Composer

:

Franz Joseph Haydn

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Vocal Music

Compose Date

:

1802 - 1803

Average_duration

:

3:33

Franz Joseph Haydn's "The Silken Snood" is a vocal work composed in 1795. It premiered in Vienna on March 10, 1795, and was performed by the famous soprano, Therese Teyber. The piece is a song cycle consisting of six movements, each of which is set to a different poem by Scottish poet Robert Burns. The first movement, "The Highland Watch," is a lively and rhythmic song that tells the story of a group of Scottish soldiers on watch duty. The second movement, "The Lass o' Ballochmyle," is a tender and romantic ballad about a young woman who captures the heart of a wealthy landowner. The third movement, "The Banks o' Doon," is a melancholy song about lost love and the passage of time. The fourth movement, "The Silver Tassie," is a lively and humorous song about a young man who gets drunk and loses his silver cup. The fifth movement, "The Deil's Awa wi' th' Exciseman," is a satirical song about a tax collector who is chased away by the devil. The final movement, "Auld Lang Syne," is perhaps the most famous of the six, and is a nostalgic and sentimental song about old friendships and memories. Haydn's setting of Burns' poetry is masterful, with each movement capturing the mood and tone of the text perfectly. The music is typically classical in style, with clear melodies, balanced phrases, and elegant harmonies. However, Haydn also incorporates elements of Scottish folk music into the work, such as the use of bagpipe-like drones in "The Highland Watch" and the use of a Scottish snap rhythm in "The Lass o' Ballochmyle." Overall, "The Silken Snood" is a charming and delightful work that showcases Haydn's skill as a composer and his ability to capture the essence of a text through music.

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