Piece Information and Instrumentation
“Symphony 30, Alleluia: I. Allegro” was created by Franz Joseph Haydn. Composed in the mid-1760s, the piece is movement one of Haydn’s thirtieth symphony (“Symphony no.30 in C major, Hob.I:30 (Haydn, Joseph),” n.d.). The performance by the Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60vcEkMYx2U(Ádám Fischer – Topic, 2019). The piece was written for a flute, two horns, two oboes, a harpsichord, and string instruments (“Symphony no.30,” n.d.). Thus, the instrumentation is diverse, which assists in producing a layered sound.
Piece Form, Text, and Personal Impressions
The symphony chosen for discussion demonstrates a plethora of form-related features. In terms of pre-existing motives, the piece relies on a Gregorian Alleluia song, and the same motive sets the tone for the following two movements of the symphony (“Symphony no.30,” n.d.). The “Allegro” movement lasts over four minutes and features a fast and bright tempo that remains stable throughout the piece (Ádám Fischer – Topic, 2019). This stability in terms of tempo is instrumental in maintaining unity between the piece’s sections, which are drastically dissimilar in mood.
Between 0:00 and 0:39, the mood is brisk and pleasantly alert, with the following 11 seconds demonstrating a gradual decrease in tone and optimism (ÁdámFischer – Topic, 2019). The piece’s merry theme is repeated between 1:05 and 1:45, followed by another, more sophisticated yet brief cadence (Ádám Fischer – Topic, 2019). Similar patterns can be observed during the following minutes, and 4:22 features a loud closing section (Ádám Fischer – Topic, 2019). The rhythm and tempo remain unchangeable and promote an overall elevated mood.
As a non-choral symphony, the selected piece features no textual elements. Nevertheless, from my impressions, singing, which typically deepens pieces’ ability to convey emotional states, is effectively compensated for by the sound’s complexity, excellent timing, and the cohesiveness of the performance.
As for me, the piece effectively demonstrates an entire palette of human feelings, putting the audience in a festive mood mixed with anxiety, a sense of doubt, excitement, determination, confusion, and other nuanced emotions. In other words, I enjoyed listening to it and admired the composer’s talent.
References
Ádám Fischer – Topic. (2019). Symphony no. 30 in C major, “Alleluja”: I. Allegro [Video]. YouTube. Web.
Symphony no.30 in C major, Hob.I:30 (Haydn, Joseph). (n.d.). IMSLP Petrucci Music Library. Web.