Concerto in D Major for Harpsichord or Piano
for keyboard solo with 2 oboes, 2 horns and strings
Program Notes by Martin Pearlman
This popular concerto was first announced by publishers in 1784 and was therefore probably written a year or two earlier. The publishers called it a concerto for "harpsichord or fortepiano," a designation that was often used at the time to increase sales to people who did not yet have pianos. Nonetheless, the piece does work on either instrument, particularly in the outer movements, although the lyrical slow movement may suggest the dynamic flexibility of the piano. By this time, Haydn was writing keyboard sonatas that were clearly meant for the piano, and certainly Mozart's keyboard concertos could only be played on the piano. But Haydn was not the keyboard virtuoso that Mozart was, and this concerto is in a simpler transitional style that can work on either instrument. The large modern piano, however, is not as flattering to this piece as either the harpsichord or the early piano of Haydn's time. With more upper partials in the sound of the early instruments, the writing sounds fuller and makes this music sound brighter and more lively than it would on a modern piano.
The concerto is indeed a bright and lively piece, and, for that reason, it has always been popular with audiences. Following a sparkling Haydnesque Allegro and an extraordinarily beautiful slow movement with chains of sextuplets and a lyrical melodic line, the work ends with a finale that is called a "Rondo all'Ungherese" (Rondo in a Hungarian Style). It is Gypsy music based on folk tunes that Haydn had heard, infectious dance music that must have been a rousing surprise to his first listeners and that is still exciting to audiences today.
Cadenzas by Martin Pearlman
Boston Baroque Performances
Concerto in D Major for Harpsichord or Piano
August 24, 1989
King Ridge, New London, NH
Martin Pearlman, conductor & fortepiano
February 9, 1988
St. Anselm’s College, Manchester, NH
Martin Pearlman, conductor & fortepiano
February 21, 1986
NEC’s Jordan Hall, Boston, MA
Martin Pearlman, conductor & fortepiano
February 5, 1983
NEC’s Jordan Hall, Boston, MA
Martin Pearlman, conductor & fortepiano