Page 163 - ESSENTIAL LISTENING TO MUSIC

FiguRe 9.5
Franz II (1765–1835), last Holy Roman Emperor, and first emperor of Austria. Haydn composed “The Emperor’s Hymn” in his honor.
FiguRe 9.6
Haydn’s home in the suburbs of Vienna, which he purchased in 1793 with the proceeds of his London Symphonies. It was here that he composed “The Emperor’s Hymn,” which he played for himself at the piano every night before retiring. He died here in 1809.
(Figure 9.5). Called “The Emperor’s Hymn,” it was first sung in theaters through- out the Austrian realm on the emperor’s birthday, February 12, 1797. Later that year, Haydn took the tune and worked it into a string quartet (Figure 9.6).
Example 9.6 > “the emperor’s hymn”
&#œ. œjœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ˙
&#œœœœ œœœœ œœœ. œ#œœœ˙ œœJ
# œ. œ œ œ. J œœ
& J œj œ œ œj œ œ œ. œœ œ œ œ œj œ œ ˙
In truth, when Haydn fashioned quartet Opus 76, No. 3, he made use of his imperial hymn not in all four movements, but only in the slow second move- ment (see Listening Cue). Here it serves as the basis of a theme and variations set. The noble theme is first presented by the first violin and harmonized in sim- ple chords. Thereafter four variations ensue, and each instrument has its turn at presenting the melody. In each variation the accompaniment (context) changes, but the theme remains unaltered. Presumably, one did not tinker with the musi- cal personification of the emperor.
LiSTeN TO . . . Example 9.6 online.
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Bildarchiv Preussischer Kulturbesitz/Art Resource, NY
© Craig Wright
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