BaL 3.12.16 - Haydn: Symphony no. 99 in E flat

[MickyD]

I thought that that was based on a Hungarian folk melody? (I "remember" seeing an Open University programme in which Christorpher Hogwood led a performance of the chamber version where - I'm sure - the claim was made. They played the original melody, which was in six-bar phrases, rather than Haydn's four-bar phrasing adaptation (in the original, Haydn's bars 3-4 are repeated with the last note altered.)

I think I have that programme on an old VHS tape, I must look it out. But I do remember someone once saying the tune went with 'Hot Cross Buns, Hot Cross Buns' etc. Probably a rather fanciful idea, but a nice one nonetheless!

[MickyD]

I think I have their 'Paris' set (I have guests occupying my house for the Thanksgiving Holiday and my CDs are in a guest bedroom so am unable to verify). All my Haydn listening of late is from the Decca box featuring Hogwood and Bruggen

The difference is that Kuijken recorded the Paris symphonies with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Richard. And those are very good indeed.

[reinerfan]

It's a pity that the venerable Wöldike recording of the last 6 "London" Symphonies is no longer available. Despite many, many other versions, it remains one of my favourites.

[BBMmk2]

Chamber Orchestra of Europe conducted by Claudio Abbado, Alpie?

[HighlandDougie]

Chamber Orchestra of Europe conducted by Claudio Abbado, Alpie?

Apologies, BBM, for being a nit-picking pedant but Abbado didn't actually record No 99 - or, if he did, DG have never got round to releasing it.

[HighlandDougie]

The boxset linked to above - https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1 is indeed the 24-bit JVC K2 remaster and the sound is wonderful, near-perfect alignment of tonal neutrality, detail, presence and a three-dimensional acoustic. Just a shame then (having bought it from the ever-reliable samurai media) that I found Kuijken's Haydn rather straight laced and pofaced....

Wholly agree about the recording but I beg to differ on the performances - or maybe it's the Presbyterian Scot in me that finds Jayne's straight-laced and po-faced to be wholly acceptable. I love this set so much that I have to confess to owning a copy in France and a copy in Scotland. If I'm feeling in the need for a bit of cheering up, they never fail to do the trick.

[BBMmk2]

Apologies, BBM, for being a nit-picking pedant but Abbado didn't actually record No 99 - or, if he did, DG have never got round to releasing it.

Just saw that, saw that HD! Many thanks. That's strange.

[MickyD]

Wholly agree about the recording but I beg to differ on the performances - or maybe it's the Presbyterian Scot in me that finds Jayne's straight-laced and po-faced to be wholly acceptable. I love this set so much that I have to confess to owning a copy in France and a copy in Scotland. If I'm feeling in the need for a bit of cheering up, they never fail to do the trick.

[Petrushka]

The 99th is one of only two Haydn symphonies that Haitink has recorded - and they were both set down right at the beginning of his career. It's a sad and curious omission as he has performed several of them often in concert. As it was, Colin Davis recorded the 'London' symphonies with the Concertgebouw and his set is almost always my first port of call for 93 -104.

Of others, Szell is unexpectedly charming and elegant in Haydn as is, also unexpectedly perhaps, Bernstein.

I daresay a HIPP recording will be chosen as almost seems inevitable in this sort of repertoire so I'll stay happy with those I have.

[jayne lee wilson]

Wholly agree about the recording but I beg to differ on the performances - or maybe it's the Presbyterian Scot in me that finds Jayne's straight-laced and po-faced to be wholly acceptable. I love this set so much that I have to confess to owning a copy in France and a copy in Scotland. If I'm feeling in the need for a bit of cheering up, they never fail to do the trick.

After this advocacy I may try again, but I was bitten by the Bruggen bug early on, and no-one quite matches him, for me in this repertoire (nods to Harnoncourt, Fey, Antonini, Dantone...), despite those cavernous Dutch acoustics on the Philips Duos - which in any case tend to sound better, the better the system is. Trying them now I rather warmed to the spaciousness. (Can anyone tell me if these recordings have been remastered in the recent Haydn 107 box?).

But then came...

The marvellous SWR/Norrington set, which has such tonal beauty and precision in the sound, joy and sheer élan in the partnership (you can hear the affection between conductor and band, bar-by-bar) that it's hard for me to imagine better. Just a shade rich in sonority compared to Bruggen's O18C but never overbearing.

(Sorry, I'd go into greater detail but inter-health-alia I'm afflicted with severe headaches which rapidly worsen looking at this screen - I have to write anything beyond a line or two in Pages, bit by bit, then paste them here later.... )

[pastoralguy]

Great to hear from you again, Jayne. Sorry to hear about your health issues.

[EdgeleyRob]

After this advocacy I may try again, but I was bitten by the Bruggen bug early on, and no-one quite matches him, for me in this repertoire (nods to Harnoncourt, Fey, Antonini, Dantone...), despite those cavernous Dutch acoustics on the Philips Duos - which in any case tend to sound better, the better the system is. Trying them now I rather warmed to the spaciousness. (Can anyone tell me if these recordings have been remastered in the recent Haydn 107 box?).

But then came...

The marvellous SWR/Norrington set, which has such tonal beauty and precision in the sound, joy and sheer élan in the partnership (you can hear the affection between conductor and band, bar-by-bar) that it's hard for me to imagine better. Just a shade rich in sonority compared to Bruggen's O18C but never overbearing.

(Sorry, I'd go into greater detail but inter-health-alia I'm afflicted with severe headaches which rapidly worsen looking at this screen - I have to write anything beyond a line or two in Pages, bit by bit, then paste them here later.... )

Take care Jayne,great to hear from you

[BBMmk2]

Take care Jayne,great to hear from you

Concur. Take care. Look after yourself Jayne. We come second or third even, your health is more important.

[Daniel]

I was bitten by the Bruggen bug early on, and no-one quite matches him, for me in this repertoire
...

The marvellous SWR/Norrington set

Coincidentally, I was listening to No.104 yesterday from these two sets, both overflowing with joyful music making. Norrington seemed very fast in the last movement after listening to Bruggen, but perhaps Bruggen would have seemed rather slow if I'd done it the other way round. Anyway, more exploring to do, at the end of which I hope to end up with one or the other of them, adorning my shelves.

Very sorry to hear of your ailments, how these things interfere with life.

[HighlandDougie]

After this advocacy I may try again, but I was bitten by the Bruggen bug early on, and no-one quite matches him, for me in this repertoire (nods to Harnoncourt, Fey, Antonini, Dantone...), despite those cavernous Dutch acoustics on the Philips Duos - which in any case tend to sound better, the better the system is. Trying them now I rather warmed to the spaciousness. (Can anyone tell me if these recordings have been remastered in the recent Haydn 107 box?).

But then came...

The marvellous SWR/Norrington set, which has such tonal beauty and precision in the sound, joy and sheer élan in the partnership (you can hear the affection between conductor and band, bar-by-bar) that it's hard for me to imagine better. Just a shade rich in sonority compared to Bruggen's O18C but never overbearing.

(Sorry, I'd go into greater detail but inter-health-alia I'm afflicted with severe headaches which rapidly worsen looking at this screen - I have to write anything beyond a line or two in Pages, bit by bit, then paste them here later.... )

Jayne

Very sorry indeed to read of your affliction and hoping that it gets at least sufficiently better for you to feel able to brighten our respective days with your inimitable posts.