Haydneum Concerts in Eszterháza – Eine kleine Nachtmusik in the palace

Today, it is uncommon to play symphonic and chamber music at concerts. Partially because we tend to differentiate between programmes that strive to impress the audience and ones that intend to fascinate professionals, and partially because this simplifies the organisation process. However, this would have not raised any eyebrows on the turn of the 18^th and 19^th centuries. What was a more important consideration at the time was that both the serenade and the symphony were viewed as entertaining music.

Haydn presented his latest symphony in London in 1792, which he made memorable even for first-time listeners with unexpected strikes of the kettle drum following a slower movement, which was rumoured to be the result of him trying to overshadow his former student, Pleyel, who launched his own series of concerts almost at the same time. The plan worked, as the English press enthusiastically praised the ‘clear, deep, and sublime’ piece, despite simply calling it an overture. It is true that the symphony started its rise into a dominant genre as the independent instrumental overture of the opera and audiences at the time also did not necessarily expect more from it than the sophisticated entertainment offered by divertimentos and serenades (including Mozart’s Eine kleine Nachtmusik). This was another reason why they did not find it absurd to distil the piece into a chamber music performance. The tailoring of works was a common practice anyway: This is how Schubert’s Trout Quintet was created upon request of Sylvester Paumgartner, a fan of the song Die Forelle.