Haydn's Haus

[71 dB]

You have to consider over how much time people do this. (And money has become a lesser concern with streaming and grey sources). Also, how much more some people might be interested in certain works, e.g. Haydn quartets. I got the Angeles box in the early 2000s. I am not sure, but I think I had roughly half of the pieces before on disc, so we are talking about 20-25 years (considering that I maybe bought the first Haydn quartet disc 1995)
Besides this I have or have had the following physically on my shelves (bought discs, not copies or downloads) with those in brackets I got rid of again. I have listened to all of them with the exception of a few in the Amadeus and Pro Arte boxes (I am not listing all the historical Pro Arte because that's too much work, see below)

op.1 Petersen
op.3 etc. Kodaly
op.9 Festetics, Buchberger
op.17 Festetics, Auryn, (Kodaly 3,5,6)
op.20 Hagen, Tatrai, Mosaiques (Festetics, Kodaly 4-6)
op.33 Weller, Casals, Auryn, Apponyi (Buchberger)
op.50 Festetics, Amati (Nomos)
op.51 Cherubini, Mosaiques, Amadeus
op.54 Endellion, Amadeus, Festetics, (Juilliard as LP dubs)
op.55 Amadeus, Festetics, Panocha
op.64 Caspar da Salo, Festetics, Amadeus, Mosaiques (1,3,6) (Festetics (old), Orlando 4-6)
op.71 Auryn (old), Festetics, Amadeus, Griller
op.74 Festetics, Amadeus, Griller
op.76 Tatrai, Carmina, Mosaiques, Eder(2-4), (Tokyo)
op.77 Mosaiques, Archibudelli, Amati

1 disc Anthologies; Hagen, 2xSchuppanzigh, 2xJerusalem, Hungarian, 2xLindsay, Janacek, Juilliard

[asin]B071FL96LX[/asin]

Wow. I have:

Op. 64 Kodaly (bought about 20 years ago)
Op. 76 Mosaïques (bought about 10 years ago)

I started with Op. 64 knowing nothing about Haydn's String Quartets because "64" is a cool number (8^2, 4^3, 2^6). I never felt the playing or sound was lacking. I just wasn't a lot into the music so I didn't explore further until about 10 years later when somebody must have recommended Op. 76, I wasn't into that either. Now I realized Op. 20 seems to be a lot to my liking so I am going to get it (Kodaly) and maybe explore opus numbers "near" 20.

So, how well do you know Dittersdorf's String Quartets?  I have the two CPO discs (Franz Schubert Quartet) and enjoy them a lot.

[calyptorhynchus]

I used to listen to music almost all the time ~20 years ago, but nowadays I almost prefer silence. 1-2 hours of music per day seems to be enough.  Multitasking weakens my ability to listen analytically, but it depents on what I do. For example when I write posts here concentrating on music is difficult because a lot of my brain power goes to "linguistic" tasks, But I can watch TV without sound while listening to music, because those use different areas in my brain.

Interesting, I find I can do most things whilst listening to music* including reading (but not reading poetry interestingly) as long as there isn't any extra sound. However one thing I have found is that if I eat whilst listening to music the food has no taste (nearby area of the brain).
* ie on headphones

[Karl Henning]

I am constantly amazed how people have time and money to be able to do lists like this. I would probably do this myself if Haydn was the only composer in the universe. Haydn was scary prolific, one the reasons I have never gotten well into his music. It's too much...  ...but now I discoved Op. 20.   

Excellent!

[71 dB]

Interesting, I find I can do most things whilst listening to music* including reading (but not reading poetry interestingly) as long as there isn't any extra sound. However one thing I have found is that if I eat whilst listening to music the food has no taste (nearby area of the brain).
* ie on headphones

Well, I can listen to music while doing other things, but my concentration and ability to be analytic is compromised. So, if I want to concentrate properly the things I can do at the same time are limited. Reading isn't an issue, because that's somewhat passive, but writing text seems to jam my ability to "jam" 

Food having no taste while listening to music sounds wild. I have to test that next time I'm eating! I haven't noticed anything like this.

