Archive Item of the Month – March 2020
March for March: Grand march [Hob. VIII/3bis]
composed expressly for and presented to The Royal Society of Musicians, London by Joseph Haydn (1732-1809). London: 1792.
Autograph manuscript in ink on twelve-stave paper. Dimensions: 25 x 31cm. 4 folios (7 pages). Title on f.1r (in another hand) signed by Haydn at the head of the music on f.1v. Scored for winds, brass and strings, in the key of E-flat major. An arrangement of this March was made for piano by Camille Pleyel (1788-1855) and published in 1841 by R. Cocks & Co.
The March is a version of the March [Hob. VIII/3] composed for the Prince of Wales (1762-1830, King George IV of Great Britain and Ireland from 1820); the slightly earlier March for the Prince of Wales was scored for wind instruments only without the strings. Haydn reworked the March for the Royal Society and his friend Rebecca Schroeter wrote a copy out for him. In a letter of 24 April 1792 she references her copy and Haydn’s original writing “ … The Bearer will also deliver you the March, I am verry [sic] sorry, I cou’d not write it sooner, nor better, but I hope my D. [Dear] you will excuse it, and if it is not passable, I will send you the Dear original directly”.
The Handel Commemoration Concerts of 1784, the largest music festival ever held to that date, were repeated with festivals in the following years. Joseph Haydn was in London on his first visit to England in 1791-1792, having arrived on New Year’s Day. During the 23 May – 1 June 1791 performances at Westminster Abbey Haydn attended the events and had a box near the Royal Family on the 1 June performance of Messiah: he witnessed the Royal Family and the entire audience standing at the moment of the Hallelujah chorus. Sadly, even though he counted many Members amongst his friends during his time in London, the Minutes of the Society for the spring of 1792 make no reference to receiving the March.
Following the refurbishment of 26 Fitzroy Square and the opening, on 22 November 2018, of the Society’s new premises the current Prince of Wales was noted inspecting Haydn’s autograph manuscript.
Further literature:
- H.C. Robbins Landon, Haydn in England, 1791-1795 (London: Thames and Hudson, 1983), pp.157-158 and 487-489.
- Christopher Hogwood, Haydn’s visits to England (London: The Folio Society, 1980).
