HAYDN: Symphonies, Vol. 12 (Nos. 69, 89, 91)

HAYDN: Symphonies, Vol. 11 (Nos. 53, 86, 87)

Haydn: Symphonies, Vol. 3 (Nos. 44, 88, 104)

The year 2017 was a vintage one for Giovanni Antonini: he was awarded an Echo Klassik, two Gramophone Awards and a Diapason d’Or of the Year for his recent releases. Two of these prizes distinguished ‘Il Distratto’, volume 4 of the complete recording of the Haydn symphonies on which he embarked for Alpha in 2014. For the sixth volume, released in 2018, the Milanese conductor is again joined by the Kammerorchester Basel, which shares the project with Il Giardino Armonico and which he knows very well, since he conducts it regularly and they have made many recordings together, including volume 5 of the Haydn series. This volume focuses on symphonies with a ‘sacred’ inspiration: the Symphony no.26, ‘Lamentatione’, was composed in 1768 for Holy Week, and no.30 was nicknamed ‘Alleluja’ after the plainchant melody Haydn uses in it. Symphony no.41 was written in 1769.

"An entirely winning triptych of named Haydn symphonies, spanning a highly creative period...Alert and vivacious playing from all concerned; admirable pacing and first-class sound ensure a welcome for a disc that would be just as recommendable it it cost far more."

-- Penguin Guide [2003/4 Edition]

Symphony No. 26 in D minor seems to have been written in 1768 or thereabouts and is scored for the usual Esterh�za forces of pairs of oboes and French horns, bassoon, strings and cembalo. Haydn completed his Symphony No. 35 in B flat major on 1st December 1767, scoring the work for pairs of oboes and high B flat horns, bassoon, strings and cembalo. What starts light-heartedly enough assumes a graver air in the central development, where contrapuntal use of earlier thematic material introduces an element of stronger feeling, with the recapitulation marked by the ascent of the first horn to unusual heights. The E flat major slow movement is scored for strings only with music of considerable charm. The wind instruments return for the Minuet, but are excluded from the E flat Trio, with it's triplet rhythm handed from second to first violin. The symphony ends with a cheerful Finale and the tone of the whole work has led Robbins Landon to suggest that it might have been written to celebrate the return from Paris of Prince Esterh�zy, who had visited France in the autumn of 1767 with the presumed object of learning more about the Palace of Versailles that his own new palace at Esterh�za was to imitate and rival. Symphony No.49, La Passione, was written in 1768 and is scored for pairs of oboes, French horns in F, bassoon, strings and originally cembalo. This work, in the key of F minor, belongs clearly to the dramatic mood of Sturm und Drang, although not so called until the publication in 1777 of Klinger's play of that name. Sturm und Drang (Storm and Stress), a self-explanatory title, describes well enough the current literary mode of extravagant expression of emotions, partly reflected in some of the music of the period. Haydn's symphony follows the old pattern of the church sonata, opening with a slow movement. A degree of tension is generated in the following Allegro di molto, not least by the wide leaps and syncopation of the first violin in the opening of the movement, leading to a calmer shift to the relative major key. The Minuet, in which first and second violins double one another for much of the time, frames an F major Trio that makes use of the high range of the first horn. The final monothematic Presto brings to an end a symphony that enjoyed very considerable popularity in Haydn's life-time, the culmination of a particular development of the symphony and the expression of a depth of feeling that ensured serious consideration for the genre. A symphony of this kind was no mere diversion. Northern Chamber Orchestra, Manchester Formed in 1967, the orchestra has established itself as one of England's finest chamber ensembles. Though often augmented to meet the requirements of the concert program, the orchestra normally contains 24 musicians and performs both in concert and on disc without a conductor. Their repertoire ranges from the baroque era to music of our time, and they have gained a reputation for imaginative program planning.

This is a hybrid Super Audio CD playable on both regular and Super Audio CD players.

