Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Haydn never discussed his compositional ideas in much detail, either in the interviews he gave to an early biographer or in his surviving correspondence. Moreover, relatively few sketches of his compositions have been preserved. Therefore, attempts to reconstruct Haydn's compositional thought, and in particular his formal logic, must rely on evidence drawn from close analyses of the works themselves. Using his symphonies as its subject, this book attempts to clarify what Haydn's fundamental principles of formal logic might have been. It shows how Haydn employed those basic compositional principles to structure his forms, providing explanations that account for specific details of individual movements as well as the relationships between the movements. Beyond what they show about Haydn's formal thought and the individual works discussed, the analyses in this book also have a larger purpose: to argue in support of the idea that compositions cannot be analysed in a meaningful manner if the analysis is divorced from the work's historical context.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

CHOICE Review

This very important book on Haydn's formal procedures closely analyzes nine symphonies (numbers 1, 21, 49, 55, 75, 81, 85, 96, and 99), works that span Haydn's creative life. Haimo's analyses of individual symphonies (and individual movements) are impressive enough, but even more significant are the comparisons of the various symphonies, which delineate the evolution of Haydn's development as a symphonic composer. Also important is Haimo's analysis of the development sections of sonata form movements, a subject often given short shrift. This volume is a shining example of what can be accomplished when musical analysis is done in a historically informed manner. Highly recommended for all libraries. Includes musical examples, charts, and an excellent bibliography. W. E. Grim Worcester State College

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Ethan Haimo is at University of Notre Dame, Indiana.