Haydn’s ‘Clock’

Symphony GCSE AQA Set Work Analysis

Revision Guide

Haydn Background

Franz Joseph Haydn (1732–1809) was an Austrian composer, one of the most important of the classical

period.

He wrote 107 symphonies, 83 string quartets, 45 piano trios, 62 piano sonatas, 14 masses and 26 operas,

and lots of other music.

The son of a wheelwright and a local landowner's cook, He was 5 when he first worked on music. He joined

the Choir School of St Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna. His high pitched voice lasted until he was 16, he was

criticised by the Habsburg Empress, Maria Theresa, who said "That boy doesn't sing, he crows!". Haydn left

the choir in memorable fashion – he cut off the pigtail of one his fellow choirboys - and was publicly caned!

The choirmaster at St Stephen's Cathedral suggested Haydn become a castrato, but his father objected

and the operation never went ahead, Haydn's voice broke the following year.

By the 1770s, Haydn's music had become more distinctive and stood out from the crowd. His music was

inspired by a form of heightened emotionalism known as 'Sturm and Drang' (storm and stress). The

composer's reputation began to spread very, very quickly throughout Austria. He then found himself getting

commissions from abroad.

1790 saw the death of Prince Nicholas Esterházy, Haydn's employer since 1762, and a guy called Anton

became the new Crown Prince. Anton wasn’t very musically minded so Haydn moved to Vienna and accepted

an invitation from the great German-born violinist and impresario, Johann Peter Salomon, to visit England

(1791-1792). In England, he found himself to be a bit of a pop star of the day.

Prince Anton Esterházy died in 1795, his successor, Nicholas II, requested Haydn's return to Esterháza.

Nicholas was music fan, particularly fond of church music. Which would have been very popular at the time.

In 1804, Haydn retired from Esterháza, and illness stopped him from working. During May 1809, Napoleon

reached Vienna, but Haydn stayed there, guarded respectfully by two of the invader's sentries. On 31 May

1809 Haydn died peacefully in his sleep.

The Opening 10 bars (Main Theme):

The reason the symphony is nicknamed the ‘Clock’ is found in the second movement, your set work. Most of

the way through the movement, there are regular quaver ‘tick-tock’ beats, sounding like a ticking clock.

These regular quavers are often played piano, stacatto or pizzicato: adding to the ticking effect. Look at

the opening 10 bars of the bassoon, 2nd violin and cello/double bass parts:

Another rhythmic feature found regularly throughout the work is a dotted rhythm. There are two types.

An ordinary dotted note adds an extra half to the length of the note:

A double dotted note adds a half and a then a quarter (half of a half):

A characteristic like this is called a motif. A motif is a short melodic or rhythmic device that recurs. It

may be used as a unifying device (bringing everything together) or as a vehicle for development (making the

piece change).

The main melodic theme in this movement is:

The dotted rhythm we have already discussed is part of the theme. It is first heard right at the beginning

of the movement, in bars 2 and 3, accompanied by the ticking rhythm.

Sometimes (like bar 30) it is a little varied and sometimes (bar 101 and bar 102) it is in a different key. BUT

it is still the same musical theme.

Clock Symphony Structure:

There is a section at the beginning (Bars 1 to 35) that is in a major key. We know this because there is an

F# used throughout (we have an F# in the key of G Major). This is section ‘A’.

Then there is a change. The key signature changes to two flats and sounds minor (G minor, the tonic minor).

This lasts from bar 36 up to bar 64. A total of 29 bars. This is section ‘B’.

Then there is another change. The key signature goes back to an F# and we hear the main theme again. This

lasts from bar 65 to 152, the end of the movement. That’s 88 bars. BUT Be careful! Its not exactly the

same as section A, so we cant label it as section A, we call it A2.

The piece is essentially structured in TERNARY FORM. This is important information! It means the piece

is split into 3 sections. A B A – the first and last sections are the same music, (or very very similar) and the

middle section is completely different music. You can think of it like a sandwich:

Look at the first four bars of the opening melody. It is played by the first violins and contains both

versions of the dotted motif we have already looked at in class.

This is a musical phrase – you have all composed one for your string quartets, you have played them or sang

them too. Think of it as musical sentence. Each phrase will end with a cadence

An acciaccatura is an ornament, sometimes called a grace note or crush note. It is played simultaneously

with the note that follows.

Now look at the next 5 bars continued by the violins. The first 2 bars are identical, but then the music

changes providing an answer to the opening bars. This phrase is 5 bars long so it is slightly extended.

This phrase pattern in common in classical music – balance and symmetry where important at this time. The

two phrases together make a sentence. The first phrase is the question and the second the answer.

