Symphony No. 104 (Haydn)
From Freepedia
Joseph Haydn's Symphony No. 104 in D major was his last symphony. It was written and premiered in London in 1795, during the second of the composer's two visits to England.
The symphony is nicknamed the "London Symphony," although this designation could in principle apply to any of Haydn's last twelve symphonies (i.e. numbers 93-104), as Haydn wrote them all for performance in London.
The Music
The work is in four movements: in the usual arrangement (fast movement, slow movement, minuet, fast movement) for a classical-style symphony:
The first movement is in Sonata form and starts 4/4 time. The movement is monothematic, meaning that it only has one theme since the second theme is actually the first theme in A-Major. The movement starts with a slow and grand introduction in d-minor, the tonic minor key. The exposition follows and is in D-Major and starts with the strings playing the first theme. A first theme is modulated to A-Major with the woodwinds to form a second theme. The first movement closes with a codetta. The development begins in b-minor. It uses the rhythmic pattern of the second half of the theme. The development ends with the full orchestra. In the recapitulation, the first theme is heard again in D-Major. It uses imitative patterns of the woodwinds in the second theme. The piece closes with a coda in D-Major.
