The Symphony No. 56 in

C major C major (or the key of C) is a major scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. C major is one of the most common keys used in music. Its key signature has no flats or sharps. Its relative minor is A minor and ...

, Hoboken I/56, 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 ...

, composed by

1774 Events January–March * January 21 – Mustafa III, List of Ottoman Sultans, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, dies and is succeeded by his brother Abdul Hamid I. * January 27 ** An angry crowd in Boston, Massachusetts seizes, tars, and f ...

. It is scored for 2 oboes,

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 (C alto and F), 2 trumpets, timpani and

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 ...

H. C. Robbins Landon Howard Chandler Robbins Landon (March 6, 1926November 20, 2009) was an American musicologist, journalist, historian and broadcaster, best known for his work in rediscovering the huge body of neglected music by Haydn and in correcting misunderstand ...

, ''Haydn: Chronicle and Works'', 5 vols, (Bloomington and London: Indiana University Press, 1976-) v. 2: "Haydn at Eszterhaza, 1766-1790",. It is in four movements: #

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 ...

di molto #

Adagio Adagio (Italian for 'slowly', ) may refer to: Music * Adagio, a Tempo#Basic tempo markings, tempo marking, indicating that music is to be played slowly, or a composition intended to be played in this manner * Adagio (band), a French progressive m ...

# Menuet & trio #Finale:

Prestissimo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...

Daniel Heartz has noted the similarity of the first movement in its character to the first movement of Haydn's Symphony No. 55. The slow movement, in F, contains notable concertante work in the bassoon and two oboe parts.Daniel Heartz, ''Haydn, Mozart, and the Viennese School, 1740-1780''. W.W. Norton & Company (), p. 368 (1995). The finale is a frenetic tarantella/ saltarello dance movement with several pauses and fermatas as interruptions.A. Peter Brown, ''The Symphonic Repertoire'' (Volume 2). Indiana University Press (), pp. 156-157 (2002).

References

Sources

* Robbins Landon, H. C. (1963) ''Joseph Haydn: Critical Edition of the Complete Symphonies'', Universal Edition, Vienna. Symphony 056 Compositions in C major 1774 compositions {{symphony-stub