Sonata G major (for two guitars)

Sheet Music "Sonata in G" Hoboken XVI: G1
arranged for two guitars by Klaus Rothkegel

The Sonata in G Major by Joseph Haydn (Hoboken XVI: G1), originally written for a piano, dates from an early phase of his creative work. It can be described as an early example of the classical period.

The instrument piano, at that time, i.e. towards the middle of the 18th century, also known as the fortepiano, was not yet as full in sound as the concert grand piano of today. In addition, the sonata is permanently written in a very transparent manner. These two facts speak for a transcription for the guitar.

I have arranged the sonata for two guitars. There is a technical reason for this: the sonata is easier to master this way. The lower part can be described as easy to play, although it requires a retuning of the low E string to D. The somewhat more difficult upper part is also easy to play. Even the somewhat more difficult upper part does not go beyond a medium level of difficulty. In this form, the sonata can be used well in lessons and also as a beautiful recital piece.

Haydn himself did not prescribe many performance markings for his sonata. In this respect, I have added a few things according to my taste and knowledge of the performance practice of Haydn's time. The metronome numbers are also mine, they only serve as a guide for the tempi.
Incidentally, I have marked the so-called double beats that occur in the sonata in the 2nd movement, the Minuetto (bars 24-44), with the sign provided for them, and in the 3rd movement, the Presto (bars 27-46), I have written them in the notes as thirty-second notes because of the accidentals that occur there.

The order of the three movements, with fast, slow and fast tempo again, is typical of the period from which the sonata originates. It is important for playing that the performance name of the first movement, "allegro", translated from Italian, means "joyful". If one were to follow the metronome number for an allegro, which is common today, I think the tempo would be too fast. Haydn's sonata dates from a time before the invention of the metronome.

I wish all players of this beautiful classical sonata much pleasure.

Klaus Rothkegel

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

ISMN 979-0-2024-3372-0