The Symphony No. 85 in B♭ major, Hoboken I/85, is the fourth of the six Paris symphonies (numbers 82–87) written by Joseph Haydn. It is popularly known as La Reine (The Queen).
Background[edit]
The 85th Symphony was completed in either 1785 or 1786.[1] It made its way to America early on, at first through a keyboard arrangement such as one played by Nelly Custis at the White House.[2]
Nickname (La Reine)[edit]
The nickname La Reine originated because the work was a favorite of Marie Antoinette, at the time Queen of France.[3] It is the only one of the Paris symphonies whose nickname is of 18th-century origin.[4]
Movements[edit]
The symphony is in standard four movement form and is scored for flute, two oboes, two bassoons, two horns, and strings.
- Adagio — Vivace
- Romance: Allegretto
- Menuetto: Allegretto
- Finale: Presto
The first movement contains a reference to Symphony No. 45.[5] The second movement is described by H. C. Robbins Landon as "a set of variations on the old French folk-song 'La gentille et jeune Lisette';[6] see Haydn and folk music.
See also[edit]
Notes[edit]
References[edit]
- Robbins Landon, H. C. (1963) Joseph Haydn: Critical Edition of the Complete Symphonies, Universal Edition, Vienna
- Steinberg, Michael (1995) The Symphony: A Listeners Guide. Oxford University Press.
- Harrison, Bernard Haydn: The "Paris" Symphonies (Cambridge University Press, 1998)
- Kirk, Elise K. Music at the White House: A History of the American Spirit (University of Illinois Press, 1986)
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