Your essential ten Haydn symphonies

[salymap]

Morning Mario, no knuckles rapped. Grateful for all your hard work.

If you don't know it, look for no 90 with two endings. [Alternative versions] on my CD with Rattle and the Berlin PO. As I said earlier, I favour buying box sets of 4 or 5 symphonies, as buying complete symphonies is rather daunting.

I haven't even got through my one big box, 40 Dvorak CDs yet.

bws saly

[MickyD]

Can I put in a mention for numbers 27 and 34, Mario? There are a couple of movements in those symphonies that I just love.

[rauschwerk]

I have just discovered all of the very fine Haydn recordings by the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra (I knew of 48/49 already). Although deleted, they can be downloaded from the Deutsche Grammophon site in FLAC or mp3. I picked Nos 77-81, partly prompted by one writer's description of No 80 as a neglected masterpiece. It certainly is! I was particularly struck by the frequent arresting syncopation in the finale. I shall certainly listen to that symphony many more times.

[salymap]

Thanks Rauschwerk, something to listen to later. I have no 80 in a five symphony box with the BBC Philharmonic and Nicholas Kraemer. I think I put it on my favourites list earlier, always like a bit of 'sturm und drang' from Haydn.

[EdgeleyRob]

Been listening to some of the pre no 90 ones recently.Can I put a word in for no 46 which is a wonderful little gem?.

[salymap]

One trap for unwary librarians, etc. In one,mercifully brief job, my boss insisted that an order for a hire set of the Haydn LONDON Symphony must be queried. I pointed out that it was no 104 and 93 to 104 collectively were just THE London Symphonies.

He wouldn't have it, we queried it, lost an order and annoyed an important customer. Well........ I told him

[EdgeleyRob]

Listened to a couple more this morning. No 52 ,which I think has been mentioned previously, is destined to make my top ten

[salymap]

I listened again last night to my CD of Kraemer and the BBC Philharmonc playing no 80 in D minor and following the CD notes by Paul Riley.

It has everything, do listen if you can.

[antongould]

I have downloaded it and am trying me best but as I have said I struggle with him as a symphonist probably started at the wrong place - Anton B! Did you hear his motet on Breakfast this morning - what a way to start the day!

[EdgeleyRob]

I listened again last night to my CD of Kraemer and the BBC Philharmonc playing no 80 in D minor and following the CD notes by Paul Riley.

It has everything, do listen if you can.

Thanks sm.Another piece that is new to me and another little gem.Picking ten ain't going to be easy!

[Tony Halstead]

sorry but I'm not 'into' Metric... I work in DOZENS so here are my 12:
5 in A
22 in Eb ( The Philosopher)
26 in D minor ( Lamentatione)
39 in G minor
44 in E minor ( 'Trauer')
46 in B minor/ major
49 ( La Passione)
52 in C minor
80 in D minor
95 in C minor
98 in B flat
103 ( Drum Roll)

[LeMartinPecheur]

sorry but I'm not 'into' Metric... I work in DOZENS so here are my 12:
5 in A
22 in Eb ( The Philosopher)
26 in D minor ( Lamentatione)
39 in G minor
44 in E minor ( 'Trauer')
46 in B minor/ major
49 ( La Passione)
52 in C minor
80 in D minor
95 in C minor
98 in B flat
103 ( Drum Roll)

What a very sad list! 67% in minor keys, where JH is surely a much more cheerful composer than this, taken in the round.

[salymap]

I am into Metric [more or less] but 67% of 12 is rather difficult at this hour of the morning. Glad no 80 is there anyway, waldhorn.

[Tony Halstead]

Quoting LeMartinPecheur 'What a very sad list! 67% in minor keys'

Sorry, I thought I knew the keys of all Haydn's symphonies, but I was wrong: 46 is in B major, so that makes the total of minor-key ones 7 out of 12, 58.4%!
In fact my original list which I then whittled down to 12 also included:
31 in D ('Hornsignal')
38 in C
47 in G
51 in Bb
102 in Bb, all major keys, so, out of 17, there were 10 major and 7 minor.
.
Being quite ruthless now, 'going metric', I can now reduce the 12 to 10 by omitting:
26, in D minor in only the 1st and 3rd of its 3 movements, the 2nd mvt being in F major) and
39 in G minor,
leaving an even distribution of 50% major, (5,22,46,98,103) and 50% minor (44,49,52,80, 95)

I'm not quite sure why none of the 'Paris' symphonies made it onto my list..

[aeolium]

A word too for no 60 (Il Distratto) which is being played in Po3 tonight - I recommend those who don't know it to listen as it is one of the oddest Haydn symphonies and has quite a few surprises along the way.