Symphony No. 86 in D Major
1 flute, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani and strings
Adagio-Allegro spiritoso
Capriccio: Largo
Menuet: Allegretto
Finale: Allegro con spirito
Program Notes by Martin Pearlman
Haydn's Symphony No. 86, written in 1786, is one of his so-called "Paris" symphonies. With his music becoming increasingly popular in France, he received a commission from the Comte d'Ogny, a young aristocrat from a family known for its extensive private music library and its patronage of music in Paris. Haydn was asked to write six symphonies, for which he was offered a considerable fee with an additional fee to secure the rights to publish them. The commissioned works were to be presented by Le Concert de la Loge olympique, an organization of freemasons that produced its concerts in a large auditorium before an audience that boasted many members of the nobility, often even including Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI. Its well-funded orchestra was far larger than what Haydn normally had available for his music in Austria. At that point, his ensemble at Esterháza had about 24 musicians in total, while the orchestra in Paris would regularly have 40 violins, as well as 10 double basses. This symphony, along with its five companion symphonies, was premiered by the orchestra in its 1787 season and was later performed also in the popular series of the Concert Spirituel. The premieres were an enormous success for Haydn, and the symphonies were published the following year.
Symphony No. 86 is in many ways the grandest of the Paris symphonies. It is one of only two in the set that has trumpets and timpani, and its music has all the depth, as well as humor that we hear in Haydn's best works. The first movement begins with a slow introduction and then slips subtly into a brilliant Allegro. The fascinating themes of that Allegro begin with unusually ambiguous harmonies before they settle into their proper keys.
The beautiful slow movement that follows is marked Capriccio, which for Haydn suggests a certain freedom in the form of the piece. However, the simple, slow arpeggio that opens the movement returns periodically, giving the piece a clear shape and direction. The Menuet movement is more extended than many minuets of the time, and its delightful middle section, the Trio, breaks into something like a waltz, with the bassoon and first violins playing a charming tune in octaves. The work ends with a finale that is both spirited, as well as playful and full of humor.
Boston Baroque Performances
Symphony No. 86 in D Major
October 19, 1984
Jordan Hall, Boston, MA
Martin Pearlman, conductor