Clara Kim

The Evolution of Haydn Sonatas

Franz Joseph Haydn composed 62 piano sonatas in the span of his career. The large number of

piano sonatas developed by Haydn during his lifetime ranged from between the years 1762-1794.
Although Haydn composed a great deal of chamber music and symphonies, his major works can be
identified with his sonatas, and these generally represent his growth as a composer from his early years
until 1794, the date of his final three sonatas. The instruments readily available during Haydns years of
composing the sonatas affected their style and writing throughout the years. Haydns early sonatas were
mostly written for harpsichords, and later switched to fortepiano style writing during his late period.
The early sonatas are set in the galant style and were composed mainly as teaching pieces for students. A
next, more matured stage of Haydns life is his Sturm und Drang period. During this period, Haydn
experiments with minor keys and prolongs the exposition and developmental sections. In 1794, the first of
three of his most matured and developed sonatas were written. Haydns late sonatas reflect a mature
and refined piano compositional style, with a noticeable growth of virtuosic elements in Hob. XVI: 50 &
52 (120). Comprehensively, Haydns sonatas can be said to have matured with time with his addition of
dynamic markings, ornaments, and emotional content.

Joseph Haydns sonatas are generally identified from one person to the next by referencing to

Hob and L followed by a number. The term Hob originated from a man named Anthony van
Hoboken who took over the Breitkopf und Hartel edition, a publishing company dedicated to producing
and numbering the sonatas written between the years 1800 and 1806, and published a Haydn catalogue. It
noted the numbering of the arrangement made by Pasler, an editor of the Breitkopf und Hartel catalogue.
Nearly 68 years later, Christa Landon presented a different set of chronological ordering by adding on five
new discovered works.

The collection of about twenty early sonatas (up to around 1766) first were named partitas and

divertimentos but was later altered to sonatas. From 1755 to 1796, the primary instrument available

during Haydns composition affected his style of writing and most likely contributed to the way Haydn
decided to write his sonatas. The earlier divertimentos and partitas were mostly in three short
movements, each being a figure of binary. These sonatas were clearly written in reference to the galant
style for it carried characteristics comprised of the following qualities: very few dynamic markings, light
and entertaining qualities, and written stylistically with the intention of utilizing them as teaching pieces
for students. The first sonata ever composed by Haydn was his sonata No. 1 in G Major, Hob. XVI. 8, and
was published between 1799 and 1803. This work, along with a large portion of the earlier keyboard
sonatas is comprised of galant style qualities. An example of an earlier sonata with these characteristics is
his sonata in Sonata in G Major, Hob. XVI:G1, where the work is denominated as a divertimento. The
work is longer in comparison to his first two sonatas, with the exposition being 29 measures long, the
development, 28, and the recapitulation, 53 measures. During this period of early experimentation, it was
clear that Haydns musical maturity was not fully present in these sonatas. Although these sonatas were
far from being musically and technically challenging, they carried signs of future brilliance to come.

Haydns experimentation during his Sturm und Drang period involved elements such as writing

his sonatas in minor keys, which created musical intensity and darker emotions. There are several works
that exemplify his transition into this period. His sonata in c minor, Hob. 20, L. 33 contains three
movements, and a sizable number of dynamics (106), The exposition and recapitulation of the work
consists of a cadenza and longer, more lyrical phrases. Measure 14 is marked as f p f p to emphasize
certain notes from others. Ornaments such as the turn and trill are used frequently throughout the entire
work. Two other works that greatly exemplifies his compositional style during his Sturm und Drang
period were his sonatas, one in C sharp minor, Hob.XVI:36, and the other in D major, Hob.XVI:37. Both
works incorporate virtuosic passages and technical levels of increased maturity.

The final period of Haydns experimental and matured phase as a composer was one of great

profundity for it contains virtuosic technical passages, and bold, emotional content. During this period,

three major keyboard sonatas are to be noted, his sonata in C Major, Hob. XVI: 50, L. 60, Sonata in D,
Hob. XVI: 51, L. 61, and Sonata in E-flat, Hob. XVI: 52, L. 62. All three sonatas were composed in
London and all share the following characteristics: the broad range of dynamic markings, dissonance on
the downbeats, and ornamentation in nearly every measure. Indications made by Haydn clearly show the
intention of his later sonatas being played on the pianoforte. A particular characteristic of the last sonata in
E-flat that differed from Haydns early and middle sonatas was his ability to create grandeur, or
impressive sound, with the usage of big chords. Also, Haydn integrated many running thirds and sixths in
both hands, broken octaves, and sudden modulation to create a more heightened sense of dramatic
sentiment.

Franz Joseph Haydn composed 62 piano sonatas in the span of his career. The large number of

piano sonatas developed by Haydn during his lifetime ranged from between the years 1762-1794.
Although Haydn composed a great deal of chamber music and symphonies, his major works can be
identified with his sonatas, and these generally represent his growth as a composer from his early years
until 1794, the date of his final three sonatas. The instruments readily available during Haydns years of
composing the sonatas affected their style and writing throughout the years. Haydns early sonatas were
mostly written for harpsichords, and later switched to fortepiano style writing during his late period.
The early sonatas are set in the galant style and were composed mainly as teaching pieces for students. A
next, more matured stage of Haydns life is his Sturm und Drang period. During this period, Haydn
experiments with minor keys and prolongs the exposition and developmental sections. In 1794, the first of
three of his most matured and developed sonatas were written. Haydns late sonatas reflect a mature
and refined piano compositional style, with a noticeable growth of virtuosic elements in Hob. XVI: 50 &
52 (120). Comprehensively, Haydns sonatas can be said to have matured with time with his addition of
dynamic markings, ornaments, and emotional content.

!
!

Bibliography

!
Gordon, Stewart. "Franz Joseph Haydn." A History of Keyboard Literature: Music for the Piano and Its
Forerunners. New York: Schirmer, 1996. 91-121. Print.

!
Somfai, Lszl, and Charlotte Joyce Greenspan. "For What Kind of Instrument Did Haydn Compose."
The Keyboard Sonatas of Joseph Haydn: Instruments and Performance Practice, Genres and Styles.
Chicago: U of Chicago, 1995. 23-40. Print.

!
Haydn, Joseph, and Karl Psler. Complete Piano Sonatas in Two Volumes: V. 2 (Hoboken Nos. 30-52).
New York: Dover Publications, 1984. Print.