One of Haydn's last orchestra pieces, it was written after the great master's return from London and represents his late style. This is visible in its differentiated and unconventional orchestra texture, in the singing quality of details and in the care for melodic beauty of its themes. Although one of Haydn’s most popular concertos, the modesty of this project makes it impossible to expect an expression as rich as that in his cello concertos. In turn, it comes close to the tradition of the concerto militare, quite common in the troubled times of Haydn’s final years.
• The first Movement – Allegro – is quite extensive for a work of such small scale, full of marching rhythms and fanfare turns reminiscent of martial music. Although they are connected with the character of the solo instrument, it also produces diatonic cantilenas and chromatic bridges, and wanders off into distant keys in the development. Towards the end, there are more and more octave runs and trills, distant leaps and triplet passages, but they are less important for the sound of the whole than its ideal proportions and its expression of joyful seriousness.
• The miniature slow movement (Andante) runs in a rolling rhythm of a siciliana, an infrequent occurrence in Haydn. The soloist is entrusted with the development of the main cantilena idea; the orchestra has more to say in the modulations of the middle section. An association with a “night in a camp” scene typical for a concerto militare seems highly warranted. It certainly is a moment of R&R for the soloist before he attacks the exhausting finale.
• Despite its concise form, the finale (Allegro) is a full sonata rondo, complete with the development of the main theme in the middle episode. This theme is one of the most commonly-known classical melodies, an ideal one for trumpet, and a splendid manifestation of Haydn’s ingenuity. The second theme is of equal interest; it is especially spectacular in the recapitulation, where it rises to the highest registers. Neither seem to be born under the London sky; they would be best described as a la cracovienne. The soloist can now show off his various modes of staccato, his skills at legato in piano, and his crescendo effects – and all this, to better realize the exuberant and fantastic ideas of the old master.
Concerto was written for keyed trumpet, an instrument that made it easier to produce chromatic tones. Yet the apertures in the instrument’s body deteriorated its rigidity and blurred its sound. This is why it soon fell into disuse and Haydn’s Concerto is now performed on modern valve trumpets.

Maciej Negrey