Caught Off Guard by Haydn's Symphony No 94 in G major, Hob. I:94 "Surprise"
I. Adagio cantabile – Vivace assai
Symphony No. 94 in G major, Hob. I:94
I'm Joseph Haydn, and I'm delighted to explain the I. Adagio cantabile – Vivace assai movement of my Symphony No 94. After a gentle, singing slow opening, you'll notice how the lively main tune seems to begin in A minor before settling into G major, a small twist that makes the quick section more fun to follow. Why not test yourself in the Trainer , where my fellow composers and I also teach you on this site to recognize our pieces?
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Know Your Orchestra Before You Press Play
Let me tell you who is sitting on stage, because it makes the music much easier to follow. I wrote this symphony for pairs of flutes, oboes, bassoons, horns and trumpets, plus timpani and the string players. Listen to the strings first, since they carry most of the tunes, and then notice how the flutes, oboes and bassoons add colour around them. The horns, trumpets and timpani mostly wait for the big moments, and when they join in you can feel the whole sound grow.A Title That Says It All
The title is really just two instructions for the players, joined by a dash. Adagio cantabile asks for a slow, singing sound, and Vivace assai asks for something very lively. I put them side by side because the movement does exactly that, starting in calm and then changing its character completely. I like a title that tells you what to expect, even if the music still keeps a little back for later.Choosing a Shape Was Half the Fun
I decided to give this movement a slow introduction first, followed by a fast main part built in sonata form. That form has three stages, which are the presentation of the themes, a middle part where I play with them, and a return where everything comes home. Put the introduction in front and you get four sections altogether, and each one has its own mood. I'll take them one at a time, so you'll know where you are in the music.Section 1: Please Take Your Seats Slowly
The movement opens with a lyrical slow introduction, written in three beats to the bar. The tempo is unhurried, and the melody has the gentle, rounded shape of someone singing quietly to themselves. I wanted you to settle down and listen closely, because everything that follows grows out of this calm. Pay attention to how patient it feels, since that patience makes the change that comes next feel so much bigger.Section 2: The Music Wakes Up
Now the pace picks up, and the main section arrives in six beats to the bar, with a lively, bouncing rhythm. The main theme at first seems to be in A minor, which gives it a slightly shadowy colour, before it settles into G major. That small change from shade to sunlight is the heart of the mood here, so listen for the moment the brightness arrives. From then on the music keeps its energy, and you can almost tap your foot along with it.Section 3: I Take My Own Tunes Apart
In the middle of the movement I take the material you have just heard and start to play with it. Little fragments pass between the instruments, the music moves through different keys, and the mood becomes more restless and searching. This is the part where I like to keep you guessing, because you never quite know where a tune will turn up next. Try to follow a short snippet of melody as it travels from one group of players to another, and you'll be listening the way I hoped you would.Section 4: Everyone Comes Home, Eventually
Then the opening ideas return, and you'll recognise them from the start of the main section. This time the music stays on friendlier ground, so the whole thing feels settled and familiar. The main theme only reaches a full conclusion near the end of this section, so I make you wait a little for that last feeling of arrival. When it finally comes, the whole movement seems to take a deep breath and close the door gently behind it.Over to You
Now it's your turn to hear it, so press play and let the music carry you along. While it plays, keep in mind what we've talked about, from the quiet introduction to the bright tune that arrives out of the shadows. You don't need to catch everything, and it's enough to notice the moments where the mood shifts. I hope you enjoy listening to this movement as much as I enjoyed writing it.---
Did you enjoy this listen guide to the first movement, Adagio cantabile – Vivace assai, of my Symphony No 94 in G major, Hob. I:94 "Surprise"? I hope the slow, singing introduction now feels like a quiet doorway, and the lively main section like the bright room you step into on the other side. The next time you hear that main tune start out in A minor and then find its way into G major, I hope you smile, because you'll know where it is heading. A good piece of music keeps something back for later, and this symphony still has more to show you. The Andante holds the famous loud chord at bar 16, and the finale has a second surprise of its own, when a timpani roll pushes the music into E flat. I liked that Andante tune so much that I brought it back in The Seasons in 1801, where a plowman whistles it as he works. If you'd like to keep exploring, please click on the links provided here to find more about my Symphony No 94 in G major, Hob. I:94 "Surprise". Thank you for listening so closely, and I hope this music has something new to tell you each time you come back to it.