[71 dB]

Excellent!

0:)

[Jo498]

I have one of the cpo Dittersdorf discs with 4 quartets and decided that this was enough and I didn't need the companion volume. But I have about 7-8 discs with Boccherini quartets, also the quartets by FX Richter. I am interested to some extent in lesser known classical era chamber music. But I think I have more or less enough there as well (I got rid of a chamber music disc with quintets by Michael Haydn because I found it very boring despite first rate playing by L'archibudelli).

As for the Haydn quartets, I am not really buying any new recordings now (although I am tempted by the Doric (20, 64, 76) who got rave reviews). The last I got was the Auryn op.17 because I wanted about one HIP and one modern for each opus in addition to the Angeles box, and I could not resist the cheap Pro Arte box because they are considered "classics" and among the earliest Haydn quartet recordings. Another reason was that I wasn't really entirely happy with any of the recordings I had so I kept buying new ones. And strangely, I am still not entirely happy with any of my op.33 recordings although I have more of this one than of any other (except for singles that show up on recitals like "Lark" or "Fifths"). The Casals are a bit too driven in some movements and the Auryn a bit too relaxed (e.g. I don't think they get the "hungarian" flavor of the b minor finale) and fuzzy. That's why I keep them all...

[71 dB]

I have one of the cpo Dittersdorf discs with 4 quartets and decided that this was enough and I didn't need the companion volume. But I have about 7-8 discs with Boccherini quartets, also the quartets by FX Richter. I am interested to some extent in lesser known classical era chamber music. But I think I have more or less enough there as well (I got rid of a chamber music disc with quintets by Michael Haydn because I found it very boring despite first rate playing by L'archibudelli).

Boccherini has been a composer who I have always liked, but never realized the fact until recently. Recently I ordered one cheap CPO disc of his String Quartets. My Boccherini collection contains other works: Flute Quintets, Guitar Quintets, Cello Sonatas, Cello Concertos and Symphonies. These discs have "sneaked" into my collection because I have always liked him, but never really actively/systematically explored/collected him.

As for Michael Haydn, I have two discs of his music: A Divertimenti CD on CPO and a Sacret Choral Music CD on BIS, both nice. Michael Haydn I think was a pretty fine composer, but totally eclipsed by his older brother. 

Dittersdorf has always been a composer I have felt offers what I want from music of this era. The music is enthralling to me. Maybe people expect Haydn's style in Dittersdorf, but that's not happening. I find them quite different composers stylistically despite of influencing each other.

[Jo498]

I have a bunch of symphonies by Michael Haydn which I rather like although they are overall less ambitious and interesting than his brother's. Apparently his strongest field was choral/church music, supposedly even admitted by Josef that his brother was better with church music (I guess before Josef wrote his own late choral works...)
It's been a long time I listened to the Dittersdorf quartets (I have a programmatic symphony or a few as well on some anthology) but I found some notes/remarks on them and I was rather disappointed back then. Violin-dominated, almost concertante at times, entertaining but overall rather shallow.

[BasilValentine]

I am constantly amazed how people have time and money to be able to do lists like this. I would probably do this myself if Haydn was the only composer in the universe. Haydn was scary prolific, one the reasons I have never gotten well into his music. It's too much...  ...but now I discoved Op. 20.   

Last year I spent a few weeks listening to all of Haydn's symphonies without spending a penny. Youtube. I had heard many of them before of course, but wanted to make sure I had heard them all. Time was a consideration because I only listened when I was able to give the music my full attention, but I can do that while cooking, eating, and staring out of the windows. And the symphonies aren't all that long.

