The story behind this symphony’s title is as follows:
Back in the 1700’s, composer Joseph Haydn’s patron was resident together with all his musicians and staff at his favorite summer palace in rural Hungary. The stay there had been longer than expected, and most of the musicians had been forced to leave their wives back at home in about a day’s journey away. Longing to return, the musicians appealed to their leader for help. The diplomatic Haydn, instead of making a direct appeal, put his request into the music of his symphony #45.
During the final movement of this work, each musician stops playing, snuffs out the candle on his music stand, and leaves in turn, so that at the end, there are just two violins left (played by Haydn himself and his concertmaster.
Joseph Haydn’s patron seems to have understood the message: the court returned to their primary city the day following the performance.
Here is the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Daniel Barenboim to show you how this last movement unfolds, and of course the magical sounds:
