Symphony No. 44 (Haydn)
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The Symphony No. 44 in E minor (Hoboken 1/44) was written by Joseph Haydn. It is popularly known as Trauer (English: Mourning).
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[edit] Date of composition and scoring
It was completed in 1772 and is scored for two oboes, bassoon, two horns, continuo (harpsichord) and strings.
[edit] Nickname (Trauer)
Late in life, Haydn asked for the slow movement of this symphony to be played at his funeral.
[edit] Movements
The work is in four movements:
- I. Allegro con brio
- II. Menuetto: Allegretto
- III. Adagio
- IV. Finale: Presto
The piece is typical of Haydn's Sturm und Drang (storm and stress) period. The first movement, which is in sonata form, begins with a four-note motif played in unison which occurs throughout the movement. The second movement, unusually, is a minuet in E minor and trio in E major (this movement would normally come third). The minuet is in the form of a canon between the upper and lower strings.
The third movement is slow, also in E major, and with strings muted. The finale, like the first movement, is in sonata form and is dominated by a figure which opens the movement in unison. It is quite contrapuntal, and ends in E minor rather than finishing in a major key as was usual in most other minor key works of the time (including Haydn's next symphony, the Symphony No. 45, The Farewell).
