Trumpet Concerto (Michael Haydn)


Michael Haydn's Trumpet Concerto in C major was completed in 1763. It is known for its extremely high register.

Background

Michael Haydn arrived in Salzburg just prior to composing the concerto. The manuscript is at Göttweig Abbey. In the Perger-Verzeichnis, it is listed as Clarino Concerto. Until the 20th century, the piece was commonly known as Sinfonia. Edward Tarr gave it the name Trumpet Concerto No. 2 in order to distinguish it from Haydn's Trumpet Concerto No. 1 in D major.
The music is derived from Haydn's Violin Concerto in G Major. The solo trumpet line is a very close adaptation of the violin solo.

Form

The work is in two movements:
  • I. Adagio
  • II. Allegro molto
The piece is often listed as Trumpet Concerto No. 2 in C major. Its more famous predecessor, Trumpet Concerto No. 1 in D major, MH 104, is culled from a divertimento.

Legacy

Haydn's concerto "is one of the most difficult in the entire repertory."
Besides the solo trumpet in C, the concerto is scored for 2 flutes, strings, and continuo. Part of the difficulty of the concerto is because of the very high notes for the trumpet, which is written even higher than the flutes. Both movements provide room for a cadenza; Edward H. Tarr's edition for Musica Rara writes out cadenzas in the trumpet part but not in the conductor's score. Tarr's cadenza for the second movement even goes up to a G above high C but provides ossia for the next lower G.

Discography