Haydn: Symphony No. 45 in F-sharp minor ‘Farewell’ | Mahler Chamber Orchestra & Pekka Kuusisto

A masterful symphony of surprises. The Mahler Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Pekka Kuusisto plays Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No. 45 in F sharp minor Hob. I/45 ’Farewell’ at the Beethovenfest Bonn 2023. 00:00 I. Allegro assai 05:17 II. Adagio 13:27 III. Menuetto. Allegretto – Trio 17:10 IV. Finale. Presto – Adagio Haydn’s Symphony No. 45 in F-sharp minor has received the nickname ’Farewell’ because the musicians gradually stop playing in the last movement and leave the room until only the concertmaster and the second violin section leader are left. According to an anecdote, Haydn (1732-1809) wanted to make it clear to his patron, Prince Esterházy, that his musicians should finally be allowed to take a much-needed vacation. Whether Haydn achieved his goal with this musical joke is not known, however. But the symphony has since secured a firm place for itself in concert halls, thanks not only to this sense of fun, but also because of the wonderful music. However, this anecdote, which has circulated in various forms, is in fact disputed by scholars—especially as it obscures other peculiarities of the symphony: F-sharp minor, for example, was an unusual key for orchestral works at the time. It was very difficult to produce this key with horns and trumpets, which were still based on natural tones at the time. It also features quite wild modulations that were unusual at the time, at least for an orchestral work—for example, in the second movement to B-sharp Major. Last but not least, the opening movement with its unrelenting “eight-beat rhythm”, flanked by distracting maneuvers and a wealth of dynamic contrasts, played cleverly with the expectations of listeners at the time. © 2024 Deutsche Welle Watch more concerts in YOUR PERSONAL CONCERT HALL: and in our SYMPHONIES playlist: #Haydn #Symphony #classicalconcert