The correct terms are: First Phrase – ANTECEDANT PHRASE, Second Phrase – CONSEQUENT PHRASE.

Harmony in Section A Look at the harmony (notes that make up chords and changes to this) in the last two bars of each phrase we

looked at last lesson, she which chords Haydn has used. The instruments not shown are not playing at this

point in the piece, only the ones shown below.

The phrase ends on

chord V – if we are in the key of

G major what would this chord

be?

The fact that it ends on a chord

V means the cadence is

imperfect and sounds unfinished,

this tells us that we will probably

hear something else.

The chord on the 4th quaver of bar 9 contains the notes D, F#, C and E spread between the instruments.

This is chord V with an added note – which makes the chord more harmonically interesting. The phrase ends

with a V –I chord progression –

a perfect cadence.

This demonstrates what we

talked about last lesson:

Antecedent phrase – imperfect

cadence, Consequent phrase

perfect cadence

The dotted rhythm comes back again! After the repeated 10 bar opening section – the one you have all

played – the dotted rhythm (dot after a note) carries on in the 1st violins, accompanied by the ticking motif

on the lower strings, this is played arco and staccato with lots of changes in dynamics (p – f – p – f – p –

f) and there is also a descending scale in bar 15 – this is D major, the dominant.

In bar 17, a new idea is introduced, based on the dotted rhythm heard earlier. This new ideas comes back

late and is part of the fabric of the work.

These repetitions are called a sequence. This a melodic or rhythmic pattern that is repeated higher or

lower in pitch. There may be one repeat or lots.

More new ideas! In bars 16 – 23 and 29 there is another technique that Haydn uses to link sections

together. This is a chromatic scale – but sometimes he doesn’t use the whole of the scale.

Bar 23 also demonstrates a typically classical way of

using articulation – a combination or slurred and

staccato notes

In bar 26 there is a return to the opening theme,

again played by the first violins.

Section B This section is 29 bars long and takes just over a minute to play. It is a busy section with lots of

instruments doing different things.

In bar 36, for the first time in the whole movement all instruments are playing – this is also called tutti.

The music is also marked forte (loud) for all instruments and sf (sforzando, forcing the tone) in the violins.

This creates a surge of energy.

Section B: Bars 36 - 38 The key signature has changes to two flats and the opening chord is G minor.This contrasts against the G

major tonality in section A.

The cello’s and basses:

The circled notes form a G melodic minor descending scale. This established the new key.

Section B: Bars 39 - 41 A common harmonic progression is I – Vc – Ib, known as a passing progression.

This means that the chords are positioned in different inversion to make a smoother section.

Haydn uses this chord progression in 3 different keys in the next 3 bars. You can see this in the string and

oboe part below.

Bar 41 is IMPORTANT – the F major harmony is being the dominant chord of Bb major – the key used for

the next 11 bars. Haydn has done this deliberately so the movement between keys is smooth. Its used as a

pivot.

Section B: Bars 41 - 46 The bassoons change to tenor clef at the end of bar 41.

Bar 41 to 51 stops the dotted rhythm. A new rhythmic pattern is heard from bar 42 to 46 – this is a

conversation between the oboes/bassoons and the lower strings. There is also a I – V7 – I – V7 harmony,

changing between the tonic and the dominant.

Another chracterisitic of the music here is imitation. The 1st and 2nd violins use this. A complete scale of

Bb major is heard, cementing the key.

Section B: Bars 46 – 49| Bar 49 contains a common harmonic progression. A cadential 6/4 – chord Ic followed by Chord V(7)

This progression is a pair of chords

commonly heard at cadence points. It consists of

a chord in second inversion, followed by a

chords in root position.

Section B: Bars 55 – 57

The 2nd violins take up the new theme in imitation, and have their own 3 bars of sequences.

From bar 58 onwards you hear repeated D’s in the cellos and basses – this is called a pedal point. It builds

tension, it also prepares the listener for the return of the opening key, as the note is present in both G

minor and G major.

Look at the timpani in bars

60 and 61 – there is a drum

roll marking

This adds to the effect of

the pedal point.

Final Bars of Section B:

After 10 bars of full orchestration, the texture thins.

The first violins have 2 bars playing monophonically – this creates a link to the A2 section.

Section A2: This section creates the idea of ‘coming home’ and returning to the original musical content.

The music has travelled through the keys of G minor and Bb major, experimented with syncopated arpeggio

figures, built up to a tutti section, used running semiquaver and demisemiquaver patterns with dotted

rhythms and now we return to the ‘tick tock’.

