THE STORY BEHIND: Haydn's Symphony No.49 ("La passione")

Title: Symphony No.49 in F minor (La passione)

Composer: Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
Last time performed by the Rhode Island Philharmonic: This is a RI Philharmonic Orchestra premiere. This piece is scored for two oboes, bassoon, two horns, harpsichord and strings.

The Story: Haydn’s Symphony No. 49 in F minor is filled with the passion and pathos associated with the influential Sturm und Drang (“storm and stress”) movement that was soon to usher in an entirely new period of music, known today as the Romantic Era. But “La passione” was not its original nickname. An historical score found in Vienna gives it the odd title of “Il quakuo di bel’humore” (“The Waggish Quaker”), suggesting ties to a popular comic play of the day. But secular music was often frowned upon in serious circles during the late 18th century, so it’s not surprising that the often-dark tone of this symphony was considered, by some, as evocative of the Passion of Christ, an association that has endured through the centuries. Beginning with a solemn Adagio, the symphony’s four movements explore a melancholy F minor landscape using antique baroque forms. Listen for the violins trailing off into silence and “weeping” passages that are reminiscent of the Lacrimosa from Mozart’s Requiem. The second movement (Allegro di molto) erupts with angst and tension, employing sudden dynamic contrasts, nervous syncopations, and wild leaps. It’s not until the third movement’s Trio section that a shift from minor to major provides a brief patch of sunlight before the final Presto takes us on a wild ride full of shivering tremolos and roguish turns of phrase suggesting, perhaps, that this music was for a comedy after all.

Program Notes by Jamie Allen © 2024 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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