Haydn's Haus

Started by Gurn Blanston, April 06, 2007, 04:15:04 PM

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Gurn Blanston

Haydn's 6 Great Masses were not without controversy in their time. Not in Vienna, of course, but since he was now so hugely popular it didn't take long for them to travel elsewhere. But that is the least of the interests contained in this year's Theresienmesse, it is just plain beautiful! Here's some background.

Theresa had nothing to do with it!

Thanks,
8)
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Haydn: that genius of vulgar music who induces an inordinate thirst for beer - Mily Balakirev (1860)

Florestan

Cross post from the WAYLTN thread



The best comment upon Haydn's music comes from Haydn himself:

Quote from: Joseph HaydnOften, when struggling against obstacles of every sort which oppose my labors: often, when the powers of mind and body weakened, and it was difficult to continue the course I had entered on; – a secret voice whispered to me: "there are so few happy and contented peoples here below; grief and sorrow are always their lot; perhaps your labors will once be a source from which the care-worn, or the man burdened with affairs, can derive a few moments rest and refreshment." This was indeed a powerful motive to press onwards, and this is why I now look back with cheerful satisfaction on the labors expended on this art, to which I have devoted so many long years of uninterrupted effort and exertion.

(emphasis mine)

Such supreme humility from the part of a genius aligns itself perfectly with the remark of another genius, perhaps not coincidentally contemporary with Haydn:

Quote from: MozartNeither a lofty degree of intelligence nor imagination nor both together go to the making of genius. Love, love, love, that is the soul of genius.

Haydn clearly loved his audience --- and it shows, big time. He is probably --- nay, certainly, in my book --- the most amiable, companionable and genial great composer ever. Whenever I have a listening burn out, I spin some Haydn, no matter what, and my love for music is instantly rekindled.  8)
Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Rossini

Gurn Blanston

QuoteCross post from the WAYLTN thread



The best comment upon Haydn's music comes from Haydn himself:

QuoteQuote from: Joseph Haydn
Often, when struggling against obstacles of every sort which oppose my labors: often, when the powers of mind and body weakened, and it was difficult to continue the course I had entered on; – a secret voice whispered to me: "there are so few happy and contented peoples here below; grief and sorrow are always their lot; perhaps your labors will once be a source from which the care-worn, or the man burdened with affairs, can derive a few moments rest and refreshment." This was indeed a powerful motive to press onwards, and this is why I now look back with cheerful satisfaction on the labors expended on this art, to which I have devoted so many long years of uninterrupted effort and exertion.
(emphasis mine)

Such supreme humility from the part of a genius aligns itself perfectly with the remark of another genius, perhaps not coincidentally contemporary with Haydn:

QuoteQuote from: Mozart
Neither a lofty degree of intelligence nor imagination nor both together go to the making of genius. Love, love, love, that is the soul of genius.

Haydn clearly loved his audience --- and it shows, big time. He is probably --- nay, certainly, in my book --- the most amiable, companionable and genial great composer ever. Whenever I have a listening burn out, I spin some Haydn, no matter what, and my love for music is instantly rekindled.  8)

That's a very nice quote, and very Haydnish. I am curious about the source, since I don't recall having seen it before. But I'm old, I forget stuff... :-\

Nevertheless, I think it very much expresses the Haydn I have come to know from the last 10 years of reading about him. And I agree, the music speaks for itself, it never fails to give me great pleasure. And Mozart is not far behind. It is, IMO, a combination of genius which they both had a superabundance of, and the Enlightened culture of the era. Oh, and not to mention the Viennese slant on life which they both grew up with. :)

8)
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Haydn: that genius of vulgar music who induces an inordinate thirst for beer - Mily Balakirev (1860)

Florestan

Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Rossini

Florestan

Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Rossini

Florestan

#11945
Quote from: Gurn Blanston on April 06, 2019, 08:41:19 AM
the Viennese slant on life which they both grew up with. :)

