AHE’s ‘Emperors & Armies’ can be heard in Sydney on Sunday 09 February at the Independent Theatre and Tuesday 11th February at Sydney Opera House.

Full Tour dates:

Canberra - Feb 6

Berry - Feb 7

Southern Highlands - Feb 8

North Sydney - Feb 9

Sydney - Feb 11

BOOK noW

Luigi Boccherini (1743 – 1805)

Flute Quintet Op. 19 No. 6, Las Parejas (1774)

Entrada-Marcia
Galope
Entrada-Marcia

“Las Parejas” (“the couples”) depicts the pomp and parading of a Spanish horse race. Such races were a time for people of different cities and states to come together, clad in the finery of official colours and emblems, to pit horses against each other, place bets and enjoy entertainment. The horses were not raced together in a field, but matched and run in pairs, so close that their riders were often able to hold hands. The Flute Quintet Op. 19 No. 6 is one of several works that show Spanish influence on the Italian Boccherini, who came to Spain from his hometown of Lucca in 1768. He was then already well known as a virtuoso cellist and a composer of “very effective” music. His original destination had been quite different - he had been en route to London to seek his fortune, but in Paris he was offered a position in Madrid by the Spanish Ambassador. This offer was sweetened by the prospect of travelling to Spain as a member of an Italian opera company that included soprano Clementina Pellicia, who would later become Boccherini’s wife. By 1770, Boccherini was in Aranjuez in the service of Don Luis, Infante of Spain. His duties included composition of at least three sets of works per year, each comprising six pieces. Consequently, his accustomed output increased significantly. He produced an extraordinary number of quartets and quintets, the latter formed by the addition of a cello – played by himself – to Don Luis’ existing string quartet. Boccherini was also quick to include other instruments in the combination, notably guitar, flute and oboe, which he used to great effect. The Op. 19 set of flute quintets was composed in 1774. He designated them in his catalogue as ‘quintettini’, implying shorter, two-movement works, as opposed to ‘quintetti’, which he reserved for larger, four-movement compositions. Op. 19 No. 6 is unusual in its three-movement form, presumably shaped by its programmatic elements. What to listen for: This quintet is characterised primarily by its rhythms. An entrada with three beats per bar introduces the first movement, announcing the imminent arrival of the race contestants. Here the cello, viola and violins play a unison D for the first few bars – listen to the way the beat is divided to raise expectations, until it arrives in a D major arpeggio flourish. Then the flute joins the strings and the march begins, skipping dotted rhythms and wide melodic leaps conveying dignity while trills and runs decorate the procession. The second movement is the horse race proper. The pulse shifts to a swinging six-beats per bar, emphasised by the articulated, leaping quavers in the cello. Throughout, the cello holds a steady pulse against the upper strings, who repeatedly shift emphasis to different beats of the bar – the galloping of the horses and the manoeuvring of the riders vying for the lead.

Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)

String Quartet No. 62 in C major Op. 76 No. 3, The Emperor (1797/98)

Allegro
Poco adagio; cantabile
Menuetto. Allegro
Finale. Presto

During his London visits in the early 1790s, Haydn heard the hymn “God save the King”. He was taken by the stately effect of the music and took it upon himself to create a similar work for his home country of Austria. The resulting “Emperor” hymn was the anthem of Austria for over one hundred years. When Austria changed its anthem, Haydn’s music was adopted with a text by Hoffmann as the national anthem of Germany, where it can still be heard today. In London, Haydn enjoyed the status of a celebrity. He was recognised by passers-by on the street, received many invitations to noble homes, and became enormously rich. He often commented that it was only after his adulation by the English that he became well known in Germany and Austria. Upon his return to Vienna, the cultural-political establishment had warmed to him considerably. This led to a partnership with the indomitable and highly influential Baron van Swieten, and the creation of performances inspired by ideological as well as musical ideas. In this time, Haydn primarily composed sacred vocal works – oratorios and masses. But he also put considerable effort into string quartets. The Op. 76 quartets were dedicated to Count Joseph Erdődy, a Hungarian noble from a family with substantial musical influence. The inclusion of the “Emperor” hymn as the theme of the second movement of No. 3 ensured that it was an instant success. However, Haydn’s agreement with Count Joseph meant that it could not be published until 1799. It was no accident that the public were clamouring for access to these pieces. Haydn was attuned to popular taste, and his late quartets are filled with original themes, strong contrasts and delightfully surprising changes of key. What to listen for: The quartet opens in uplifting C major – a key that is associated with purity and nobility. But it does not stay in C major for long and the opening statement is immediately answered in a softer G major, then emphatically reinforcing C major. This pattern is a common method of establishing key in Western Classical music. After we have heard C major, our ears hear G major (the ‘dominant’) as moving towards and arriving at C major. In the beginning of this quartet, C major is reinforced by chords on the strong beats of the bar and by the skipping dotted notes that follow. But then G major becomes the centre, with its own ‘dominant’ – D major. After the repeat of the first section, other keys are visited, avoiding C major, leading to a passage where the cello and viola create a drone, reminiscent of folk music. The key wanders through E major to E minor, unexpectedly arriving back at C major and the opening theme. But just when there is a sense of solid ground, Haydn shifts again, combining a new key with a change of rhythmic character. It is such toying with expectations that made Haydn’s music so beloved by audiences.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 – 1791)

