Contemporary thematic catalogs dating from the late 1700s include references to a number of works originally considered to be by Haydn. Among a growing number whose provenance is now widely disputed, however, are two flute concertos, both in the key of D major. One has long since vanished, and is known only from its opening theme, listed as a two-measure incipit in one of the composer's thematic catalogs. More tantalizing by far, however, is the case of its extant sibling. Long regarded as Haydn's indisputable work, and indeed still considered to be such by some scholars, this surviving D major flute concerto was written, in all probablility, by Haydn's much-maligned colleague, Leopold Hoffmann (1738-93), described by Haydn as "a braggart who believes that he alone has achieved Parnassus, and who seeks to undercut me in all matters."

Hoffmann wrote some sixty instrumental concertos for a wide range of instruments, of which no fewer than twelve were for flute. This work (its exuberance and verve are such that its real authorship matters little) is scored for solo flute with an orchestra of strings, and a pair of horns ad libitum; the line-up would also have included a continuo keyboard instrument.

The concerto has the expected three movements, following the normal fast—slow—fast outline, from which Classical composers seldom, if ever, deviated. The first movement (Allegro molto) is in a direct, forthright style, and is essentially monothematic in content. The use of dotted rhythms and triplet note-groupings is again typical of Hoffmann's favored approach, though we can readily imagine that Haydn would have taken a far more exploratory line in using the available melodic material to fullest effect. Even so, there is a marked change of mood for the central developmental episode, in which the relative minor of D, B minor, becomes the dominant tonal center. This logical choice of a text-book modulation might be fully expected, but its darker aspect allows the terse, more urgent side of the flute's natural sonority to be explored, even though the recapitulation is virtually a block-repeat of the opening segment of the movement, albeit in slightly abridged form, with a brief coda.

The second movement (Adagio) moves to the key of G major. Now, the solo line assumes a Baroque grandeur and depth, with dotted rhythmic figurations in formal groupings suggestive of early eighteenth-century French practice. The soloist now has the bulk of the thematic material to his or herself, and fortunately, since the original material was of such quality in the first place, and lent itself readily to ornamentation, the florid lines, audacious intervallic leaps, and elaborate decorations come as no surprise.

Turning to the finale, this, like the first movement of the D major flute concerto (with which it shares a number of external similarities), is given the tempo indication Allegro molto. Once again, this brilliantly high-spirited movement contains a predictably contrasted middle section in the relative minor. There is, however, one important and instantly noticeable aspect in which the last movement does differ markedly from the first. Only now, having explored already the bravura and cantilena potentials of the flute, does the solo line become more fully emancipated and daring in character, and the listener will quickly realize that its contributions are now often totally independent of the supporting material.

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