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- Haydn, Franz Joseph
- Schmid, Ernst Fritz
Duration: 15 minutes
Description: Franz Joseph Haydn (1732–1809) composed the Divertimento in G Major, Hob. X:12 around 1775 during his service to Prince Nikolaus Esterházy, an enthusiastic performer on the baryton for whom Haydn wrote an extensive body of chamber music. Originally conceived with an obbligato baryton part accompanied by two horns and strings, the work survives in a version permitting the more familiar flute to replace the baryton, an adaptation attributed to Haydn himself and issued in Ernst Fritz Schmid’s 1952 critical edition as Op. 31, No. 1. Its three movements (1. Moderato; 2. Adagio; 3. Presto) combine the elegance and sociable character expected of an eighteenth-century divertimento with the refined thematic development, instrumental interplay, and wit characteristic of Haydn’s mature Esterházy period. No documented premiere is known, though the original version was almost certainly intended for private performance at the Esterházy court, probably with Prince Nikolaus playing the baryton; the work was subsequently published in 1781 as part of a set of six divertimenti. Today, Divertimento in G Major, Op. 31, No. 1 (Hob. X:12) remains a comparatively rare but attractive example of Haydn’s music for baryton and larger ensemble, valued both in its original scoring and in the composer’s flute transcription for its graceful melodies, warm horn sonorities, and revealing connection to the distinctive musical culture of the Esterházy court. Instrumentation: 1(sub. Baryton).0.0.0: 2.0.0.0: Str (4.4.3.3.3 in set). Reprint edition.