In the latter part of the 18th century, Haydn's music was in great demand, and even though the venerable composer was remarkably prolific, publishers were constantly searching for new works that would bring them handsome profits. Haydn responded to some of their needs by quietly selling one work to multiple parties and by passing off his brother Michael's work as his own, but even such shenanigans left some music companies dissatisfied. Fortunately for them (though not for musicologists), a relatively simple solution offered itself: commission works from other composers, and then print them under Haydn's name, thus commanding a much higher price.
As if this practice were not enough to cause endless confusion, it was not until the 1950's that Anthony van Hoboken, a Dutch enthusiast, created the first complete catalog of Haydn's works. In the interim, so many records have been lost or destroyed that scholars have often been left to guess at a particular work's provenance, using clues such as musical style or thematic relationships to deduce whether it is authentic and who the true composer might have been.
In the case of the current work, most modern music historians agree that it is spurious, even though Hoboken included it in his catalog. But since we are left with only speculation as to its true author, it will remain listed as a Haydn work until some enterprising soul can provide us with a more probable author.
© 1999, Geoff Kuenning
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