This recording presents two of "Papa" Haydn's greatest essays in the symphonic form: Symphony No. 90 in C Major and Symphony No. 92 in G Major, known as the "Oxford" Symphony. Both symphonies were part of a three-symphony commission by Comte d'Ogny for the Concerts de la Loge Olympique, where Haydn previously had tremendous success with the performances of his six "Paris" Symphonies. In 2011 Thomas Fey was nominated for a Grammy for his world premiere recordings of the music of Antonio Salieri. Every release from Thomas Fey and his ensemble is presented as Haydn should sound today, performed on both modern string instruments and replicas of authentic period woodwind, brass and percussion instruments.

... a merry chase: Hen Hunts Queen! - If you are captivated by this gimmick, you need not regret your weakness: because what the Polish Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Wojciech Rajski, on a TACET recording, has to offer, is sparkling, finely-tuned Haydn. (NWZ)

Classical Music

Recordings of arias by Haydn are scarce compared to, say, those by Mozart, and so this release is almost self-recommending; luckily, it's also very good. The arias are wonderfully scored, with mostly prominent winds, and throughout this CD Alessandro de Marchi leads the NDR Radio Philharmonie in large-scaled but brisk and animated performances. And Slovakian soprano Simona Saturova, a name new to me, is another in the increasing breed of agile, expressive sopranos with more heft to their voices than the canaries of yore.

She begins with Genio's aria from Orfeo ed Euridice, a showpiece of such stunning garishness that it's a tough act to follow; Sutherland appropriated it when she sang the role in the 1950s and it's easy to see why. Endless roulades and plenty of very high notes, all well-placed, combined with fine diction, particularly in the warmer, slower, brief middle section of the aria, make this opener one to recall. Euridice's first aria opens sweetly and gently--an expression of grief--and Saturova exhibits a fine ability to sing softly. She soon unleashes runs and divisions that challenge the singer; if truth be told the one or two low notes are just glanced at. Euridice's death aria is handsomely phrased, the long lines musically sculpted and the life-extinguishing breaths very effective.

With Armida's Act 1 recit we hear the uncertainty of the character at first; the aria bursts forth with more certainty, with more pressure on the voice and more conviction, and the finale is another fiorature-filled show-stopper, although top tones can turn hard--this becomes unappealing after a while and is the case in many of the arias.

The most frequently recorded of all Haydn's arias for soprano, Metastasio's emotional roller-coaster Scena di Berenice, is a fine centerpiece. The nervous opening gives way to greater conviction and agitation, which in turn grows into a slow, lovely cavatina (with harpsichord and winds prominent), and Saturova captures each change handsomely. Of course it ends in mania, and again she is up to the challenge.

And so the CD goes. Flaminia's aria from Il mondo della luna features great bassoon and horn obbligatos. The archangel's aria from Il Ritorno di Tobia is more generic but nice and showy, and both arias from Orlando paladino are marvelous (the first is lovely and slow until the final 90 seconds).

I don't recommend listening to this CD all at once or at high volume--Saturova's voice is not quite mellow enough to focus on at full throttle for so long. There are too many notes and the tessitura of the arias is too high for an hour's worth of sitting still. But don't be dissuaded; this is a marvelous collection, valuable for both repertoire and performances.

--Robert Levine, ClassicsToday.com

If you thought Mozart's Salzburg serenades were big works, then check out this extravaganza in nine movements, lasting just about an hour. Composed in 1764 and scored for everything but the kitchen sink, the work includes an opening march, two minuets, and major concerto movements for solo clarinet and solo trombone (yes, I did say trombone). Both are often performed separately. Michael Haydn's proto-classical style is, as you might expect, graceful, tuneful, and easy on the ear, and if you are familiar with any of the other releases from Klöcker and his Prague forces, then you know that you can expect lively, elegant music-making (and some terrific clarinet playing). This piece is entirely light and unassuming--entertaining when you want to pay attention, yet unobtrusive if you don't. Even the two marches aren't very militant or rhythmically sharp-edged, but if you're looking for a very pleasant hour of dinner-time music, beautifully recorded, Michael Haydn certainly gets the job done.

--David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Austrian classical composer Joseph Haydn was instrumental in his contributions to musical form. He earned the epithets "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet," but also contributed many works to the genre of the Mass. On this release, eight of his masses have been gathered. Some of these works he wrote for the Esterhazy family, for whom he served as Kapellmeister and court composer. This release begins with the Missa Cellensis in honorem Beatissimae Virginis Mariae, which was written in 1766 after Haydn was promoted to Kapellmeister at Esterhaza. The mass is dedicated to the pilgrimage cult of Mariazell, Styria. Rounding out the release is one of Haydn's most popular masses, his Missa in tempore belli, or Mass in time of war. The work is also known as the Kettle Bell mass for it's dramatic use of timpani. He composed the work in August 1796 when Austria was mobilizing into war. Reflecting the troubled mood of this time, Haydn integrated references to battle in the Benedictus and Agnus Dei movements. Artists on this work include the Gachinger Kantorei Stuttgart, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart, Oregon Bach Festival Orchestra, and more.

Classical Music

Classical Music

"The Naxos recordings by the Kodaly Quartet are outstanding in every way and would be highly recommendable even without their considerable price advantage. The digital recording has vivid presence and just the right amount of ambience: the effect is entirely natural."

-- Penguin Guide [2003/4 Edition]

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music