conversations with h.c. robbins landon, 12–15 october 2000

A personal note is necessary here in order to set this chapter into context. Back in 1995, when Bärenreiter were considering whether to commission me to prepare Urtext editions of the Beethoven symphonies, Robbie (as he was affectionately known) was one of my foremost sponsors, his distinguished recommendation greatly helping the wheels to turn. When the project was completed, in 2000, he generously invited me to pay him a visit at his château in the south of France. This was an irresistible opportunity to tackle him about a niggling problem which had long aroused my curiosity: Haydn's use of horns in C alto. For sceptics point to apparently absurd instances such as Symphony No.48 where the poor horn players have to work at the limit of endurance, playing at the absolute top of their register, yet all to no avail since two trumpets are doubling them identically alongside. I was therefore delighted and privileged to learn, from the horse's mouth (as it were), that this was never the intention; see paragraph on No.48 below.

horns in c

The word “alto” or “hoch” occurs quite frequently in the early sources, including in Haydn's handwriting; e.g. Symphonies 56 “in C hoch” and 90 “in C alto” and several operas. It is important to realise that the scoring for C alto horns is absolutely specific to the Esterházy orchestra (i.e. 1761/62–1785), which was a fabulous orchestra boasting no fewer than six amazing horn players. Josef Martin Kraus, of whom Haydn thought extremely highly, reported on 18 October 1783 that “the orchestra is … one of the best. It … makes an outstanding impression” (HCRL 1978:478). As soon as Haydn wrote a symphony for any other orchestra (e.g. London) he would simply assume that the horns could not play alto, and wrote basso for them, without needing to specify it.

Regarding range, top a (a1) was the highest note Haydn wrote for C alto horns. In most of the following symphonies (32, 33, 37, 38, 41, 48) it occurs at least once.