‘Father of the Symphony’, Joseph Haydn, was one of the most prolific symphony writers in history, writing an astonishing 108 symphonies during his lifetime. Born in Austria in 1732, Haydn spent much of his life as the Kapellmeister to the immensely wealthy Esterhazy family, where all music was composed for the court orchestra, as entertainment for the family or to be performed with the family.
1779, following a renegotiation of his contract to allow him to sell his work and compose for musicians outside of the Esterhazy family, saw Haydn soar in international popularity, and a flurry of commissions followed, including his symphonies 82-87 (The Paris Symphonies) in 1785-6 for the Concert de la Loge Olympique.
Haydn did, however, continue to write music for the Esterhazy family any his next symphony, the No. 88 written in 1787, was one such work and this immensely popular symphony stands as one of Haydn’s best-known works. From the exquisite flute embellishments of the perky first movement, to the gracefully melodic yet rustic inner movements, to one of the most cheerful and spirited finales he ever wrote, the Symphony No. 88 truly has all of the charm, elegance and virtuosity you could hope for in a symphony.
Programme note © Amy Campbell