It goes without saying that occasional music has little to do with symphony. And yet, the adaptations for wind bands in the late eighteenth century initiated a new relationship: they allowed for the passage from the concert hall to the private sphere, and gave the possibility of hearing arias and symphonic movements throughout the year.
Haydn’s oratorios and symphonies were successful, and many were immediately adapted for brass bands. The purpose of this paper is first to explain, in the Viennese context, the role and contemporary coherence of these instrumental works. An examination and comparative analysis of the arrangements of the Triebensee Oxford Symphony (Hob I:92) for wind octet in 1809 gives evidence of the composer’s work. The paper also tackles the issue of the adaptation for smaller ensembles, as well as that of instrumental colours. This is particular important since instrumental music in the early nineteenth century raises an unusual form of expression.
