Symphony No. 15 (Haydn)


Joseph Haydn's Symphony No. 15 in D major, Hoboken I/15, may have been written between 1760 and 1763.
It is scored for 2 oboes, bassoon, 2 French horns, strings and continuo, with a solo for 2 violas or cello in the trio of the minuet. This symphony has four movements:
  1. Adagio, – Presto, – Adagio,
  2. Menuet e Trio, with the Trio in G major, both
  3. Andante in G major,
  4. Presto,
The opening movement is more similar to a baroque overture than sonata form though the movement still eludes either of these forms and has a unique character of its own. The movement begins with a light adagio with the first violins alternating with two horns while the rest of the string section accompanies in pizzicato. The Presto has two themes with distinct bridges between themes; however, it is difficult to define which section is the exposition, development and recapitulation, if in fact there even are such sections. The movement finishes with a modified version of the Adagio at the beginning of the movement.
The work is one of the few symphonies of the Classical era to place the Minuet second. The G major trio was likely played as a quintet focusing on a dialog between violin I/violin II and viola/cello played over a bass.
The slow movement is for strings and has one principal theme with several bridge motifs.
The final movement is a dance-like presto in ABA form.