J. S. BACH Jonathan Berkahn - Victoria University - Victoria ...

with sixteen-part orchestra’ (Carpani). 7 Dies continues: ‘Reutern [sic] looked over the
long sheet, laughed heartily at the copious repetitions of the word ‘Salve’, and still
more at the preposterous notion that he could compose in twelve parts. He added:
‘you silly boy, aren’t two parts enough for you?’ It is nothing more than an offhand
remark from an indifferent choirmaster; but it resonates curiously with a particular
aspect of Haydn’s future instrumental style. From the minuet of his first string quartet
through to the Andante of his last (op.72/2) he repeatedly demonstrates his ability to
construct a perfectly full and self-sufficient texture using only two parts (often
amplified at the octave)—almost as if intentionally to demonstrate the superiority of
two excellent voices over four mediocre ones. As Dies observes ‘From such
comments, lightly tossed off, Joseph knew how to profit.’ 8
He was, therefore, very largely self-taught. Although the music of Fux’s pupils
was his daily bread at St Stephen’s, it seems that he came to the Gradus ad Parnassum
rather late in his studies. Far from species counterpoint being the foundation of his
musical education (as one might have assumed), five out of his six early sources of
instruction were concerned chiefly with thoroughbass. In today’s compartmentalised
musical world, where theory, performance, and composition are quite separate
activities, it may seem strange that Haydn should learn to compose from what is
essentially a performance technique. But Haydn was not alone here—virtually every
competent musician of the time (i.e. not just composers and keyboardists) acquired a
working knowledge of thoroughbass as part of their basic musical education. Given
this near-universal understanding of harmonic progression and bass-oriented
counterpoint, it is not surprising that even the most sophisticated theorists took it at
least as their starting point.
7 Ibid., pp.38, 42, 49. It is tempting to identify this mysterious work with one of the early masses in F
or G (Hob XXII:1 or 3), or the Salve Regina (Hob XXIIIb:1), but they are all too late, besides being
even at this stage too competent for Reutter’s strictures.
8 Ibid., I, p.42.
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