Haydn's Haus

[Antoine Marchand]

I feel like the raw recruit who is marching out of step with the rest of the regiment, but anyway - this arrived yesterday:



Just 2 CDs into the box so far, and well, what a delight. These trios are absolute charmers and no mistake, and (insofar as I can judge, which isn't very far) wonderfully played with both delicacy and vigour. The only cause for concern is that, as when I was listening to the Goodman symphonies, I'm just slurping them in like lollipops. I reassure myself by observing that on a walk by the river I don't need to stop and closely examine every flower I pass; often the subconscious awareness of their presence is itself very satisfying. And one can always return ....

Congratulations! It was a wise decision to purchase this wonderful set. I think your approach it's almost the only possible because the ammount of beauty and melodic creativeness of this music (not to mention the delightful playing) is really overwhelming to try any other approach in a first listen. It would be as trying to follow the discography proposed by Gurn through his posts... It's really a work for some years, the years invested by him in his project. 

[Antoine Marchand]

Those would be my 2 faves as well. Seems sensible enough to me! 

I like this guy!!! 

BTW, I hope DavidW will come back soon. His favorite composers are also Bach and Haydn.

[Leon]

Just got this:

[asin]B000P46Q86[/asin]

And on first listen, prefer it to my other disc featuring the lira by Hugo Ruf and Susanne Lautenbacher, mainly because of the sound of the group and the lira itself.  The tempos are a bit more relaxed and the overall sound much warmer and I think more fitting for that unique instrument.

[Gurn Blanston]

Honestly, I think the weirdest couple of favorite composers belongs to Marc: Bach and Mahler. Bach and Mahler, man!!! 

Yesterday, I read this quote of Bach in Bach: The Learned Musician by Christoph Wolff (well, really the quote is taken from Forkel):

It has some Haydn air, isn't it? 

Yes indeed it does. Properly humble in the face of not really knowing where that immense talent came from. To have that sort of gift for doing anything is such a rarity. But for it to be something so public as creating music, that's special.

----------------
Now playing:
  L'Archibudelli; Koster - Hob 04_05  Divertimento à Tre in Eb for Horn, Violin & Cello 1st mvmt - Moderato assai: [Thema con variazioni]

[Gurn Blanston]

Those would be my 2 faves as well. Seems sensible enough to me! 

Well, I can only repeat my long-standing tagline; I can listen to Bach for hours. I can listen to Haydn for years!   Not that I don't appreciate the man's genius. It's just that a little goes a long way.

[Gurn Blanston]

Just got this:

[asin]B000P46Q86[/asin]

And on first listen, prefer it to my other disc featuring the lira by Hugo Ruf and Susanne Lautenbacher, mainly because of the sound of the group and the lira itself.  The tempos are a bit more relaxed and the overall sound much warmer and I think more fitting for that unique instrument.

That's a highly enjoyable disk, Arnold. Clearly some nice music on there. I notice in the lira organizatta works that they have 1 each of both the notturnos and the concertos; one of the original Naples version with lira and one of the London arrangements (by Haydn) with flute and oboe (and a few other orchestration changes). Haydn had committed to providing a certain number of 'new' compositions for the London series ("A new composition shall be presented at each (of 12) concert"). He thought so highly of these works, and knew they would never be played again otherwise, that he arranged them for commonly used instruments for that purpose. I like that this disk offers both versions for comparison. It's a very good disk, IMO.   

[Bogey]

Some historical Haydn:



Sinfonia concertante
HOB I:105
Danish State Radio SO
Jan. 1951

Love it!

[Gurn Blanston]

Some historical Haydn:



Sinfonia concertante
HOB I:105
Danish State Radio SO
Jan. 1951

Love it!

Tell us a bit, Bill. I am curious does it seem like he used a big band for this? How was the tempo, fast or slower? I know the recorded sound had to have some issues, we ignore that, but did it seem like nice clarity of the parts? Always questions I like to know, not shopping for it, but want to know how the performance style compares to today.

