SYMPHONY SEMINAR -- PREPARATION 7

(F-00)

For Monday Nov 2

This week we’ll study some symphonies by Austrian composers before Haydn and Mozart and/or contemporary with them.

Please read the New Groves article on 18^th-century Austrian symphonies. It’s Symphony I / 10 (18^th century – The Hapsburg Monarchy). The author is Stephen Walsh. I’ve posted a copy on the website.

Please listen to two of the following symphonies:

J. B. Vanhal: Symphony in Ab major (Bryan Ab 1) – rec Naxos 8.557483

Leopold Hofmann: Symphony in F major (Bradley F 2) – Naxos 8.554761

Karl Ditters von Dittersdorf: Symphony in D Major (“The Fall of Phaeton”) – Naxos CHAN8564-65

Karl D’Ordonez: Sinfonia in B minor (Brown Bm1) – rec Naxos 8.557482

The scores are on reserve and online.

Please write brief responses to the following questions:

1. How does the first symphony you listened to seem different from symphonies we’ve studied by Sammartini, Leo, Graun, Stamitz, Richter, Cannabich, CPE and J.C. Bach?

2. How does the second symphony you listened to seem different from symphonies we’ve studied by Sammartini, Leo, et al.?

3. Do the two symphonies have any features in common that you think marks them as “Austrian”?