Derek Solomons/Haydn

[AuntDaisy]

Thanks AuntD, but I'm going to need help from 11 year old niece for anything so complicated! She's coming on the weekend, I'll get her to look at it.

Good luck.
It's not as complicated as I've made it sound

[Roger Webb]

I have a photo of the baryton owned by Prince E that I took at Eisenstadt, but can't upload it on thread unfortunately....other members seem to be able to put photos on....I might try sending it on a personal message to you.

Edit. No that won't work either!

But this might! Thanks AuntD.

[MickyD]

Very nice, thanks, Roger (and Aunt Daisy)...

[MickyD]

Just wondering how other members are progressing with these - I'm going slowly but surely, savouring each disc. I'm pretty much at the half way mark. The opening of 45 seems to me, once again, to be taken at an ideal pace.

[oliver sudden]

I am alas going so slowly that I haven’t got as far as getting the shrink wrap off…

[MickyD]

Oh Oliver, force yourself, you have no idea what delights await you!

[oliver sudden]

I have a bit of an idea since there was some YouTube sampling before I took the plunge!

Not at home at the moment but maybe I’ll hop onto YouTube and do a bit more sampling.

[MickyD]

Well, let us know your impressions once you've had a listen !

[oliver sudden]

Well, let us know your impressions once you've had a listen !

I can only offer a general impression since the partner and our twins are back home, meaning listening has to be squeezed into such moments as now (partner is doing the lads’ evening shift and I am doing random kitchen tasks before joining them in the land of Nod). I should add that I am relatively unfamiliar with the Morzin period symphonies in general and that that is where I have commenced my listening, so any thoughts are as much about the pieces as about the performances. (I had intended to work my way through the Decca Hogwood+Bruggen+Dantone set as a pandemic project but took on the Warner Barbirolli box first and then the twins came along. So that cask has yet to be broached.)

This is very much my cup of tea in nearly every respect. I make no bones about the fact that Haydn is my favourite symphonist bar none and hearing him find his voice is utterly enthralling. The performances are extremely good without ever being slick. You have wonderful period instrument players who are also still exploring, and the odd rough edge makes the things that are absolutely nailed all the more jaw-dropping. (Anthony Halstead is every bit the stand-out you would expect.) As always with Haydn, the balance of predictability and surprise is perfect.

Only quibble: the recorded sound is a bit uneven. Not a big surprise given the multi-label origin of the project. And not a big obstacle either.

[MickyD]

Very good to get your views, Oliver. Alas, time is against most of us for listening to big projects such as this as much as we would like! I'm glad you are so positive about the Solomons set. I hadn't heard these performances since the days of their LP incarnation - I was very content with the Hogwood cycle when it came along but I often felt there was just a little something missing in his rather polite and polished performances. Hearing Solomons again makes me realise what that missing thing was - in the main, the works sound so much more daring and he, to my ears, gets the speeds exactly right, notably in the Sturm und Drang works. Hogwood's 39 and 44 for example, don't seem to have that nervous tension that Solomons does so well. His speeds are faster than Hogwood, too, which suits me just fine. It's remarkable to think that such results were achieved in the early 80s when period bands were still finding their feet.

[smittims]

I find both Hogwood and Solomons excellent,the only difference for me being the size of the orchestra. I'm content with either. Certainly they put into the shade earlier efforts. Dorati, for instance, a wonderful achievement in its day, now seems dated, with some exceptions: the 'Paris' set comes off well. And for me there's always Beecham , whose way with Haydn remains 'indispensible' (to coin a phrase).

[Dave2002]

I nearly missed this thread. Shouldn't have looked - now I have the set on order!

Looking forward to this set.

[oliver sudden]

I find both Hogwood and Solomons excellent,the only difference for me being the size of the orchestra. I'm content with either. Certainly they put into the shade earlier efforts. Dorati, for instance, a wonderful achievement in its day, now seems dated, with some exceptions: the 'Paris' set comes off well. And for me there's always Beecham , whose way with Haydn remains 'indispensible' (to coin a phrase).

Decades ago when I was first getting to know the Haydns, the Doráti set was for many of them the only realistic port of call. The minuets always seemed impossibly slow to me even as a teenager with no idea about performance practice. I’m glad things have improved there.

I haven’t explored Beecham in Haydn. Must fix that. But I fear that like Jochum and many others he will only have done symphonies from the eighties on… (or almost only, some do a token Farewell!)

[smittims]

Sir Thomas surprisingly made an outstanding recording of no.40 which I've loved for years, but yes, apart from that it was only the last twelve that interested him, though his HMV set was I think the first.

[MickyD]

I nearly missed this thread. Shouldn't have looked - now I have the set on order!

Looking forward to this set.

Well done, you won't regret it!