On Tue, 30 Aug 2011, Doug Henwood wrote:
> Andras Schiff, in his wonderful lectures on the Beethoven sonatas, says
> something about how Haydn is more like Beethoven than Mozart. I'm not
> sure what he means by that, but there's something there. I think it has
> something to do with development vs. theatricality.
Haydn famously said to Mozart that he was spendthrift of his motifs, and that he should husband them more closely. That where one could get a sonata movement out of two, Mozart would drop in a half a dozen just because he could.
What in Haydn was sound production strategy (the weekly requirements of his job at the Esterhazy's are unbelievable), and a principle of craftsmanship, Beethoven raised to an artistic principle -- that the most artistically unified movements were those where everything derived from a few very simple elements.
So in that sense, you're quite right, there is a similarity, and it does have to do with organic developmentalism, with unfolding motifs to reveal every possibilitity. As opposed to synthetic or dialogic developmentalism, where disparate elements meet and influence each other and become something new through their interaction. There are both sides to all three composers, but it's fair to say that the gist of Hadyn and Beethoven is on the former side, and Mozart on the latter.
Michael