Haydn's Haus

[Gurn Blanston]

We could do a a top 15 where, say 82-88 and 92-104 are not eligible, because it is silently presumed they would be top 35 anyway.

That would produce some interesting results, I would think. Sturm und Drang would have a chance to kick ass! 

[Jo498]

To get more interesting one might have to ban 6-8, 44 and 45 (and maybe a few more) as well. Than people would really be forced to listen to the other ones...

[Gurn Blanston]

To get more interesting one might have to ban 6-8, 44 and 45 (and maybe a few more) as well. Than people would really be forced to listen to the other ones...

and 49. That still leaves more great symphonies to choose from than most composers ever wrote. 0:)

[Cosi bel do]

I think the right question could be : what's your top 15 of Haydn "untitled" symphonies ?

[kishnevi]

Real challenge.

Pick the five worst Haydn symphonies.  The five you can do without, the five that could have disappeared and we would be no wiser.

[Gurn Blanston]

Real challenge.

Pick the five worst Haydn symphonies.  The five you can do without, the five that could have disappeared and we would be no wiser.

Geez, I don't know; someone must have already done that, 'cause...  0:)

[Sergeant Rock]

We could do a a top 15 where, say 82-88 and 92-104 are not eligible, because it is silently presumed they would be top 35 anyway.

To get more interesting one might have to ban 6-8, 44 and 45 (and maybe a few more) as well. Than people would really be forced to listen to the other ones...

and 49. That still leaves more great symphonies to choose from than most composers ever wrote. 0:)

Okay, let's see what happens when I eliminate those from my Top 31

1 D major
5 A major
15 D major
30 C major "Alleluja"
31 D major "Hornsignal"
34 D minor
35 B flat
36 E flat
39 G minor
41 C major
42 D major
44 E minor "Trauer"
48 C major "Maria Theresia"
51 B flat
52 C minor
57 D major
65 A major
67 F major
72 D major
73 D major "La Chasse"
78 C minor
80 D minor
83 G minor "Hen"
85 B flat "La Reine"
90 C major
92 G major "Oxford
93 D major
95 C minor
99 E flat
100 G major "Military"
101 D major "Clock"

So, I could easily do a Top 15 without relying on the Paris and Londons.

Sarge

[Gurn Blanston]

Top 31?    I love it...

[Jo498]

There are great (and quite popular) unnamed ones, e.g. 86, 95, 97-99, 102, so that's not such a tough restriction.

5 least favorite would also force me to relisten... I think I could do without most unnamed ones among the first 30, I guess (an exception that spontaneously comes to mind is 21 which is overshadowed by 22, but may actually be better). 

If I combine the restrictions no nickname, none of Paris, London and neither 88 and 92, I would nominate as favorites something like

90, 80, 70, 46, 52, 78, 75, 42, 91,...

but to be fair I would have to relisten to at least two dozen more candidates (mostly from the 40s, 50s and 70s or maybe 39 or 21...). Even with some notes/comments from listening to all of them in 08/09 I'd have to refresh my memory.

[Daverz]

I've seen 39 nicknamed The Fist.  Not a name for it that I think I'll use myself.

http://www.classicalarchives.com/work/50039.html

[Sergeant Rock]

Top 31?    I love it...

I tried, I really tried to whittle it down to an even 30 but just couldn't do it 

Sarge

[Old Listener]

starting with all 104, there are about 60 that are in my regular rotation.  i like another two dozen well enough but i just can't remember them as well.

[Gurn Blanston]

I can honestly say that I can (and usually do) pick any one or two at random and be perfectly happy with them. True, sometimes I want to hear one in particular, but that's the exception.

[Moonfish]

  I noticed that there is a pre-release notice of Goberman's Haydn Symphonies (14 cds) at Amazon.jp.  I did not come across much about hime here at GMG and understand that his recordings have been available (cd-r?) from the Haydn.house. 
http://www.haydnhouse.com/max_goberman.htm
According to the Amazon.UK blurb below it appears as if the Sony release is a new remastering of those recordings? Could anybody expand our knowledge about Goberman's Haydn? 

Feb 9, 2015 at Amazon JP - available for pre-order
http://www.amazon.co.jp/Max-Goberman-Symphonies-Haydn/dp/B00PCCX0NA

listed at Amazon UK
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Max-Goberman-The-Symphonies-Haydn/dp/B00PCCX0NA



from Amazon UK
"Just over 50 years after his untimely death at the age of only 51, Sony Classical is proud to make available once again the pioneering recordings of Haydn symphonies which the American conductor Max Goberman made in Vienna in the early 1960s and which, had he lived, would have formed part of the first ever complete recording of the great Austrian composer's symphonic works.

