A Farewell to the Keyboard

Exploring Haydn's final works. Today, Donald Macleod explores Haydn's final keyboard sonata and last major orchestral work, his much-loved Trumpet Concerto.

Haydn's "The Seven Last Words of Our Saviour on the Cross" is one of the most remarkable and original musical works of the entire 18th century. Conceived as an instrumental oratorio for Cadiz in Spain, it vividly depicts the suffering of Christ in sound alone – a truly radical idea for the time. This week, Donald Macleod explores this little-known and beautiful work, as well as Haydn's own "last words" – his last compositions in a variety of genres: last opera, last symphony, last piano sonata, and many more, covering the period from 1786 to his death in 1809.

In today's episode, Donald Macleod tells the story of how Haydn came to make a choral arrangement of his "Seven Last Words", a decade after the pioneering instrumental version. We also explore the background to Haydn's last keyboard sonata, No.62, and the story of his much-loved Trumpet Concerto.

Introduzione: Largo e cantabile; Sonata 4: I Thirst (The Seven Last Words of Our Saviour on the Cross, choral version)
Sandrine Piau (soprano), Ruth Sandhoff (alto), Robert Getchell (tenor), Harry van der Kamp (bass)
Accentus / Laurence Equilbey

Piano Sonata in E Flat, Hob: XVI:52 [no.62]
Marc-André Hamelin (piano)

Trumpet Concerto in E Flat
Maurice André (trumpet)
Munich Chamber Orchestra / Hans Stadlmair

Chorus of The Danes (Incidental Music to Alfred: King of the Danes)
Collegium Musicum 90 / Richard Hickox