HAYDN Symphony No. 88 in G. L’isola disabitata: Overture. Symphony No. 101 in D, “The Clock” • Adam Fischer, cond; Austro-Hungarian Haydn O • MDG 9011441 (Hybrid multichannel SACD: 55:18)


Fischer and the Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra recorded 107 Haydn Symphonies—including A, B, and the Sinfonia Concertante—from1987 to 2001. They began with the “Clock” and the “Drumroll.” That Nimbus disc was dreadful: the orchestra had little feel for Haydn, and the recording site, the Haydnsaal of the Esterhazy palace in Eisenstadt, where some of the works had been premiered, was so reverberant as to confound the engineers. Conductor, orchestra, and engineering got better with experience. When I wrote a Classical Hall of Fame review of the complete set (a 33-CD box from Brilliant Classics) I sampled many of the recordings in the order they were recorded. Improvements can be heard year by year; the final group—mostly symphonies numbered in the 30s—is breathtaking, played on modern instruments but with period sensitivities. Now Fischer and his Haydn orchestra are starting all over again, in the same hall, on SACD for MDG.


All the lessons have been learned. These are beautiful readings. Strings, winds, and brass blend perfectly, which may be the essential factor in any performance of the G-Major Symphony. I count 45 players in the team picture (taken in the gorgeous Haydnsaal), which means about 33 strings; they are modern instruments played lightly, so one is seldom aware of metal strings. Perhaps that’s why Fischer employs so many; they sound more like 20 than 33. The introduction is no Adagio, running about one third faster than six other performances I checked. I like Fischer’s rapid Allegro; fortunately, he gives us both repeats in this glorious movement. The Largo is also quick, but it has no feeling of impatience, as does Szell at a similar tempo. A soulful solo oboe helps the movement maintain its gravitas; trumpet and hard-stick drum outbursts are crisp and potent. The Menuet is highly pointed, at a relaxed tempo, a few Luftpausen emphasize its rural nature. No repeats are taken in da capo returns. The finale begins at a measured pace but soon steps up to its Allego con spirito ; like every other conductor, Fischer races through the coda. The CD layer sounds fine, but SACD cleans it up, reaching that marvelous stage where one can hear every part while sacrificing none of the blend. I’m not sure how MDG’s “2+2+2” recording translates into my five-channel system; it adds a fullness that blurs some of the details. Two-channel SACD is perfect for these performances. This is now my preferred recording of the G-Major Symphony.


The same virtues are offered in the D-Major Symphony. After another too-quick Adagio introduction, Fischer’s lively Presto is just right. Flute/violin balances are ideal, and the rambunctious trumpets-and-drum outbursts are delicious. The Andante, a movement for which the tempo should be obvious, is too fast. Have conductors forgotten the tempo of a ticking clock in this age of digital timepieces? The Menuet is crisp rather than swinging; Haydn’s wrong-notes joke in the Trio doesn’t come off, perhaps because the trumpets are so prominent; their hard attacks make us less sensitive to their pitch. The Vivace final is very neat, and the solo oboe shows he can chirp as sweetly as he sings.


The Overture to L’isola disabitata is a welcome bonus. Although composed in 1779, its music maintains a Sturm und Drang character throughout its slow-fast-slow-fast structure—perhaps because it was the one serious opera among Haydn’s many comedies. This performance has more charm and vigor than Dorati’s cold, harsh reading in his complete recording of the opera.


An earlier (first?) installment of this series—the “Oxford” and the “Surprise”—was reviewed by James Reel in Fanfare 29:1; he didn’t like that disc quite as much as I do this one, but he also felt that two-channel SACD is the best way to hear it.


FANFARE: James H. North

Classical Music

This is one of the finest recordings yet in Naxos' ongoing Haydn symphony series, and if you haven't heard these comparatively rare works, now's your chance, for they are marvelously played and recorded by Béla Drahos and the Nicolaus Esterházy Sinfonia. The performances combine the necessary liveliness with an ideal transparency of texture: woodwind and brass make their points with unobtrusive clarity, yet the strings never sound thin or emaciated, a critical factor in the success of the slow movements (of Symphony No. 68 especially, which has the longest one that Haydn ever wrote). These symphonies are little gems. Each offers a liberal sprinkling of those flashes of genius that make Haydn's works stand out from the rest of the classical crowd. In Symphony No. 66, it's the witty finale with its 10-bar main theme, broken down into two five-bar phrases: the tune always sounds too long and never goes where you feel it should. Symphony No. 67 has many more surprises in store, from the delicious "col legno" (with the wood of the bow) ending of the slow movement, to the two solo violins in the trio of the Menuetto, to the haunting slow movement for string trio that pops up in the middle of the finale. Finally, as mentioned, No. 68 has Haydn's longest slow movement followed by one of his most appealing Rondos, a real "concerto for orchestra" in which each episode features different members of the orchestra's wind section. Don't miss this one. [4/12/2000] --David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com

