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AHE’s Emperors & Armies tour can be heard at the Sydney Opera House - Utzon Room on Tuesday 11th of February.

Full Tour: Canberra - Feb 6 | Berry - Feb 7 | Southern Highlands - Feb 8 | North Sydney - Feb 9 | Sydney - Feb 11

AHE: What inspired you to put this selection of works together?

Skye: In a musical context, we often remember the eighteenth-century patrons and the artistic legacy they left behind by way of the composers they supported or the works they commissioned. We do not perhaps, reflect on their role in context as political leaders, or think of the daily military activities that may have occupied them outside their artistic activities. This thought inspires our opening 2020 season program.

AHE: Why is Haydn’s String quartet Op. 76 No. 3 called ‘the Emperor’?

Skye: Haydn’s great string quartet, The Emperor, takes its name from the Hymn he wrote, God Save Emperor Franz, for the monarchy that would later become the national anthem of Austria. Having returned from a trip to London in the 1870s where he heard the British anthem, God Save the King, Haydn had the idea to pen something for their own royalty. Soon after writing the Hymn, he also included it as a theme and variations in this stunning string quartet from his Op. 76 string quartet No.3 that quickly then, and remains today one of his most loved works.

AHE: How did Haydn’s Symphony No. 100 come to be called The Military? How does the writing differ from that of his string quartets?

Skye: In contrast to Haydn’s Emperor quartet, we also perform Salomon’s eighteenth-century chamber arrangement of his Military Symphony, which was the eighth of his London Symphonies. In this work, Haydn conjures up the sounds of battle with the roll of the timpani and the bugle call. Following the premiere of the work, a writer from the then newspaper Morning Chronicle wrote:

“It is the advancing to battle…And the March of men, the sounding of the charge, the thundering of the onset, the clash of arms, the groans of the wounded, and what may well be called the hellish roar of war increased to a climax of horrid sublimity.”

Haydn used timpani and trumpets to create these ‘military’ effects in his original version but how does this translate into a quintet arrangement for just flute and strings in this chamber version by Haydn’s colleague Salomon? As always, Haydn’s genius shines through in the core of the musical essence. The ear is drawn to the beautiful, elegant tones of the wooden flute, which shines through as the silver lining to Haydn’s joyous and energetic string writing.

AHE: Can you explain a bit about the background of the Boccherini flute quintet and how it relates to this program?

Skye: Boccherini’s flute quintet, Las Parajes (The Couples), is reminiscent of his more famous piece The Night Streets of Madrid that conjures the sounds of the night military watch. It opens with an arresting unison theme in the Entrada that seems to imitate the solo drum of a military band, and it is followed by a March entitled Galop depicting the horse race itself. This was a fascinating race where the horsemen would ride hand in hand. Hence, the title - The Couples.

AHE: Who did Mozart write his so-called ‘Prussian’ string quartets for?

Skye: Mozart’s string quartet K. 575 is the first of a set of three quartets dedicated to the King of Prussia, Fredrich Wilhelm II. Friedrich was the nephew of Frederick the Great and assumed the throne in succession to him. They were posthumously published in December 1791 by Artaria as Op.18, only a few weeks after Mozart’s death. While this particular Frederick was not known for his great military prowess, we do owe to him great patronage of the arts as well as some beautiful buildings - including, most famously, the Brandenburg Gate. We also, of course, own to him Mozart’s wonderful string quartets. We hope you enjoy this opening program.