken: by 1764, Landon 70s: c. 1759–60, Feder, New Grove: by 1766, Gerlach: 1757/1759

Movements

The symphony is scored for 2

oboe The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range. A ...

bassoon The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuo ...

, 2

horns Horns or The Horns may refer to: * Plural of Horn (instrument), a group of musical instruments all with a horn-shaped bells * The Horns (Colorado), a summit on Cheyenne Mountain * ''Horns'' (novel), a dark fantasy novel written in 2010 by Joe Hill ...

strings String or strings may refer to: *String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...

and continuo.Landon 1955: 642. "2 ob., 2 cor., str. fag., cemb. " Although the symphony is in three movements, it has been sometimes categorized as in the

sonata da chiesa Sonata da chiesa (Italian: "church sonata") is a 17th-century genre of musical composition for one or more melody instruments and is regarded an antecedent of later forms of 18th century instrumental music. It generally comprises four movements, t ...

style due to the presence of an entire opening slow movement.H. C. Robbins Landon, ''Haydn: Chronicle and Works'', 5 vols. (Bloomington and London: Indiana University Press, 1976–) v. 1: "Haydn: The Early Years, 1732–1765", . The three movements are: #

Andante Andante may refer to: Arts * Andante (tempo), a moderately slow musical tempo * Andante (manga), ''Andante'' (manga), a shōjo manga by Miho Obana * Andante (song), "Andante" (song), a song by Hitomi Yaida * "Andante, Andante", a 1980 song by A ...

moderato, #

Allegro Allegro may refer to: Common meanings * Allegro (music), a tempo marking indicate to play fast, quickly and bright * Allegro (ballet), brisk and lively movement Artistic works * L'Allegro (1645), a poem by John Milton * ''Allegro'' (Satie), an ...

molto, #Tempo di

Minuet A minuet (; also spelled menuet) is a social dance of French origin for two people, usually in time. The English word was adapted from the Italian ''minuetto'' and the French ''menuet''. The term also describes the musical form that accompa ...

to, , G major –

G minor G minor is a minor scale based on G, consisting of the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has two flats. Its relative major is B-flat major and its parallel major is G major. According to Paolo Pietropaolo, it is the cont ...

– G major The opening movement is written in the form of a

trio sonata The trio sonata is a genre, typically consisting of several movements, with two melody instruments and basso continuo. Originating in the early 17th century, the trio sonata was a favorite chamber ensemble combination in the Baroque era. Basic str ...

with two melodic lines over an independent bass.A. Peter Brown, ''The Symphonic Repertoire'', volume 2 (Bloomington and London: Indiana University Press, 2002): 48–50. .

References

Symphony 018 Compositions in G major {{symphony-stub