This work was written around 1765 when Haydn was in the employee of Prince Nicolaus Esterházy I (1714-90) and would have been first heard in the Prince’s court and not in the the type of public concert that we expect today.
The work is written for only a handful of instruments, but most importantly the four horns used. This work has become known as the “Hornsignal” because of the role played by this instrument, especially at the close of the first, second and final movement.
During the opening movement, following the introduction of the first theme, the work is developed in the middle part of the movement before the horns bring a slight pause. Haydn used to employ this quite a lot in his symphonic and chamber works as a sort of musical joke. The type of form then used in the first movement of most symphonies involves a repetition of the main theme following the works development in the middle. The horn sequence described above is then repeated at the end of the opening movement.
The second movement is played at a slower speed and strings play an important role in this, with the violin players plucking the strings in parts, whilst other violin players play in the more traditional method. The wind instruments are again used to good effect in this movement as the oboes and flutes play solo sections as well as the main instrumental effect of the four horns used.
The third movement mimics a popular dance of the period, a minuet, again the wind instruments in conjunction with the strings play the melody of this movement, which is at a quicker pace than the slower second movement. The rhythm plays an important role in getting the effect of this movement across, as it would in any dance tune.
The final movement, commonly know as the ‘finale’ again features strong solo sections and trios involving the flute, oboes and horns, which bring the work to a conclusion, again Haydn here uses the “hornsignal” melody to end the work.
Bibliographgy
Jones, D.W. (Ed.)(2002). Oxford Composer Companions, Haydn. Oxford. Oxford University Press.