HAYDN: Symphonies, Vol. 4 (Nos. 45, 48, 102)

The three works presented on this installment (Vol. 23) in Naxos' ongoing series of Haydn symphonies (using three different orchestras) usually appear only when somebody does a complete cycle. This is not surprising with so many great works in his symphonic output. Still, symphony No. 31 is very entertaining. The opening horn call which gave the work its 'Hornsignal" nickname quickly gives way to a beautiful movement featuring solo lines from the violin, cello and double bass, just like an old fashioned concerto grosso. The music is much more interesting than the other two works, and the excellent soloists play very tastefully. Some listeners may have slight objections to the Eastern European sounding winds and horns (all four of whom get plenty of action), but they actually lend a rustic quality, which is quite appropriate. Symphonies 27 & 28 are less remarkable by Hadyn's high standards, but both feature his usual high-spirited Allegros and Presto finales. The Nicolaus Esterházy Orchestra plays cleanly and brightly, if occasionally a bit stiffly. For example, the Menuet of No. 28 is a bit heavy-footed, and the following Trio could have used a slightly brisker tempo for contrast. These and a couple of other spots are just a bit too homogenous. Naxos' recorded sound is very good, and the balance is fine throughout, making this disc a nice way to get acquainted with some little known music.

--David Preiser, ClassicsToday.com

Classical Music

Haydn's Farewell Symphony was written in 1772, occasioned by the prolonged stay of Prince Nikolaus Esterh�zy at his Hungarian palace. Some of the musicians had been compelled to leave their wives behind in Eisenstadt when the Prince took up his summer residence. The Symphony, in the final Adagio of which the musicians leave one by one, was intended as a delicate hint that the time had come to return to Eisenstadt, although some contemporary sources suggest that the subject of complaint was the possible reduction of the musical establishment. The Symphony, in the key of F sharp minor, is scored for the usual Esterh�za forces of pairs of oboes and horns, bassoon and strings. The first movement opens with the principal theme, descending arpeggios played by the first violins against sustained wind chords and the urgent syncopation of the second violins. Sonata form is treated with considerable freedom, the second subject making it's D major appearance in the development and the following recapitulation inviting an unusual further development of the principal theme. The A major second movement allows muted violins to announce the main theme, the wind having very little to add during the course of the movement. An F sharp major Minuet follows, with a Trio that allows the French horns momentary prominence. This leads to a finale that modulates to introduce the unexpected slow conclusion, in which player after player leaves the platform, until only two muted violins are left. Symphony No.101 belongs to the group of six symphonies written for Haydn's second visit to London in 1794. It was played there at a concert on 3rd March, followed by operatic songs, a performance by Viotti of a violin concerto and by Fiorillo of a Chaconne. Again, as with most of the London symphonies, there is a slow introduction, this time in D minor, an eerie preface to a bright D major movement from which the symphony derives it's nickname, The Clock, it's source the accompanying figure with which the movement opens. The Minuet returns from G major to the key of D major, it's Trio providing a lop-sided clock accompaniment to the initial flute melody. The symphony ends with a finale in which the second subject is a clear variant of the first. There is a D minor section, replaced by the major key to bring the work to a dramatic conclusion.

Even at this early stage in his career (he was in his late 20s to early 30s, don't forget), Haydn's music was about 10 times more inventive than any of the competition. All four of these symphonies have many delightful moments, from the syncopated rhythms in the finale of No. 14, to the lovely and affecting use of counterpoint that opens No. 16 (a personal favorite), to the gorgeous slow introduction of No. 15 for horns with pizzicato strings. Kevin Mallon and the Toronto Camerata clearly understand and enjoy the idiom, offering stylish and elegant renditions that make this one of the best releases in Naxos' enterprising but variable complete symphony edition. The horn players are excellent, textures are transparent, and Mallon knows how to judge tempos to provide maximum contrast (especially in the minuets) and vitality. The continuo is well balanced and discretely played, as it should be, so as not to create artificial rhythms that fight against Haydn's energetic bass lines. In short, these are first-rate modern-instrument versions of works that you should waste no time in getting to know. Very good sound too. [5/16/2006]--David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com

Classical Music