Topic: Haydn's Haus

[Mandryka]

Another one which caught my attention in 64/1 were Auryn. Probably not for me but nevertheless nuanced and fresh, though I don’t believe it sustains my interest - even across a single movement -  as well as London Haydn.


Buchberger also, but by this time I was hardly paying serious attention.

[Jo498]

I'd have to re-listen to the Caspar da Salo but they are rather slow in the first two movements of this piece but in a relaxed, "genial" way I find appealing for this quartet and they are, IRRC bouncy and funny in the Scherzando (and skip most repeats there, so that it lasts only about 4 min.)
It's an unassuming but interesting quartet. The first movement has basically a second development section in the recap/coda with comparably remote (A flat, I think) modulations and a little fugato.
I once looked at the tempi of different recordings and it seemed possible to take quarter(1)=quarter(2)=eighth note(3) ~140 bpm for the first three movements although this might exaggerate the lack of contrast. According to my notes the Caspar da Salo play ca. 130, 144, 152, i.e. they get faster in each movement whereas Festetics have ca. 144, 132, 132. (I didn't have the Mosaiques back then.)

[Mandryka]

I have just discovered op 64/3. This is interesting music.

[Jo498]

#3 might be my favorite of op.64, especially the hilarious 1st movement.

[Mandryka]

#3 might be my favorite of op.64, especially the hilarious 1st movement.

Indeed. I've heard this style before in Haydn.

[Mandryka]

And London Haydn once again a revelation.

[calyptorhynchus]

Haydn is such a great composer because there is always new Haydn to listen to. Just listening to the Baryton Divertimentos (Octets). Some wonderful music here.

[k a rl h e nn i ng]

Haydn is such a great composer because there is always new Haydn to listen to. Just listening to the Baryton Divertimentos (Octets). Some wonderful music here.

always new Haydn, and always worthwhile!

[calyptorhynchus]

Not the only reason why he's such a great composer, of course 

[DavidW]

Haydn is such a great composer because there is always new Haydn to listen to. Just listening to the Baryton Divertimentos (Octets). Some wonderful music here.

Yes those are wonderful works.  I should revisit them.  I've been busy relistening to symphonies and piano trios.

[Brian]

This is an enjoyable recording of Haydn violin concertos for a few reasons:
1. the pairing, with a new string orchestra rendering of Stravinsky's "Divertimento" (originally for violin and piano, and before that originally a ballet)
2. the tasteful cadenzas, by Anner Bijlsma in No. 1 and by the soloist in No. 4
3. the quasi-HIP hybrid performance style
4. the ad hoc chamber orchestra, assembled specially for this session during the pandemic
5. the chamber orchestra's name and pedigree - it's named after the street where Bijlsma and Vera Beths live, because almost all the players are former students of Vera Beths and they gathered together to release this album in her honor

[Madiel]

So I've just been listening for the first time to the Quatour Mosaiques performance of op.76/3 - the "Emperor" quartet.

But it's the liner notes that blew my mind.

What I already knew is that the 2nd movement is a theme and variations on Haydn's own composition that is now the German national anthem. But the mind-blowing part? The original hymn was called Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser, and the 1st movement starts with, and is built around, the motif G-E-F-D-C.

Plus the 3rd and 4th movements start with forms of the same motif.

Now, sometimes I think people are drawing long bows when they find this sort of thing, but I have to admit that in this case I'm fairly convinced. How did I not know about this before?

[k a rl h e nn i ng]

So I've just been listening for the first time to the Quatour Mosaiques performance of op.76/3 - the "Emperor" quartet.

But it's the liner notes that blew my mind.

What I already knew is that the 2nd movement is a theme and variations on Haydn's own composition that is now the German national anthem. But the mind-blowing part? The original hymn was called Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser, and the 1st movement starts with, and is built around, the motif G-E-F-D-C.

Plus the 3rd and 4th movements start with forms of the same motif.

Now, sometimes I think people are drawing long bows when they find this sort of thing, but I have to admit that in this case I'm fairly convinced. How did I not know about this before?

Thanks! Fact is, it's new to me, as well. (I guess I haven't read the notes)

[TheGSMoeller]

So I've just been listening for the first time to the Quatour Mosaiques performance of op.76/3 - the "Emperor" quartet.

But it's the liner notes that blew my mind.

What I already knew is that the 2nd movement is a theme and variations on Haydn's own composition that is now the German national anthem. But the mind-blowing part? The original hymn was called Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser, and the 1st movement starts with, and is built around, the motif G-E-F-D-C.

Plus the 3rd and 4th movements start with forms of the same motif.

Now, sometimes I think people are drawing long bows when they find this sort of thing, but I have to admit that in this case I'm fairly convinced. How did I not know about this before?

A reminder that I should always read the liner notes. Thanks for the info, Madiel. I have the Quatour Mosaiques box set of Haydn SQ but I don't even know if there are liner notes included.

[Florestan]

I knew about the "Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser" fact but not about the g-e-f-d-c one. Looks like Haydn pioneered a lot more things than he is credited for.

The lyrics continue "Unsern guten Kaiser Franz", but actually Francis was not exactly your typical "good Franz", or at least he didn't look like one.



Anything but a good-humoured nature, anything but Haydnesque.  Go ahead, ask this "good king" for a constitution.

[LKB]

I knew about the "Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser" fact but not about the g-e-f-d-c one. Looks like Haydn pioneered a lot more things than he is credited for.

The lyrics continue "Unsern guten Kaiser Franz", but actually Francis was not exactly your typical "good Franz", or at least he didn't look like one.



Anything but a good-humoured nature, anything but Haydnesque.  Go ahead, ask this "good king" for a constitution.

Remind's me of that painting from Ghostbusters II... Vigo, wasn't it?

[Jo498]

So I've just been listening for the first time to the Quatour Mosaiques performance of op.76/3 - the "Emperor" quartet.

But it's the liner notes that blew my mind.

What I already knew is that the 2nd movement is a theme and variations on Haydn's own composition that is now the German national anthem. But the mind-blowing part? The original hymn was called Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser, and the 1st movement starts with, and is built around, the motif G-E-F-D-C.

Plus the 3rd and 4th movements start with forms of the same motif.

Now, sometimes I think people are drawing long bows when they find this sort of thing, but I have to admit that in this case I'm fairly convinced. How did I not know about this before?

I am really embarrassed because I had read this before (maybe in these very liner notes because I have had the Mosaiques op.76 since about 15 years...) but I totally forgot about it... Maybe because although I know this text of the old Emperor hymn my main association is of course the modern German national anthem text (written in the mid-19th century and in practice reduced to the 3rd stanza as the first one is deemed to nationalist and the 2nd too old fashioned and a bit silly).

[Madiel]

I just noticed that Bavouzet has released his 11th, and last, volume of piano sonatas.

Now, the big question is, how long do I wait for news of a box...