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Donald Macleod explores Haydn's final, incomplete string quartet, and introduces the story of the composer's final months, with a last excerpt from his unique "Seven Last Words".

Haydn's "Seven Last Words of Our Saviour on the Cross" is one of the most remarkable and original musical works of the entire 18th century. Conceived as an instrumental oratorio for Cadiz in Spain, it vividly depicts the suffering of Christ in sound alone – a truly radical idea for the time. This week, Donald Macleod explores this little-known and beautiful work, as well as Haydn's own "last words" – his last compositions in a variety of genres: last opera, last symphony, last piano sonata, and many more, covering the period from 1786 to his death in 1809.

In this week's final episode, Donald Macleod explores Haydn's last fully active year of composition, 1803, including a performance of his final, incomplete string quartet and extracts from his last mass, the "Harmoniemesse". The week ends with the story of Haydn's own last days set against a final extract from his extraordinary instrumental oratorio for Cadiz, the Seven Last Words of Our Saviour on the Cross.

Antwort auf die Frage eines Mädchens
Mark Padmore (tenor)
Kristian Bezuidenhout (fortepiano)

Kyrie (Harmoniemesse)
Joanne Lunn (soprano), Sara Mingardo (alto), Topi Lehtipuu (tenor), Brindley Sherratt (bass)
Monteverdi Choir
English Baroque Soloists / John Eliot Gardiner

Santus; Benedictus; Agnus Dei (Harmoniemesse)
Joanne Lunn (soprano), Sara Mingardo (alto), Topi Lehtipuu (tenor), Brindley Sherratt (bass)
Monteverdi Choir
English Baroque Soloists / John Eliot Gardiner

Haydn
String Quartet in D Minor, Op.103
The Lindsays

Haydn
Sonata 7: Father, into Your Hands I Commend My Spirit; Earthquake (The Seven Last Words of Our Saviour on the Cross)
Performer: Le Concert des Nations / Jordi Savall