Thanks,



This one here is pretty zippy!:
----------------
Now playing:

  Esterhazy Ensemble - Hob 11_036 Trio in D for Baryton, Viola & Cello Book 2 2nd mvmt - Allegro di molto

[Antoine Marchand]

Any comment on these discs, dear Haydnistos (apparently a neologism created by Gurn)?



Lidi 0104100/01
2 CD - HM65x2
durée : 115'
Haydn - Les six concertos pour orgue Hob. XVIII
Olivier Vernet, orgue B. Aubertin : St-Loup-sur-Thouet (France)
"Les Sauvages", sur instruments anciens
Stéphanie-Marie Degand, violon solo
Jérémie Rohrer, direction



Lidi 0104192-08
1 CD - HM76
durée :70'39

Haydn - Concertini Hob.XIV : 11,12,13 et Hob.XVIII : F2,
Ensemble ...in Ore mel... (sur instruments anciens)
Stéphanie-Marie Degand,
Pierre Franck, violons
Raphaël Chrétien, cello
Olivier Vernet, à l'orgue Cabourdin de Mougins (06)

Partita a due Hob.XVIIa:2
Flötenuhr-Stücke Hob. XIX: n°27 à 32- version à 2 organistes
Olivier Vernet, Cédric Meckler à l'orgue Cabourdin de Mougins (06)

http://www.olivier-vernet.com/discographie-olivier-vernet.php#haydn

[Bogey]

Here be the timings:

Allegro 9:17
Adante 4:57
Allegro con spirito 6:37

Here is a bit.  Mine is not as muddled, but....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VOx_iFLWvs

[Gurn Blanston]

Any comment on these discs, dear Haydnistos (apparently a neologism created by Gurn)?



Lidi 0104100/01
2 CD - HM65x2
durée : 115'
Haydn - Les six concertos pour orgue Hob. XVIII
Olivier Vernet, orgue B. Aubertin : St-Loup-sur-Thouet (France)
"Les Sauvages", sur instruments anciens
Stéphanie-Marie Degand, violon solo
Jérémie Rohrer, direction



Lidi 0104192-08
1 CD - HM76
durée :70'39

Haydn - Concertini Hob.XIV : 11,12,13 et Hob.XVIII : F2,
Ensemble ...in Ore mel... (sur instruments anciens)
Stéphanie-Marie Degand,
Pierre Franck, violons
Raphaël Chrétien, cello
Olivier Vernet, à l'orgue Cabourdin de Mougins (06)

Partita a due Hob.XVIIa:2
Flötenuhr-Stücke Hob. XIX: n°27 à 32- version à 2 organistes
Olivier Vernet, Cédric Meckler à l'orgue Cabourdin de Mougins (06)

http://www.olivier-vernet.com/discographie-olivier-vernet.php#haydn

Yes, that's my word. It has become fashionable here to add that suffix to words denoting people who fancy things, for example, if you are into stylish clothing, you will be a fashionisto. I thought Haydn would be a suitable candidate for such naming.

Now, let's see. I have the second Vernet pictured. Of course he plays very well, as he does also in the Bach I have heard from him. The man has an immense organ though, not necessarily perfectly suitable for the music, which was composed a small chamber organ without even foot pedals. So it some down to personal preference. I think Bach was not composed for house sized instruments either, but they are loved by many.

The first one, I have no idea. He plays so very well, but it depends all on the instrument.

[Antoine Marchand]

Yes, that's my word. It has become fashionable here to add that suffix to words denoting people who fancy things, for example, if you are into stylish clothing, you will be a fashionisto. I thought Haydn would be a suitable candidate for such naming.

Cool! It's official: we're Haydnistos. 

