The Haydn Thread

[Thropplenoggin]

A self-serving thread, as I've only begun recently listening to Haydn, but this is a place to share any recordings that you think are particularly worthy.

I'll get the ball rolling with two albums of string quartets:

Delian::Quartet. I've only listened to the string quartets but the playing is ravishing, the sonics superb. A lovely purity to the op.33, and plenty of what I would call "breathy" moments in the adagios - haunting, soft whisperings with perfect intonation, the effect of which is like a ghost brushing its fingertips up and down the nape of your neck (via my patented new 'JLW-o-matic' purple prose machine )

String Quartet, Op. 76 No. 4 in B flat major 'Sunrise'
String Quartet, Op. 33 No. 1 in B minor
Keyboard Concerto No. 4 in G major, Hob.XVIII:4 version for piano and string quartet Andreas Frölich (piano)
Keyboard Concerto No. 6 in F major with violin and strings, Hob. XVIII:6 'Double' version for violin, piano and string quartet
Gilles Apap (violin) & Andreas Frölich (piano)

And a new one from the Endellion String Quartet. I presume this is a period-influenced approach. Just released. Again, I found the synchroncity between the players utterly compelling. A nice selection of works, too.

String Quartet, Op. 20 No. 4 in D major 'Sun'
String Quartet, Op. 64 No. 5 in D major 'The Lark'
String Quartet, Op. 76 No. 1 in G major
String Quartet, Op. 103 in D minor
Hin ist all meine Kraft: A Visiting card appended to Op. 103

[DublinJimbo]

A self-serving thread, as I've only begun listening to Haydn, but this is a place to share any recordings that you think are particularly worthy.

The complete Piano Trios with the Beaux Arts Trio — one of the glories of recorded music. A set full of delights.

[mathias broucek]

My personal favourites are:

The Beaux Arts set mentioned above
The Jochum/Dresden set of 93-95, 98 (hard to find, sadly)
Bernstein's electrifying Sony set of the Paris symphonies
Celibidache's extraordinary Munich recording of 92 (worth hearing just for the slow intro)
Colin Davis's RCO recordings of 82, 83, 88 and 93-104
Furtwangler's glorious 88

[gamba]

Op.20 & op.33, two fine sets & in which the Quatuour Mosaiques, I believe, have no equal. Winners of numerous awards & well worth hearing before spending money on other groups.

I listen to a Haydn string quartet each morning before facing the day ahead - now you're in on the secret of how I've reached my great age !!

[waldo]

Thanks for recommendations, Thropplenoggin. I am always on the lookout for Haydn string quartet recordings. I still haven't found my ideal set - too many "old school", heavy-vibrato recordings around for my liking. Never heard of the Delian before, but it sounds absolutely superb. Soft bowing and excellent acoustics. As you say, lovely "breathy" moments - something I always look out for in quartet recordings. Will have to buy at some point........

Endellion recording is far too resonant for my liking. Sounds as if it was recorded in a small chapel, or possibly even a cave.......

[Thropplenoggin]

Op.20 & op.33, two fine sets & in which the Quatuour Mosaiques, I believe, have no equal. Winners of numerous awards & well worth hearing before spending money on other groups.

I listen to a Haydn string quartet each morning before facing the day ahead - now you're in on the secret of how I've reached my great age !!

Thanks for sharing your elixir for vita longa, Gamba!

The Quatuor Mosaiqes's Haydn is infamous, even for a novice Haydn listener like me. Alas, the discs seem to go for high prices these days. I wish Naïve would re-release them, along with all of their Mozart discs. Perhaps the bargain hunter's bargain hunter, Bryn, can fossick around for a bargain s/h version for me?

[BBMmk2]

Haydn masses, by Hickox on Chandos. An absolute must Thropps. Also sir Colin Davis recording of the complete London Symphonies, for starters!

Also marc-Andre Hamelin's survey he is recording of FJH's piano sonatas.

Ah and not forgetting paul McCreesh's recording of FJH's The Creation.

[jayne lee wilson]

a self-serving thread, as i've only begun recently listening to haydn, but this is a place to share any recordings that you think are particularly worthy.