Haydn thins out the texture from bar 65 to create variety:

Only one flute plays and is marked p and stacatto (bar 65)

Only one bassoon plays and is marked p and stacatto (bar 65)

Only one oboe plays a few notes (bars 68 – 69 and 77 – 78)

Only the first violins play and are marked p (from bar 65 onwards)

From bar 66 – 74 the theme on the first violins is exactly the same as the opening, but from bar 75

onwards there is a change. Instead of the rapidly alternating p – f – p – f dynamics, the dotted rhythms

are played gently by the 1st violins and the flute has a counter melody and contrary motion.

The double dotted sequential motif heard in bars 17 – 20 is heart again on the 1st violins, but this time an

octave higher and joined by the 1st oboe in the third bar a third higher.

The next few bars continue in the same format as the opening A section. The variation of the theme heard

in bar 30 in heard again in bar 93. In bar 98 the music ends on an octave G, the tonic of the prevailing key

of G Major.

Bar 99 has a full bars rest marked for every instrument. This gives the effect of a General or Grand

Pause. This is a silence by the whole orchestra, often used for dramatic effect.

In bar 100 there is a surprising change of key to E flat major, which is quite distant from G major

Haydn achieves a smooth transition to this by using the note G in bar 98. After a bars silence, he uses the

G again, but now as the middle note of the Eb major chord. This is known as a pivot note.

A pivot note is a note that is common to two keys.

It effects a smooth modulation to the new key, especially if the pivot note is part of the tonic triad of both

keys. In this case G is the root of the G major triad and the 3rd of the Eb major triad.

From bar 100 – 10 we hear the familiar theme

in a new key accompanied by ticking quavers.

As there is no change of key signature there is

a need for accidentals.

In bars 104 and 105 the 1st flute complements the theme with a soft trill like hemidemisemiquavers.

Bar 107 has an interesting harmonic feature.The chord Eb G Bb C# which is a major triad with an added

augmented 6th, is known as a German augmented 6th chord. The C# leads to the chord of D, which in turn

leads back to the tonic key of G major in bar 113.

In bar 108 there is another example of contrary motion as the strings and bassoons have a descending D

major scale and he flutes and oboes have an ascending D major scale.

In bar 109 all instruments playing alternating D and C#

semiquavers, creating another monophonic texture,

which continues on the 1st violins for another 3 bars.

From bar 114 onwards we have tutti till the end of the

movement., apart from a few bars where the bassoons, horns and trumpets and timpani are silent. The

dynamic marking is f and ff and all of the woodwind and brass players revert back to both players in action.

This is indicated by the zu 2 instruction.

Another important rhythmic

change in heard from bar 114

onwards.This is the sudden

introduction of triplet semiquavers.

This increases the energy and

momentum of the piece and drives

the piece on.

In most scores the triplets

are written as sextuplets – 6

semiquavers in the time of one

crochet. The effect is that of

triplets – three semiquavers in the

time of one quaver.

In bar 114 three instruments

have the melody – flutes, 1st oboes

and 1st violins, but the flutes theme

is inverted.

The 2nd violins introduce the

triplet semiquavers and all the other

instruments have a ticking motif.

In bar 118 the bassoons have

the main theme for the first time

and the flutes again have an inverted

theme, both heard against ticking

quavers on most instruments and

triplets on the violins.

The countermelody heard

earlier in bars 75 – 79 is heard again

on the flutes and oboes in bars 123

and 124, but its slightly shortened.

Bars 146 – 152 shows a pedal point.

The horns have a held C note – this created a

pedal.

The cello’s also have repeating G notes, this

also adds to the pedal point.

There are also lots of other instruments in

this section consolidating the G, D and C

major triads in this sections ;

o The flutes play a G (part of the G and

C triads).

o Bassoons play thirds from the

corresponding triad.

o The strings play descending scales

linking the underlying triad.

The double dotted theme originally heard

from bar 17 onwards is now played by the

bassoons and violas (an interesting

combination!) and shared between the flutes

and oboes.

There follows five bars of the quiet

ticking quavers accompanied by running triplets,

and in bar 137 the whole orchestra plays tutti

and we hear the main theme for the last time,

accompanied by ticking quavers and triplets all

marked f, sf or ff.

There follows five bars of the quiet ticking quavers accompanied by running triplets, and in bar 137 the

whole orchestra plays tutti and we hear the main theme for the last time, accompanied by ticking quavers

and triplets all marked f, sf or ff.

Even the timpani have triplets on their D and G notes.

After this burs of energy the movement closes quietly. From bars 145 – 146 there is a perfect cadence in G

major and from there the dynamic marking in p to the end.

You can see that the cellos and basses, as well as the horns, timpani and violas have repeated G notes from

146 to the end. This is another example of a pedal point. The harmonies change above these notes.