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- Haydn, Franz Joseph
- Egidi, Arthur
Duration: 10 minutes
Description: Franz Joseph Haydn (1732–1809) composed the Divertimento in G Major, Hob. X:5 in 1775 during his long service to Prince Nikolaus Esterházy, whose enthusiasm for the baryton inspired Haydn to create an unparalleled body of music for the instrument. One of the remarkable “baryton octets,” the work was originally scored for obbligato baryton, two horns, and strings, although Haydn himself provided an alternative version substituting flute for the baryton to make the music accessible beyond the limited circle of baryton players. Edited by Arthur Egidi and later widely circulated in that edition, the three-movement work (1. Adagio; 2. Allegro; 3. Presto) combines the elegance of the Classical divertimento with the rich sonority of horns and strings, while allowing the solo line to sing with lyrical grace and virtuosic brilliance. Like its companion works in Op. 31, the Divertimento in G Major was almost certainly first performed privately at the Esterházy court, with Prince Nikolaus himself likely taking the baryton part, although no contemporary record of a specific premiere survives. Today, Divertimento in G Major, Op. 31, No. 3 (Hob. X:5) is appreciated as one of the finest examples of Haydn’s late baryton music, and in the composer’s flute transcription it has found renewed life among chamber orchestras and period-instrument ensembles, admired for its melodic charm, inventive scoring, and its unique connection to one of the most distinctive chapters in Haydn’s Esterházy years. Instrumentation: 1.0.0.0: 2.0.0.0: Str (4.4.3.3.3 in set). Reprint edition.