"Wrong notes" in Haydn A-flat sonata, II. Adagio.
Let's consider this a test of how wonkily specific questions can get. I'm playing Haydn A-flat Major Sonata, Hob XVI:46. In the Henle urtext edited by Georg of the 2nd movement, bar 14, there's a d-flat which is consistent with the key signature, but in all performances I've heard and in other editions of the piece, that note has been played/written as a d-natural. The note occurs four times in the bar, and the pattern occurs again in measure 53, so I'm assuming it's not a mistake. I'll probably bow to peer pressure and go with the d-natural because it sounds more consistent with classical harmony. But I'm assuming Henle had some reason for keeping it flatted. Did Haydn have multiple scores to draw from, or more importantly, and can anyone tell me how that d-flat actually makes sense harmonically?
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Hello Ted, I just went on line to look at a score. No idea who the publisher or editor is. My Henle edition is upstairs... Based on the harmonic progression of the section you're asking about, it seems the d natural is correct. If you look at the progressions from measure 14 up to measure 20, they are cycling through dominate functions because Haydn ultimately wants to resolve to E flat, the dominate of A flat, so he can begin the next section in A flat. This is not the correct way of describing what is going on in measure 14, but essentially, you have a V/V/V situation. B flat is the dominate of E flat which is the dominate of A flat. The harmony in measure 14 is essentially B flat 7, so the d natural is correct, this is confirmed by both the A flat in the treble (the seventh) and the b flat and d natural in the bass. This harmony of course resolves to E Flat. Haydn just sequences this pattern to get back to D flat (briefly) before setting up the transition to the new key A Flat in measure 21.
Just one brief note. It's not uncommon for manuscripts from the period to have "errors" like this. It could be for many reasons. Copyists, editors, publishers, even assumptions by composers. I think the key thing is as you stated, "the d-natural because it sounds more consistent with classical harmony."
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Thanks for the thoughtful reply Eric! I feel vindicated in my choice, though I'm still curious in what universe a D-flat makes sense. Bavouzet plays it, which helps to suggest that it makes sense somehow, perhaps bending more toward the baroque?
