Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner Who plays Haydn Sonata in g-minor, Hob. XVI - 44?

This is one of the less voluminous Haydn sonatas with just two movements. But still it is very rich in musical content, and I find it a very charming composition. I have worked with it this year, and the more I practice, the more I get fond of it.

I had a tough job memorising it. Particularly I had problems with the second movement. This is also the movement where I still have some technical difficulties to overcome.
The tempo notation is Allegretto. I play at about 84 quarter notes a minute, and wonder if this is too slow. At higher tempo the ornaments tend to get blurry.

Should all Haydn sonatas be played at a strict tempo, or is some freedom accepted? I somehow feel that playing the g-minor sonata requires some freedom, but I may be wrong.

I guess it depends on what you mean by "at a strict tempo." Metronomically strict shouldn't apply to any music. All music should have some rubato, some "give and take" of the rhythmic flow. How much rubato to use is up to the judgment of the player, but certainly "at a strict tempo" - in the most literal sense - is hardly appropriate for any music.

There is so much "humanity" in Haydn's music that I think playing it "at a strict tempo" would destroy that very element that gives it its charm and its life.

Regards,

Personally, I don't like to rush Haydn - can sound kind of 'keystone cops' if you know what I mean. I find this of some Mozart Sonoatas as well. So my suggestion would be to err on the slow side though of course, this doesn't apply accross the board.

I guess it also depends on who you're playing for: if it's just for your own sake then you should play how you want.