Now, let's see. I have the second Vernet pictured. Of course he plays very well, as he does also in the Bach I have heard from him. The man has an immense organ though, not necessarily perfectly suitable for the music, which was composed for either a musical clockworks or else a small chamber organ without even foot pedals. So it some down to personal preference. I think Bach was not composed for house sized instruments either, but they are loved by many.

The first one, I have no idea. He plays so very well, but it depends all on the instrument.

Yes, I also found that instrument excessively big. On the other hand, the organ concertos sound excellent, both the strings and the organ. But I have just listened to 30 secs. excerpts. 

[Gurn Blanston]

Cool! It's official: we're Haydnistos. 

Yes, I also found that instrument excessively big. On the other hand, the organ concertos sound excellent, both the strings and the organ. But I have just listened to 30 secs. excerpts. 

Ah, the concertos is the other disk that I haven't heard. Well that would be good. I haven't relistened yet that disk, but glanced over the notes to refresh my memory of it. That is the one with all Hob 14 works (except for that bastard child in Hob 18). Of course, being for clavier he can play what he wants there, but it seems that it was the oversized organ now playing works that should be played on cembalo that turned me off. After all, he is accompanied by only 2 violins and a bass of some sort. The is a basic inequity to it all, I think.

[chasmaniac]

Well, I can only repeat my long-standing tagline; I can listen to Bach for hours. I can listen to Haydn for years!   Not that I don't appreciate the man's genius. It's just that a little goes a long way.

Ah, you an' yer fancy book-learnin'! 

[Karl Henning]

I feel like the raw recruit who is marching out of step with the rest of the regiment, but anyway - this arrived yesterday:



Just 2 CDs into the box so far, and well, what a delight. These trios are absolute charmers and no mistake, and (insofar as I can judge, which isn't very far) wonderfully played with both delicacy and vigour. The only cause for concern is that, as when I was listening to the Goodman symphonies, I'm just slurping them in like lollipops. I reassure myself by observing that on a walk by the river I don't need to stop and closely examine every flower I pass; often the subconscious awareness of their presence is itself very satisfying. And one can always return ....

Oh no, not t all, Alan. That's a splendid acquisition, indispensable, really. I think one sees a whole different composer in that genre as in the symphonic or string quartet media. Without letting the crazy numbering scheme drive you nuts, see if you can check out the middle ones. They would be those with Hoboken numbers from 5 to 17, all composed in the 1780's. They have, in my opinion, some of his finest melodic efforts.

Well, I'll get in step alongside you, Alan.  Part of my weekend was spent transferring 80% of this box to my mp3 player. (I probably listened to the first three discs back when the box first came in.)

And now, to target these trios whereof the Gurnatron speaks so highly . . . .

[Opus106]

Disc 5 of the Piano Trios | 12-14 and 16. I chose it for the two minor-keyed works.

At times the E minor trio displays a Mozartian angst and despair (pardon the anachronistic comparison, Gurn ) -- he even throws a few angry chords at the listener, and the lyricism of the second movement is as calming, although with a sad undertone, as the younger composer's best slow movements.

[Opus106]

No. 13 has some lovely lines for the violin the opening movement... despite the C minor opening, it simply soars so beautifully, heart-warming and aching at the same time.

[Karl Henning]

  Discussion of sonates da chiesa

To my eye, this is macaronic. Sonates is the plural in French (sonate, singular). Mais. . .  da chiesa is of course Italian.  In Italian the singular is sonata, the plural sonate.

[Gurn Blanston]

To my eye, this is macaronic. Sonates is the plural in French (sonate, singular). Mais. . .  da chiesa is of course Italian.  In Italian the singular is sonata, the plural sonate.

But surely you've noticed that in the 18th century, among educated Euros, using 2 or even 3 or more languages in a single sentence is not only routine, but even de rigeur! I laugh too, but there it is. I actually copied the phrase out of a book...   (not saying you aren't 100% correct, of course...)  0:)

[Karl Henning]

Very good; just glad to know that our Gurn is innocent of linguistic atrocity!