I'll get the ball rolling with two albums of string quartets:

delian::quartet. I've only listened to the string quartets but the playing is ravishing, the sonics superb. A lovely purity to the op.33, and plenty of what i would call "breathy" moments in the adagios - haunting, soft whisperings with perfect intonation, the effect of which is like a ghost brushing its fingertips up and down the nape of your neck (via my patented new 'jlw-o-matic' purple prose machine )

string quartet, op. 76 no. 4 in b flat major 'sunrise'
string quartet, op. 33 no. 1 in b minor
keyboard concerto no. 4 in g major, hob.xviii:4 version for piano and string quartet andreas frölich (piano)
keyboard concerto no. 6 in f major with violin and strings, hob. Xviii:6 'double' version for violin, piano and string quartet
gilles apap (violin) & andreas frölich (piano)

and a new one from the endellion string quartet. I presume this is a period-influenced approach. Just released. Again, i found the synchroncity between the players utterly compelling. A nice selection of works, too.

string quartet, op. 20 no. 4 in d major 'sun'
string quartet, op. 64 no. 5 in d major 'the lark'
string quartet, op. 76 no. 1 in g major
string quartet, op. 103 in d minor
hin ist all meine kraft: A visiting card appended to op. 103

content: 7/10
style: 4/10

[Bryn]

Thanks for sharing your elixir for vita longa, Gamba!

The Quatuor Mosaiqes's Haydn is infamous, even for a novice Haydn listener like me. Alas, the discs seem to go for high prices these days. I wish Naïve would re-release them, along with all of their Mozart discs. Perhaps the bargain hunter's bargain hunter, Bryn, can fossick around for a bargain s/h version for me?

Forget the QM in Op. 20. The London Haydn Quartet is the one to go for. Probably worth waiting for them to record Op. 33 too.

http://www.londonhaydnquartet.co.uk/review.mp3

The LHQ's Op. 9 and 17 sets are also very special.

[EdgeleyRob]

And don't forget Nog you can listen to all the symphonies here. http://www.for3.org/forums/showthrea...ydn-symphonies

[Thropplenoggin]

Thanks for recommendations, Thropplenoggin. I am always on the lookout for Haydn string quartet recordings. I still haven't found my ideal set - too many "old school", heavy-vibrato recordings around for my liking. Never heard of the Delian before, but it sounds absolutely superb. Soft bowing and excellent acoustics. As you say, lovely "breathy" moments - something I always look out for in quartet recordings. Will have to buy at some point........

Endellion recording is far too resonant for my liking. Sounds as if it was recorded in a small chapel, or possibly even a cave.......

Glad you've found a new recording to sink your ears into, Waldo - any recommendations of your own?

[Thropplenoggin]

All new works for me, BBM - much obliged.

Cheers, Bryn - I'll look into the LHQ.

Thanks for the link, ER - I'd missed that thread.

[jayne lee wilson]

Bruggen and Harnoncourt (ALL repeats!) for the Paris Symphonies.
Rattle's gorgeous pair of CBSO CDs (60/70/90 & 22/86/102 - get the original issues if SQ matters to you)..
The DG Original Masters box of Scherchen's 1950s Haydn recordings (London and others) will reward you for years, and has a performance of 49 in it that beggars description. And just wait till you see how long he takes over the adagio of no.88...

Thomas Fey's continuing series of Symphonies with the Heidelberger Symphoniker is brilliantly played and recorded, very fresh interpretatively.

Further off-the-beaten, don't miss The Complete Overtures with Manfred Huss/Haydn Sinfonietta Wien, stunningly clear and vivid BIS/Koch recordings.

[salymap]

My personal favourites are:

The Beaux Arts set mentioned above
The Jochum/Dresden set of 93-95, 98 (hard to find, sadly)
Bernstein's electrifying Sony set of the Paris symphonies
Celibidache's extraordinary Munich recording of 92 (worth hearing just for the slow intro)
Colin Davis's RCO recordings of 82, 83, 88 and 93-104
Furtwangler's glorious 88

The Colin Davis London Symphonies for me too.

[waldo]

Glad you've found a new recording to sink your ears into, Waldo - any recommendations of your own?

Indeed I do.......

I have always liked the early and middle symphonies - the so-called Sturm und Drang, especially. Every one is different and has its own, unique feel. Movements are usually pretty short and are full of quirky invention. Above all, they are just interesting. For some reason, I have never really got on with the "celebrated" later ones. After a certain point - say, from the mid 80s onwards - they feel vapid and lifeless. Some of them seem to be nothing more than a sequence of mundane classical procedures, utterly devoid of interest and individuality. People who say that Haydn wrote the same symphony 104 times probably had these in mind......... I know there are lots of Haydn fans who will take objection to this, but that is really how it feels to me.

But as I say, the early and middle ones are absolutely wonderful and have been a major part of my listening for years. If you are going to get some of these, the key is to get them WITHOUT continuo. Absolutely nothing worse than a tinkling harpsichord in a classical symphony. That means you have to avoid Pinnock (unbelievably, maddeningly prominent continuo) and Goodman. My favourites are AAM with Hogwood and Bruggen with the OAE. If you are bothered by authenticity, all the evidence suggests that Haydn did not wreck his own compositions with the brutal imposition of a harpsichord.

Apart from that - Opus 20 string quartets are a must; far more interesting than some of the later sets. Mosaiques are good (though the recording is a bit glassy and over-fierce in places); Hagen are better.