Initially released on LP by Goberman's own subscription label, the Library of Recorded Masterpieces, and originally packaged in deluxe gatefold sleeves, these historic recordings not only boasted state-of-the-art 3-track stereo sonics and authentically idiomatic playing by the Vienna State Opera Orchestra, but also took advantage of the latest musicological research to present startlingly fresh reinterpretations of these classic masterpieces in a lively, slimmed-down style that foreshadowed the historically informed period-instrument performances of today.

Born in Philadelphia in 1911, and a student of both Leopold Auer (violin) and Fritz Reiner (conducting), Max Goberman was one of the most promising and enterprising American maestros of his time, equally at home in the concert hall, the opera house, the ballet theatre, on Broadway and in the recording studio. Having joined the Philadelphia Orchestra as a violinist while still in his teens, he soon formed his own orchestra, the New York Sinfonietta, which became noted for its adventurous programming. He later became chief conductor of both New York City Opera and Ballet Theatre (forerunner to American Ballet Theatre), while enjoying a parallel career on Broadway as musical director for such hit shows as Billion Dollar Baby, Where's Charley?, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and, most notably, Bernstein's West Side Story.

But Goberman was also an entrepreneur, founding his own Library of Recorded Masterpieces label with the aim of recording the complete orchestral works of Vivaldi and the complete symphonies of Haydn for sale to subscribers by mail order. Sadly, he had only managed to record 75 of Vivaldi's concertos and 45 of Haydn's symphonies before dying from a heart attack on New Year's Eve 1962.

A few of Goberman's Haydn recordings were later released on CBS's Odyssey label, but with severely compromised sound, the bizarre decision having been taken to hold back the centre channel of the 3-track master tapes, thus obscuring much of the woodwind and brass detail that made the original LRM releases so special. Newly remastered from the original 3-track tapes wherever they were available, Sony Music's new 14-CD set thus restores these historic recordings to pristine condition and general circulation for the very first time."

[Gurn Blanston]

Non-lovers of opera get to miss out on a lot of Haydn's work in this part of his career. Much of it is damned fine too. I took a short look and a long listen to the 1780 contribution, and put some thoughts down here. Have a look!

No, it isn't Nessie!

Thanks,

[Gurn Blanston]

While I was ordering the Fitzwilliam, I realized that I don't have this one neither:

http://www.amazon.com/Haydn-Seven-Words-Christ-Cross/dp/B003H5L6Y4

... and any recording sponsored by Jaap Schröder is an instant recommendation to me.

And 'this one' is this one:



which I am listening to for the first time as I type this. On the 4th word now... Mulier, ecce filius tuus, et tu, ecce mater tua!...  quite wonderful. The recording itself has a different sound: I would venture that they have recorded it not quite so closely as is usual (especially in PI recordings), and so at first it seems strange, but after a few minutes one gets used to it and it really sounds good that way. The playing is outstanding, and there is no rush to get it done, no skipped repeats, great sonority in the cello especially, also the viola. I'm really liking this, no doubt! 



PS - That isn't a bad scan of the cover, this disk has the tiniest writing I've ever seen on a CD. It is the Skálholt Quartet from Iceland, FYI.

[Mookalafalas]

I read a glowing review of this from a reviewer I really like, but much of his praise was for the technical side of the recording--in other words, the playing is only very good, but the quality of the recorded sound is, supposedly, stellar.   I'm very curious to hear what it sounds like. Is anyone here familiar with it?

[Gurn Blanston]

I read a glowing review of this from a reviewer I really like, but much of his praise was for the technical side of the recording--in other words, the playing is only very good, but the quality of the recorded sound is, supposedly, stellar.   I'm very curious to hear what it sounds like. Is anyone here familiar with it?

Of which? The one I just mentioned is really very good, but maybe you meant another and the picture escaped? 

[Mookalafalas]

Of which? The one I just mentioned is really very good, but maybe you meant another and the picture escaped? 

:-[and so it did. I don't know how I managed that, as I did look it up and all. Anyway, here it is, from the Fry Street Quartet

[asin]B000FSMOGU[/asin]

[Gurn Blanston]

1781 was another highly significant year for Haydn. Any year which includes the Opus 33 quartets as part of its works list has got to be good! I gathered a few factoids together and bundled it up with my usual mix of opinion and all is available for you right here:

It's alive! (The entrepreneur, that is)

Check it out!