Toy Symphony
Encyclopedia
The Toy Symphony is a musical work with parts for toy instruments and is popularly played at Christmas.
It was long reputed to be the work of Joseph Haydn
, but later scholarship suggested that it was actually written by Leopold Mozart
. Its authorship is still disputed, however, and other composers have been proposed as the symphony's true author. The symphony did not appear in published form until 1820. In the first edition the composer was given as Haydn with no further identification. From that time it was assumed that Haydn was the composer of this seven-minute, three movement homotonal
symphony which calls for toys, a trumpet
, ratchet
, nightingale
, cuckoo
and drum
. A fanciful story was concocted in which Haydn composed this work after purchasing several toys at a fair, and then performed the result at Eszterháza
for delighted children at a Christmas party. By the 1930s scholars began to doubt that this tale was truthful, as no such work appears in the exhaustive Entwurf-Katalog Haydn himself compiled of his own compositions.
The identity of the true composer of the Toy Symphony seemed cinched with the discovery of the work in its three-movement form in a manuscript copied by Leopold Mozart in 1759. This was supported by the existence of a similar work (also once believed to be Leopold Mozart's) The Musical Sleigh-Ride, which calls for a cracking whip, sleigh bells
and other sound effects that resemble those in the Toy Symphony. However, the accuracy of the Leopold Mozart attribution was called into question as it became clear that even The Musical Sleigh-Ride was likely not Leopold's work; he was an avid copyist who made exemplars of dozens of pieces by hand.
The best research indicates that the Toy Symphony is not even a symphony per se; its three movements are most likely compiled from one or even several toy cassations (i.e. divertimenti
) -- long, multi-movement works that were written in the 1750s and 1760s in and around the city of Berchtesgaden
, a major manufacturer of toy musical instruments. Both professional and amateur composers wrote these pieces, and existing sources are not clear if much of this literature can be safely ascribed to any composers of note, let alone such 'magic' Classical-era names as those of the Mozarts or the Haydns.
Recent research on a newly found manuscript suggests the Austrian benedictine
monk Edmund Angerer (1740–1794) to be the author. If Angerer's manuscript is the original, the Toy Symphony was originally written not in G but rather in C, These findings, however, are disputed among scholars. There is reason to believe that the true composer will likely never be known, in whole or in part, given its mass-produced origins and the paucity of related manuscript sources.
It was long reputed to be the work of Joseph Haydn
Joseph Haydn
Franz Joseph Haydn , known as Joseph Haydn , was an Austrian composer, one of the most prolific and prominent composers of the Classical period. He is often called the "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet" because of his important contributions to these forms...
, but later scholarship suggested that it was actually written by Leopold Mozart
Leopold Mozart
Johann Georg Leopold Mozart was a German composer, conductor, teacher, and violinist. Mozart is best known today as the father and teacher of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and for his violin textbook Versuch einer gründlichen Violinschule.-Childhood and student years:He was born in Augsburg, son of...
. Its authorship is still disputed, however, and other composers have been proposed as the symphony's true author. The symphony did not appear in published form until 1820. In the first edition the composer was given as Haydn with no further identification. From that time it was assumed that Haydn was the composer of this seven-minute, three movement homotonal
Homotonal
Homotonal is a technical musical term pertaining to the tonal structure of multi-movement compositions. It was introduced into musicology by Hans Keller...
symphony which calls for toys, a trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
, ratchet
Ratchet
Ratchet may refer to:* Ratchet , a mechanical device that allows movement in only one direction* Ratchet, a tool also known as a socket wrench* Ratchet , a music instrumentIn film and television:...
, nightingale
Nightingale
The Nightingale , also known as Rufous and Common Nightingale, is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae...
, cuckoo
Cuckoo
The cuckoos are a family, Cuculidae, of near passerine birds. The order Cuculiformes, in addition to the cuckoos, also includes the turacos . Some zoologists and taxonomists have also included the unique Hoatzin in the Cuculiformes, but its taxonomy remains in dispute...
and drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
. A fanciful story was concocted in which Haydn composed this work after purchasing several toys at a fair, and then performed the result at Eszterháza
Eszterháza
Esterháza is a palace in Fertőd, Hungary, built by Prince Nikolaus Esterházy. Sometimes called the "Hungarian Versailles", it is Hungary's grandest Rococo edifice.-History:...
for delighted children at a Christmas party. By the 1930s scholars began to doubt that this tale was truthful, as no such work appears in the exhaustive Entwurf-Katalog Haydn himself compiled of his own compositions.
The identity of the true composer of the Toy Symphony seemed cinched with the discovery of the work in its three-movement form in a manuscript copied by Leopold Mozart in 1759. This was supported by the existence of a similar work (also once believed to be Leopold Mozart's) The Musical Sleigh-Ride, which calls for a cracking whip, sleigh bells
Sleigh Bells
Sleigh Bells is an American noise pop music duo. The group released their debut album, Treats, on May 11, 2010.-History:Based in Brooklyn, New York, Sleigh Bells is composed of Derek E. Miller and Alexis Krauss...
and other sound effects that resemble those in the Toy Symphony. However, the accuracy of the Leopold Mozart attribution was called into question as it became clear that even The Musical Sleigh-Ride was likely not Leopold's work; he was an avid copyist who made exemplars of dozens of pieces by hand.
The best research indicates that the Toy Symphony is not even a symphony per se; its three movements are most likely compiled from one or even several toy cassations (i.e. divertimenti
Divertimento
Divertimento is a musical genre, with most of its examples from the 18th century. The mood of the divertimento is most often lighthearted and it is generally composed for a small ensemble....
) -- long, multi-movement works that were written in the 1750s and 1760s in and around the city of Berchtesgaden
Berchtesgaden
Berchtesgaden is a municipality in the German Bavarian Alps. It is located in the south district of Berchtesgadener Land in Bavaria, near the border with Austria, some 30 km south of Salzburg and 180 km southeast of Munich...
, a major manufacturer of toy musical instruments. Both professional and amateur composers wrote these pieces, and existing sources are not clear if much of this literature can be safely ascribed to any composers of note, let alone such 'magic' Classical-era names as those of the Mozarts or the Haydns.
Recent research on a newly found manuscript suggests the Austrian benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
monk Edmund Angerer (1740–1794) to be the author. If Angerer's manuscript is the original, the Toy Symphony was originally written not in G but rather in C, These findings, however, are disputed among scholars. There is reason to believe that the true composer will likely never be known, in whole or in part, given its mass-produced origins and the paucity of related manuscript sources.
External links
- Who Composed the "Toy Symphony" known all over the World? (German and English)