Despedida De Haydn by Haydn arr. Stephen Primatic

Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No. 45 “Farewell” is mostly known for its final movement, during which each musician gradually departs the stage leaving only two players at its conclusion. It was Haydn’s attempt to communicate to his patron, Prince Nikolaus Esterházy, that the court musicians were eager to leave the summer palace and return to their families.

Stephen Primatic’s energetic and ingenious Latin arrangement reimagines Haydn’s original into a combination of songo, funk, and Americanized “Latin” grooves. The piece features a wide array of mallet instruments but also features a bass guitar and drumset from the rhythm section. The drumset part is written out but the player should feel free to interpret the part as long as the underlying emphases are maintained. Additional percussion may be improvised as desired using either the bass part or the drumset part as a guide.