Haydn: Symphony No. 47 in G major “Palindrome“ (with Score)

Franz Joseph Haydn: Symphony No. 47 in G major, Hob. I/47 “Palindrome“ (with Score) Composed: 1772 Performance: Cologne Chamber Orchestra 00:00 1. [Allegro] (G major) 06:10 2. Un poco adagio, cantabile (D major) 13:49 3. Menuet al Roverso – Trio al Roverso (G major) 16:01 4. Finale. Presto assai (G major) This 1772 symphony by Haydn was a particular favorite of Wolfgang Mozart’s, who seems particularly to have appreciated the great compositional feat displayed in the Minuet and trio movement. But he may very well have been strongly influenced by the first movement. It features a rare use of a marching rhythm. Rare for Haydn, that is; Mozart symphonies and a lot of his other music frequently use it. Haydn marks the march beats with the horns, and then builds it, layer by layer. The second subject contrasts by its smooth rhythms and triplets in the violins. The marching tread takes over again for the development, and becomes dominant to a threatening degree. For the recapitulation, Haydn transforms the march into the minor, giving it more menace. But the more relaxed second them restores the major mode and establishes a sunny conclusion. The second movement is in a variation form, based on an old organ pedal theme. (Haydn requires the bassoon to double the bass line here but otherwise does not mention the instrument in this symphony.) The theme is in double counterpoint at the octave and is so constructed that the two lines could be reversed. Reversal is the epitome of “reversal.“ Called “Menueto al Roverso e Trio al Roverso,“ In both movements the musicians read their parts twice to the double bar, then twice backwards. By very canny use of accents and orchestration Haydn enables the average listener to realize that the music is being played backwards. The final movement has moments of unusual harmonic daring, employing some sharp dissonances and “Balkan“ melodic effects. All Music Guide () Wikipedia article ((Haydn)) Haydn107 () International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP) (,_Hob.I:47_(Haydn,_Joseph))