Of the 104 symphonies definitely written by Joseph Haydn, twelve were composed in London, but only the last of them will be known as the "London" Symphony. The work also turned out to be the symphony with which he ended all his production in the genre.
The maestro visited the island twice. The first time, in 1791, was invited by the German violinist and conductor Johann Peter Salomon, who had settled in London ten years earlier and had since become a successful music entrepreneur. Salomon was on the continent when he learned of the death of Haydn's patron, Prince Nicholas Esterházy, and the prince's son's lack of interest in maintaining the family's musical tradition. Without missing a second, Salomon left for Vienna. On a visit to the master's house, he told him all about London.
First trip: 1791 - 1792
On New Year's Day, January 1, 1791, Haydn landed at Dover. It was the first time he had set foot on foreign soil. Salomon was right: the maestro could not refuse his offer. The impresario offered a thousand pounds for an opera, six symphonies, and a couple of miscellaneous pieces, guaranteeing two hundred more for a benefit concert. The maestro remained in England for a year and a half, reaping successes and receiving tributes. He heard his music performed everywhere. He was invited to the Queen's birthday ball. The University of Oxford named him doctor honoris causa.
Second trip: 1794 - 1795
In July 1792, he returned to Vienna. He gave a few brief lessons to 21-year-old Ludwig van Beethoven, but the relationship was not one of the best. Neither his marriage nor his fourteen-year relationship with the singer Luigia Polzelli was going well. So he was delighted to receive Salomon's proposal to return to London.
The maestro left Vienna on January 19, 1794, and remained in London for another year and a half. During the visit, due to the war against France, Salomon was confronted with some serious difficulties. He was replaced by the violinist and impresario Giovanni Battista Viotti. He had the honor of organizing the premiere of Haydn's last three symphonies: the ones that today take the numbers 102, 103, and 104.
Symphony No. 104, in D major, called "London"
It premiered at the King's Theatre on May 4, 1795. The program featured exclusively music by Haydn, including Symphony No. 100, also called "Military," which had become the biggest London hit of his second visit. "The people were very pleased, and so was I," Haydn noted in his diary, adding, "I earned 4,000 gulden that night. Such a thing only happens in England."
Movements
They are the traditional four. If we discount their dramatic beginning, they are developed following the typical sequence: fast - slow - fast, with the minuet/trio inserted before the closing movement. The andante presents a simple theme that, after its development, becomes moving. The minuet is lively, with amusing syncopations; the trio is sweetly lyrical. For the Finale, the maestro turns to folklore: the main melody is a Croatian song probably once heard in Eisenstadt, where the Esterházy family had their winter palace.
00:00 Adagio - Allegro
09:42 Andante
16:53 Menuetto. Allegro - Trio
21:56 Finale. Spiritoso
The performance is by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by the Dutch maestro Bernard Haitink.
