Symphony No. 26 in D minor ‘Lamentatione, Hoboken I/26 – Joseph Haydn

Symphony No. 26 in D minor ‘Lamentatione, Hoboken I/26 by Joseph Haydn

Haydn completed this symphony in 1768 for Easter week as part of his duties as the household musician to the Esterházy estate. It is the first symphony Haydn would compose in a minor key, and would be an early example of the ‘Sturm und Drang’ music that would become more popular for Haydn as well as other composers over the next few decades.

To incorporate the theme of the Easter week, Haydn included a melody from a plainsong chant of the Passion of Christ which would have been familiar to audiences of the day. The name ‘Lamentatione’ was not given to the work by Haydn himself. The name may have been given to the work by the publisher, and is a reference to the theme of the Easter and the resurrection.

The term ‘Sturm und Drang’ (Storm and Anxiety) is based on a German literary movement of the latter half of the 18th century, which saw several novels and poems that displayed intense action and rousing emotional conflict. This artistic movement would also begin to appear in music, and is contributing factor to the rise of the Romantic period in music at the start of the 19th century.

This symphony is comprised of three movements:
I. Allegro assai con spirito
II. Adagio
III. Minuet e Trio