Program Note: Haydn: Symphony No.82, “The Bear”

Originally written for the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra (TBSO, January 2005)

Haydn’s popularity outside his native Austria must no doubt have surprised him. After all, it was not common for composers as well-settled in their particular stations as Haydn was by the 1780s to be heard outside of their home courts. But under a revised contract with the Esterházy family—in particular with Prince Nikolaus, who succeeded Haydn’s original contractor in 1762—the court no longer held exclusive rights to Haydn’s compositions, and they were published in nearly every major European city. This fact in itself led to the widespread distribution of Haydn’s symphonic and chamber works, and contributed nearly as much to his comfortable retirement as his pensions did.

Haydn’s 82nd Symphony was the first in a series of six works commissioned by a Paris concert organization in 1785/86. It was unusual indeed for a composer under contract to accept foreign commissions, but Haydn’s outstanding service at Esterháza had won him considerable indulgence by this time. 

"The Bear" to which the title refers conjures up the 18th-century image of dancing bears. Wandering entertainers at that time performed on bagpipes while the trained bears danced for the public. The drone of the bagpipes can be heard in the bass line of the finale, while the chortling bassoons conjure up images of the dancing bear.