The Symphony No. 62 in D major, Hoboken I/62, 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 ...

written by

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 ...

for the orchestra at Esterháza in

1780 Events January–March * January 16 – American Revolutionary War – Battle of Cape St. Vincent: British Admiral Sir George Rodney defeats a Spanish fleet. * February 19 – The legislature of New York votes to allow ...

1781 Events January–March * January – William Pitt the Younger, later Prime Minister of Great Britain, enters Parliament, aged 21. * January 1 – Industrial Revolution: The Iron Bridge opens across the River Severn in Eng ...

, a good length of time after the writing of Symphony No. 61.

Movements

The symphony is scored for

flute The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...

, two

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 ...

, two

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 ...

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 ...

. There are 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 ...

# Allegretto # Menuetto and Trio: Allegretto, #Finale:

The first movement contains material which Haydn reworked from an earlier Sinfonia (Overtura) in D, Hob. Ia/7. This movement appears to be remarkably aligned with the harmonies of the Finale of his 53rd symphony, except that the latter symphony has a Finale present in many versions. They were both written at a time when Haydn was integrating his symphonic works with the operas he was writing for the theater at Esterhaza, with the result that many of the symphonies written from 1774 to 1781, have the mood of stage works he wrote during the period. The slow movement has a barcarole-like accompaniment, but instead of the typical Venetian gondolier melody over the top, Haydn presents only melodic fragments, teasing the listener into thinking a melody is near always interrupting before one takes shape.Brown, A. Peter, ''The Symphonic Repertoire'' (Volume 2) (Bloomington and London: Indiana University Press, 2002) (), pp. 183–84. The trio of the minuet features violins and bassoons and frequently loses the downbeat, a trick Haydn would later play to greater effect in the corresponding trio of his Oxford Symphony. The finale opens ''piano'' with ambiguous tonality for the first six measures before the full tutti firmly establishes D major ''forte'' in the seventh bar.Rosen, Charles ''The Classical Style: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven'' (New York: W. W. Norton, 1997), pp. 113–14. The finale proceeds in Italian style. The second theme group contains Lombard rhythms which are worked extensively in the development. The ambiguous tonality returns for the six measures of the recapitulation, this time accentuated by counterpoint, before D major returns and symphony drives towards its conclusion. L.P. Burstein has noted Haydn's use of the VII chord and the VII → V progression in the fourth movement.

References

Symphony 062 1781 compositions Compositions in D major {{symphony-stub