Your favourite Haydn's "London" Symphonies

[amw]

The "Oxford" Symphony is technically not a London Symphony but I included it anyway for the sake of arbitrariness and because it was performed at one of the Salomon concerts. (And because it would be my #4 choice)

102, 101 and 94 for me (in roughly that order).

[TheGSMoeller]

98, 96 & Military.

[The new erato]

Philosophical question: If no 97 is called "Untitled", is it really untitled?

[amw]

Philosophical question: If no 97 is called "Untitled", is it really untitled?

In fact, it is significantly more untitled than a symphony that merely has no title. I mean, this one actually SAYS it's untitled right on the cover. Geez.

(I can actually think of a couple of pieces called "Untitled"—Wolfgang Rihm's string quartet Ohne Titel, and Schumann's ⁂ (which means approximately [title redacted]) from the Album für die Jugend.)

[Sergeant Rock]

The Cat, The Minor, The Fart, also known as 99, 95, 93.

Sarge

[The new erato]

We should have one called "The minor Cat Fart"

[TheGSMoeller]

Philosophical question: If no 97 is called "Untitled", is it really untitled?

Are "Unfinished" works ever going to be finished?

[EigenUser]

Are "Unfinished" works ever going to be finished?

I know, right? When I was little and first heard Schubert's "Unfinished", I was expecting it literally end abruptly.

As for the Haydn, I've only heard "The Clock". I was looking into exploring Haydn because I have liked what (little) I heard, but then I got distracted/frustrated by the whole little band versus big band thing and gave up temporarily.

[DavidW]

92, 103 and 104.

[Ken B]

I know, right? When I was little and first heard Schubert's "Unfinished", I was expecting it literally end abruptly.

As for the Haydn, I've only heard "The Clock". I was looking into exploring Haydn because I have liked what (little) I heard, but then I got distracted/frustrated by the whole little band versus big band thing and gave up temporarily.

Haydn is better in little HIP band.
I vote 92, 104. 100. Like 'em all, but those are the most memorable for me, partly just due to which recordings I had when I was 20.

[Ken B]

97 is actualyy titled Jeux. I predict it will finish well back. Again.

[EigenUser]

97 is actualyy titled Jeux. I predict it will finish well back. Again.

Odd that an Austrian composer would give a British piece a French name...

[Ken B]

Odd that an Austrian composer would give a British piece a French name...

'mediocre' is cognate in German, French, and English.

[Gurn Blanston]

Odd that an Austrian composer would give a British piece a French name...

Haydn didn't name hardly any of his symphonies. It was a fad started in later times, usually by the Brits, sometimes by the Germans. That said, I have never ever heard the name Jeux applied to any Haydn symphony. Curious where ken picked that up. 

[Sergeant Rock]

Haydn is better in little HIP band.

Not the Londons, though. They were composed for a sizeable orchestra and sound superb performed by a big band. My favorite versions are by Szell/Cleveland and Norrington/Stuttgart.

Sarge

[EigenUser]

Haydn didn't name hardly any of his symphonies. It was a fad started in later times, usually by the Brits, sometimes by the Germans. That said, I have never ever heard the name Jeux applied to any Haydn symphony. Curious where ken picked that up. 

Oh, he's just picking on me as usual .

Not the Londons, though. They were composed for a sizeable orchestra and sound superb performed by a big band. My favorite versions are by Szell/Cleveland and Norrington/Stuttgart.

Sarge

I'll have to give all of these a listen then. Thanks!

[Ken B]

Oh, he's just picking on me as usual .

I'll have to give all of these a listen then. Thanks!

You absolutely must.

Sarge, you can have big HIP groups, no?
The Paris were done with a pretty big orchestra I think.

The only non HIP Londons I have are HvK. Not his best  . On vinyl I had a grab bag, but some Szell and some Davis, both excellent.
Oops, I have Fischer's complete cycle too.

[NJ Joe]

96, 101, 104.

[Sergeant Rock]

Sarge, you can have big HIP groups, no?

Oh sure. I was responding to your "little" qualifier, not the HIP.

Sarge

[Ken B]

Incidentally, so smitten am I with Hoggy Haydn, and various HIP accounts of the Paris, that I don't think a single London would make my top 20 Haydn symphonies anymore.