Galant and grotesque aesthetics in the musical language of Haydn's cello concerti: cello concerto in C major (c1765), cello concerto in D major (c1783)

Abstract

My performance research is motivated by my practical study of Haydn’s Cello Concerti. My interpretative understanding of this music, which begins in instrumental study and listening, is enriched by an exploration of its historical context. Writings on eighteenth-century music, aesthetic theory and musical criticism bring me new levels of understanding of the music of this period. As a performer I have realised that the traditional view of the ‘classical style’ of Haydn’s Cello Concerti is a limiting one. This view, which seems to prevail among modern cellists, suggests that there is a ‘correct’ approach to playing them. The aesthetic theories of Haydn’s time reveal that unexpected contrasts and a sense of spontaneity are much closer to the heart of his music than a striving for purity, which flattens out its expressive contrasts. An understanding of the galant and grotesque styles of Haydn’s time provides an alternative, more informative and imaginative basis for interpreting his music. Structuring my thesis into five chapters I explore the main concepts that I see as relevant to my interpretation of Haydn’s Cello Concerti. These concepts are not arranged according to a chronology or hierarchy of aesthetic relevance, but rather seek to present a web of intersecting ideas that contribute to my interpretation. I introduce classical as a term that needs to be reconsidered in relation to this music. To understand what classical meant during Haydn’s time, in chapter two I look at how instrumental music used ancient classical rhetoric to develop an expression equivalent to language. Chapter three examines the galant style that modernised musical rhetoric in mid-eighteenth century Germany and Austria. Haydn’s Cello Concerti are explored in the context of the period’s salon culture and Haydn’s residency in the Austrian court. Chapter four explores the burlesque, virtuosity, Sturm und Drang and fantasy6 as branches of the grotesque aesthetic. Chapter five discusses the sublime in the context of creative genius and how this affected Haydn’s critical reception. In the context of eighteenth-century dualistic ideas, I explore the interaction of galant and grotesque aesthetics as seemingly opposite yet ultimately inseparable concepts. My performance research is motivated by my practical study of Haydn’s Cello Concerti. My interpretative understanding of this music, which begins in instrumental study and listening, is enriched by an exploration of its historical context. Writings on eighteenth-century music, aesthetic theory and musical criticism bring me new levels of understanding of the music of this period. As a performer I have realised that the traditional view of the ‘classical style’ of Haydn’s Cello Concerti is a limiting one. This view, which seems to prevail among modern cellists, suggests that there is a ‘correct’ approach to playing them. The aesthetic theories of Haydn’s time reveal that unexpected contrasts and a sense of spontaneity are much closer to the heart of his music than a striving for purity, which flattens out its expressive contrasts. An understanding of the galant and grotesque styles of Haydn’s time provides an alternative, more informative and imaginative basis for interpreting his music. Structuring my thesis into five chapters I explore the main concepts that I see as relevant to my interpretation of Haydn’s Cello Concerti. These concepts are not arranged according to a chronology or hierarchy of aesthetic relevance, but rather seek to present a web of intersecting ideas that contribute to my interpretation. I introduce classical as a term that needs to be reconsidered in relation to this music. To understand what classical meant during Haydn’s time, in chapter two I look at how instrumental music used ancient classical rhetoric to develop an expression equivalent to language. Chapter three examines the galant style that modernised musical rhetoric in mid-eighteenth century Germany and Austria. Haydn’s Cello Concerti are explored in the context of the period’s salon culture and Haydn’s residency in the Austrian court. Chapter four explores the burlesque, virtuosity, Sturm und Drang and fantasy6 as branches of the grotesque aesthetic. Chapter five discusses the sublime in the context of creative genius and how this affected Haydn’s critical reception. In the context of eighteenth-century dualistic ideas, I explore the interaction of galant and grotesque aesthetics as seemingly opposite yet ultimately inseparable concepts.