String Quartet No. 21 in D major K. 575, First Prussian (1789)

Allegretto
Andante
Menuetto
Allegretto

In 1789, Mozart set off on a journey to Berlin. He was accompanied by Prinz Karl Lichnovsky, a fellow member of a Masonic lodge in Vienna, and travelled with the intention of gaining favour with Friedrich Wilhelm II, King of Prussia. Friedrich Wilhelm was known as a patron of the arts. He was a gifted cellist and did much for his cultural and artistic environment (including commissioning works from the distant Boccherini). However, he proved to be ill-equipped to deal with the prevailing political climate, including the French Revolution. He was more inclined towards reducing the burden of taxes on his people and ensuring that Christianity was ‘properly’ practised than maintaining the remarkable army built by his predecessor, Frederick the Great. Ultimately his rule saw changes to diplomacy and financial and military strategy that weakened Prussian presence in Europe. However, Mozart had good reason to hope for a warm and rewarding welcome at the Potsdam court. As he travelled north, he heard news that the King awaited him impatiently, excited at the prospect of meeting the famed composer. A month passed before Mozart received an audience with the King. In the interim, he met with the King’s Master of Chamber music, the famed cellist Jean-Pierre Duport, and composed a set of variations on a theme by him - as was traditional for such visits. He then travelled to Leipzig to perform concertos and to play on Bach’s organ at the Thomaskirche before returning to wait in Berlin. Nothing is recorded of his meeting with Friedrich Wilhelm; however, later he wrote that he was invited to dedicate a set of string quartets to the King, and a set of ‘easy’ piano sonatinas to the King’s daughter. Indeed, he expressed hope that through their publications he would successfully address his financial woes. Unfortunately, this was not to be. His mounting expenses obliged him to sell three completed quartets for a fraction of their value. They were published shortly after his death in 1791, and lacked any dedication to the King of Prussia. The other three of the set were never finished. What to listen for: The First Prussian quartet is beautifully crafted, the four voices in elegant conversation. The tempi are never rushed, and the textures are transparent, allowing each voice to be heard. Listen in particular for the cello: as if intended to please the Prussian King, it is featured on equal footing with the two violins and viola, often set in its high register. Also listen for the singing (‘cantabile’) quality of the melody in the second movement. Mozart took this melody from an earlier song, “Das Veilchen” (“The Violet”), so that the quartet is sometimes named after it. In this movement, the instruments are all in agreement, enjoying the sweetness of the moment.

Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)

Symphony No. 100 in G major The Military (1793/4), arr. Salomon (ca. 1801)

Adagio-Allegro
Allegretto
Menuetto; Moderato
Presto

Joseph Haydn’s visits to London were profound experiences. His compositions became monumental in response to the scale and attention of London audiences, and his output became more oriented towards large concert performances. But Haydn may never have come to London were it not for the musician and impresario, Johann Peter Salomon (1745-1815). Haydn had previously received many invitations to visit the British capital. Salomon himself had sent a well-known publisher, Bland, to convince Haydn to come, to no avail. But upon hearing of the death of Haydn’s master, Prinz Nikolaus, Salomon himself made the two-week journey to Vienna to personally convince and accompany the legendary composer. Haydn agreed and arrived in London for the first time in 1791. Salomon was born in Bonn (coincidentally in the same house as Beethoven, 25 years later) and moved to London in 1780 as a mature musician. There he earned a good living as a violinist, composer, orchestra director, concert entrepreneur and arranger. His decision to arrange Haydn’s twelve London symphonies reflects his business acumen as well as his excellent musical taste. The symphonies were original and captivating, inspiring nicknames such as The Surprise, The Clock and The Drumroll. The Military was so named for terrifyingly loud outbursts in the second movement, intensified by impressive “Turkish” percussion. What to listen for: A chamber arrangement of a symphony for full orchestra is a challenge to which Salomon was more than equal. Listen for how the flute fulfils the dual roles of melodic instrument and woodwind orchestral timbre, playing many more notes than in the original version. Salomon’s skill means that the symphony’s characteristic contrasts between high spirits and sense of danger are retained, even without a battery of percussion: listen for how the instruments play tremolos and repeated notes to fill out the texture and create tension in some places, withdrawing to lighter accompaniment during melodic passages.

Notes by Dr Megan Lang