Haydn's Haus

[Jo498]

I thought it was supposed to be like a "gypsy melody" or even derived from such a folk melody. While the pace and mood are not completely wrong for a funeral march I think the movement overall is not "serious" enough for that. (For me the most "serious" music in that symphony is actually the ominous introduction that returns later in the first movement.)

[Karl Henning]

I thought it was supposed to be like a "gypsy melody" or even derived from such a folk melody. While the pace and mood are not completely wrong for a funeral march I think the movement overall is not "serious" enough for that.

Oh, you are perfectly right that the C Major interpolations are much too gay for a Marcia funebre! Nonetheless, I could see a thread loosely connecting this movement and . . . the famous instance by the younger composer 

[Jo498]

I actually think it is closer in character to (the beginning) of the andante from Schubert's great C major (although for that one the a minor movement from Beethoven's 7th was probably the closer cousin). Although none of them nor the Eroica funeral march is a variation movement in the fairly strict sense obeyed by Haydn's 103, ii.

In his #70 Haydn has a more serious (but less march-like) canonic andante in d minor and in #63 there are completely undramatic (I think the theme was a popular aria or so, in any case it is very catchy) minor-major variations as well.

[Karl Henning]

I actually think it is closer in character to (the beginning) of the andante from Schubert's great C major (although for that one the a minor movement from Beethoven's 7th was probably the closer cousin). Although none of them nor the Eroica funeral march is a variation movement in the fairly strict sense obeyed by Haydn's 103, ii.

In his #70 Haydn has a more serious (but less march-like) canonic andante in d minor and in #63 there are completely undramatic (I think the theme was a popular aria or so, in any case it is very catchy) minor-major variations as well.

Interesting thoughts, thanks.  I was not so much concerned with "close copying" as with a more fluid manner of inspiration/modeling.

[Gurn Blanston]

I've always been interested in historic, larger-than-life characters. Before now, I really didn't know that King George III may have been one of them. I had an interesting time looking into his life and times.

Sorry, King, can't do it...

Have a look,
Thanks,

[SurprisedByBeauty]

I've always been interested in historic, larger-than-life characters. Before now, I really didn't know that King George III may have been one of them. I had an interesting time looking into his life and times.

Sorry, King, can't do it...

Have a look,
Thanks,

So you're saying Salieri killed King George?!

[Gurn Blanston]

So you're saying Salieri killed King George?!

No question about it. We should team up and write a play...   

[The new erato]

Hurwitz is at it again:

The world's ugliest string quartet is at it again, scraping and hacking its way through Op. 54/55 with its trademark hideous tone, approximate intonation, insensitivity to nuance, flabby phrasing, snorting, sniffling, and "historically informed" mannerisms. Dynamics are mezzo.



Thankfully, the rest of the review is behind a paywall!

[Sergeant Rock]

Thankfully, the rest of the review is behind a paywall!

I read it...the clips he provides rather contradict his negative assertions. That's often the case when I "listen" to his reviews. Still, I do prefer the Endellion in op.54 (the Quartet he compares the London Haydn to)...it's been a longtime favorite.

Sarge

[George]

I read it...the clips he provides rather contradict his negative assertions. That's often the case when I "listen" to his reviews. Still, I do prefer the Endellion in op.54 (the Quartet he compares the London Haydn to)...it's been a longtime favorite.

Sarge

Hey Sarge,

Do you like Endellion's Beethoven QTs as well?

[Madiel]

I read it...the clips he provides rather contradict his negative assertions. That's often the case when I "listen" to his reviews. Still, I do prefer the Endellion in op.54 (the Quartet he compares the London Haydn to)...it's been a longtime favorite.

Sarge

He has a very specific and strong blindspot when it comes to a certain kind of performance. If he finds the music doesn't have the "weight" he wants, it's all over.

[Jo498]

Hurwitz expertise in works without percussion is to be called into question. While he apparently wrote a decent book on Haydn's symphonies, I don't think he is particularly competent as far as chamber music and string playing is concerned.

FWIW, the best op.54 I remember is the vinyl only Juilliard Q. There is supposedly also a great op.54 (+55?) from the Allegri Quartet? (early 60s?), also vinyl only but I never found this on any of the download sites.

The Smithsonian Quartet recorded the first two (or maybe they recorded all three but only two were issued) on old instruments in the 1980s or so and as far as I recall they still hold up fairly well. The Festetics is a little too heavy for me in some of the pieces (they do far better in op.54/2 than in the more brilliant and "light" #1)

[SurprisedByBeauty]

I read it...the clips he provides rather contradict his negative assertions. That's often the case when I "listen" to his reviews. Still, I do prefer the Endellion in op.54 (the Quartet he compares the London Haydn to)...it's been a longtime favorite.

Sarge

It's bonafide absurd. I think he was listening to the Quatuor Festetics when writing this review. If anything, the London Haydn Quartet is polished to a fault.

[Gurn Blanston]

It's bonafide absurd. I think he was listening to the Quatuor Festetics when writing this review. If anything, the London Haydn Quartet is polished to a fault.

Which was, in fact, something I did fault them for in Op 9 & 17. I think they have really found their stride since Op 20 though, and are among the better products out there, PI or not. Anyway, it's dipshits like Hurwitz that give critics a bad name. It's one thing to use rhetorical devices that are over the top in order to make a point: quite another to use them in this baseless sort of way.   

[The new erato]

FWIW, the best op.54 I remember is the vinyl only Juilliard Q.

I have that on LP!

[Sergeant Rock]

Hey Sarge,

Do you like Endellion's Beethoven QTs as well?

I have not heard them in Beethoven, George. I only have their Haydn op.54 and Mozart K.499 Hoffmeister and K.589.

Sarge

[Sergeant Rock]

FWIW, the best op.54 I remember is the vinyl only Juilliard Q.

I have that on LP!

Me too. And it is a good recording.




Sarge

[Gurn Blanston]

I have that on LP!

I have their Op 76 from the same era (on CD, fortunately) and it is also excellent. Hard to not like the Juilliard's, in whatever iteration you find them, they never suck.   0:)

[George]

I have not heard them in Beethoven, George. I only have their Haydn op.54 and Mozart K.499 Hoffmeister and K.589.

Sarge

Ok, thanks! Hope all is well with you, buddy!

[North Star]

Hey Sarge,

Do you like Endellion's Beethoven QTs as well?

I have not heard them in Beethoven, George. I only have their Haydn op.54 and Mozart K.499 Hoffmeister and K.589.

Sarge

For what it's worth, I like the Endellion's Beethoven cycle very much.