Ah, yes, Gemütlichkeit! My favoritest German word!  :)

Schubert & the Strauss family had it in their genes --- Beethoven and Brahms fought hard to acquire it, yet never succeeded completely.  ;D
Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Rossini

Gurn Blanston

Got it; Complete Correspondence and London Notebooks of Joseph Haydn by Robbins Landon. Page 260. It is from a letter he wrote in 1802, which I haven't got to yet, of course. It certainly expresses his personal philosophy well, which is something you see a lot more as he gets older. I suppose old guys tend to talk/think more about their mortality and reason for being. :)
Quote from: Florestan on April 06, 2019, 09:01:16 AM
Ah, yes, Gemütlichkeit! My favoritest German word!  :)

Schubert & the Strauss family had it in their genes --- Beethoven and Brahms fought hard to acquire it, yet never succeeded completely.  ;D

A very fine word indeed!  Haydn relocated to Vienna when he was 7 or 8 y.o.. Might as well have been a native. Mozart also was only, what, 6 or 7 the first time he went there? He was a cultural sponge, he would have fit in anywhere he went. You're right, IMO; B & B were Germans to the end!  :)

8)
Visit my Haydn blog: HaydnSeek

Haydn: that genius of vulgar music who induces an inordinate thirst for beer - Mily Balakirev (1860)

Brian

Just got a new email from the Haydn2032 project. Recording soon: "Au goût parisien":

Kammerorchester Basel
Giovanni Antonini, Dirigent

Joseph Haydn:
Sinfonie Nr. 24 in D-Dur
Sinfonie Nr. 87 in A-Dur
Sinfonie Nr. 2 in C-Dur
Sinfonie Nr. 82 L'Ours in C-Dur

Ghost of Baron Scarpia

Quote from: Brian on May 09, 2019, 07:39:37 AM
Just got a new email from the Haydn2032 project. Recording soon: "Au goût parisien":

Kammerorchester Basel
Giovanni Antonini, Dirigent

Joseph Haydn:
Sinfonie Nr. 24 in D-Dur
Sinfonie Nr. 87 in A-Dur
Sinfonie Nr. 2 in C-Dur
Sinfonie Nr. 82 L'Ours in C-Dur

So they're on track to finish the series before the polar ice caps melt?

Gurn Blanston

Quote from: Ghost of Baron Scarpia on May 09, 2019, 08:28:35 AM
So they're on track to finish the series before the polar ice caps melt?

I'm not betting on that, given the relative pace of each. But they have announced as far out as #10, I think, but only have released as far as #7. So 13 more years is do-able, I guess. :)

8)
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Haydn: that genius of vulgar music who induces an inordinate thirst for beer - Mily Balakirev (1860)

PerfectWagnerite

#11950
Quote from: Gurn Blanston on November 20, 2018, 04:24:39 AM
Yup. Haven't read that yet, but people (old guys, I assume) who were really into those original recordings were unanimous about the Märzendorfer being the way to go. Of course, they meant hunting down that huge box set of vinyl pressings and hoping you didn't get any Frisbees. Release on CD can only be a good thing, IMO. :)

8)
I see quite a few copies on Amazon. Is it back in circulation at least in Europe? Worth 80 bucks or so?

[asin]B07KQB31H1[/asin]

Gurn Blanston

Quote from: PerfectWagnerite on June 02, 2019, 04:18:43 PM
I see quite a few copies on Amazon. Is it back in circulation at least in Europe? Worth 80 bucks or so?

[asin]Scribendum[/asin]

[asin]B07KQB31H1[/asin]

At least at Amazon US.  $80 for 33 disks on this side. Hard to imagine it isn't in Europe, possibly jpc... ?
As for worth, your mileage may vary. I don't care for historic recordings, so it wouldn't be to me. However, I have heard nothing but good things about it from people who do.

