Haydn Symphony no. 6 mvt 1

Haydn Symphony no.6 mvt 1
Vienna Masters

The low strings start this out by outlining re ti do. Then they sequence it up a third. Pulsating strings with woodwind suspensions lead to tonic and its arpeggio. This adagio was just an introduction to the piece. The flute comes in with the melody over string 8th notes. More sequencing happens and the orchestration changes from woodwinds and low strings to high strings playing running 16th notes. The main motivic gesture is repeated. Rhythmic gestures are passed around from woodwind to woodwind. Again the main motive is repeated in the flute but this time inverted, then it is passed to oboe duet. A new section of music appears from this inversion. String tremelos at a soft dynamic flowing through a new mode which finally leads to the main melody as played by the flute played again now in minor. The horn then plays the same melody but back in minor, this leads right into the flute repeating the same pattern again. Again gestures are passed from woodwind to woodwind instrument. Orchestration is drastically changed again with arco strings and a louder dynamic. The tremelo string progression is played once again. Then the minor theme is played once again. Woodwind and horn chords over string pizzicati is a new color Haydn uses. Once AGAIN the flute statement is used again. Terraced and echoed falling passages of the major scale are antiphonal between the first and second violins and create a bleeding sound. Then the first few notes of the flute statement, which are the first few notes of the triad, are expanded upon and the arpeggio is laid out, finally ending on do. This music was much more beautiful then I expected. I thought it was going to be too much like mozart...too "in the pocket" but it ended up stimulating both my mind and my emotional output. My brain was able to chunk the movement very easily which helped give me a visual of the music going by. THe use of color, sonority, and orchestration was very pleasing to the ear. I also thought the performers played very well. It was just a careless and frivolous piece to listen to as I drank tea and ate crumpets...cheerrio!