JOSEPH HAYDN -The Joke

Circumstances of Performance (When, where and why)

• Composed for small intimate gatherings
• A joke, false endings, bars of silence (bar 155) GP = General Pause
• Hayden hired by a Prince
• Chamber music

Tonality (Key)

• (Bars 0-36) E flat major
• (Bars 36-70) modulates to; A flat major, Fminor, E flat major
• (Bars 71-172) E flat major
• Largely diatonic except for occasional chromatic not (bar 64, A natural in viola)

Performing Forces (Interesting and unusual features)

• Violin 1
• Violin 2
• Viola - alto clef
• Violin cello

= STRING QUARTET

Texture (Layers)

• Melody-dominated homophony
• Pedal
• Dominant Pedal articulation (bards 24-27)

Melody (Tune)

• Use of appogiatura's (bars 14+16)
• Frequent periodic phrasing, balanced 2 bar and 4 bar phrasing
  - stylistic feature of classical music 
• Conjunct movement with occasional larger interval

Harmony (Chords)

• Dominant 9th chords
• Root position chords
• 7th chords
• V7 chords
• Perfect cadence (bars 120-123)
• Dissonance
• Second inversion chords are left unresolved for humorous effect 

Rhythm Metre (Time Signature)

• Rests play an important role, especially in setting up the joke at the end
• Simple time
• Little syncopation

Structure (Sections)

• Extremely important, sonato form
• Ternary form
• RONDO
• (Bars 0-36) I A I BA
• (Bars 36-70) C
• (Bars 71-107) ABA
• (Bars 107-140) C1
• (Bars 140-172) A (Adiagio) A1