8)
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Haydn: that genius of vulgar music who induces an inordinate thirst for beer - Mily Balakirev (1860)

PerfectWagnerite

Quote from: Gurn Blanston on June 02, 2019, 06:10:30 PM
[asin]B07KQB31H1[/asin]

At least at Amazon US.  $80 for 33 disks on this side. Hard to imagine it isn't in Europe, possibly jpc... ?
As for worth, your mileage may vary. I don't care for historic recordings, so it wouldn't be to me. However, I have heard nothing but good things about it from people who do.

8)
It is not historic(1960s is not that old), at least it is stereo and pretty well recorded in my opinion. I listened to some on youtube and really like them, vivacious and alert is how I would describe them.

Gurn Blanston

Quote from: PerfectWagnerite on June 02, 2019, 06:51:10 PM
It is not historic(1960s is not that old), at least it is stereo and pretty well recorded in my opinion. I listened to some on youtube and really like them, vivacious and alert is how I would describe them.

:D Historic is relative, I guess. But as I said, I've never read anything negative about them.

8)
Visit my Haydn blog: HaydnSeek

Haydn: that genius of vulgar music who induces an inordinate thirst for beer - Mily Balakirev (1860)

Daverz

Quote from: PerfectWagnerite on June 02, 2019, 06:51:10 PM
It is not historic(1960s is not that old), at least it is stereo and pretty well recorded in my opinion. I listened to some on youtube and really like them, vivacious and alert is how I would describe them.

I'm that old, and sometimes I feel like a historical relic.

MusicWeb review of the Maerzendorfer cycle:

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2019/Jun/Haydn_sys_SC818.htm

jwinter

Quote from: Daverz on June 23, 2019, 05:18:49 AM
I'm that old, and sometimes I feel like a historical relic.

MusicWeb review of the Maerzendorfer cycle:

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2019/Jun/Haydn_sys_SC818.htm

Thanks for that!  Interesting reading... I would have sworn that Dorati was the first complete recorded set... learn something new every day... :)

Still, having acquired both the Dorati and the Fischer sets years ago, I'm not sure that I need a 3rd complete set...  that's a LOT of Haydn. 

Though I do tend to like older recordings... I'm very fond of Scherchen's Haydn set, and Beecham's London symphonies.  Perhaps I'll pull one of those off the shelf this evening....   
The man that hath no music in himself,
Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds,
Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils.
The motions of his spirit are dull as night,
And his affections dark as Erebus.
Let no such man be trusted.

-- William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice

Karl Henning

Quote from: Gurn Blanston on March 30, 2019, 06:08:13 PM
Haydn's 6 Great Masses were not without controversy in their time. Not in Vienna, of course, but since he was now so hugely popular it didn't take long for them to travel elsewhere. But that is the least of the interests contained in this year's Theresienmesse, it is just plain beautiful! Here's some background.

Theresa had nothing to do with it!

Thanks,
8)

Highly informative, and a delight to read, as ever!
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Gurn Blanston

Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on June 26, 2019, 01:02:26 PM
Highly informative, and a delight to read, as ever!

Thanks, Karl! One of these days I actually will complete the next installment, about the fin de siècle of my beloved 18th century!  :)

8)
Visit my Haydn blog: HaydnSeek

Haydn: that genius of vulgar music who induces an inordinate thirst for beer - Mily Balakirev (1860)

Muzio

I was wondering if someone might advise me as to which of the following boxes would be recommended.  Thanks for any help!


Gurn Blanston

Quote from: Muzio on June 28, 2019, 01:52:05 PM
I was wondering if someone might advise me as to which of the following boxes would be recommended.  Thanks for any help!



I have them all. I would choose the Naxos one all over again. The playing and singing are first-rate, but especially the size of the group, and the recorded acoustic, have a very authentic feel. Big but not huge. It is my go-to set for these works. :)

8)
Visit my Haydn blog: HaydnSeek

Haydn: that genius of vulgar music who induces an inordinate thirst for beer - Mily Balakirev (1860)