[mc ukrneal]

I have a bunch of symphonies by Michael Haydn which I rather like although they are overall less ambitious and interesting than his brother's. Apparently his strongest field was choral/church music, supposedly even admitted by Josef that his brother was better with church music (I guess before Josef wrote his own late choral works...)
It's been a long time I listened to the Dittersdorf quartets (I have a programmatic symphony or a few as well on some anthology) but I found some notes/remarks on them and I was rather disappointed back then. Violin-dominated, almost concertante at times, entertaining but overall rather shallow.

I very much enjoy Michael Haydn's symphonies. Those CPO cd's are excellent and the music is full of joy. Can't recommend them enough if the period is of interest.

[Jo498]

Of Michael Haydn have one of the cpo discs, one with the Franz Liszt Chamber orchestra on Teldec and about 4 with Farberman on Vox or Alto. The last mentioned were probably my favorite, but they may not all be available and the series was never completed. As I said, I found a chamber music disc on Sony Vivarte very boring compared with the symphonies (or with Josef Haydn's quartets).

[George]

A much-welcome chuckle, mijn goede vriend!

Something we could all use in these times.

[71 dB]

Last year I spent a few weeks listening to all of Haydn's symphonies without spending a penny. Youtube. I had heard many of them before of course, but wanted to make sure I had heard them all. Time was a consideration because I only listened when I was able to give the music my full attention, but I can do that while cooking, eating, and staring out of the windows. And the symphonies aren't all that long.

Many many years ago I did listen to all of Haydn's Symphonies (Dorati). It was a "massive" task, but only one cycle! Of course I have pretty much forgotten how the Symphonies here so I can't even say which Symphonies I like the best (I think I liked #22 a lot, but I might remember wrong.) Of course I have zero insight into which recordings are better than others. I do have one Naxos disc of Symphonies 50-52 which is nice imo. These Symphonies are from 1771-73, around the same time his Op. 20 String Quartets are which I seem to like a lot, so maybe this "around 1770-75" might be the right Haydn period for me? That's something I'm planning to investigate. Also, I'm beginning to suspect late Haydn is not for me.

[Karl Henning]

Many many years ago I did listen to all of Haydn's Symphonies (Dorati). It was a "massive" task, but only one cycle! Of course I have pretty much forgotten how the Symphonies here so I can't even say which Symphonies I like the best (I think I liked #22 a lot, but I might remember wrong.) Of course I have zero insight into which recordings are better than others. I do have one Naxos disc of Symphonies 50-52 which is nice imo. These Symphonies are from 1771-73, around the same time his Op. 20 String Quartets are which I seem to like a lot, so maybe this "around 1770-75" might be the right Haydn period for me? That's something I'm planning to investigate. Also, I'm beginning to suspect late Haydn is not for me.

It is a long-term project for me to have better recall of the Haydn symphonies.  Happily, I'm in no rush

[Jo498]

10-12 years ago at the time of the Haydn anniversary there was a website where one could listen to almost three complete sets of Haydn symphonies online: Dorati, Fischer and the ones Hogwood recorded (all but about 20 or so mostly late ones). I didn't mostly use this website but ca. 2008-10 I listened to all Haydn symphonies, roughly 1-3/week. There are other tricks one can use. In spring 2010 I lived temporarily around 4 months in a very small apartment at a new workplace before getting my own and I only took a few CD boxes, one of which was all Haydn quartets with the Angeles. This was before I had access to streaming or similar online music, so I "had to listen" to what I had present.

[aukhawk]

Many many years ago I did listen to all of Haydn's Symphonies (Dorati). It was a "massive" task, but only one cycle!

Given that the Dorati recordings are (a bit unfairly) rather dismissed these days in the light of more recent offerings - that was a fine marathon effort!

I do have one Naxos disc of Symphonies 50-52 which is nice imo. These Symphonies are from 1771-73, around the same time his Op. 20 String Quartets are which I seem to like a lot, so maybe this "around 1770-75" might be the right Haydn period for me? That's something I'm planning to investigate. Also, I'm beginning to suspect late Haydn is not for me.

To quote from my trusty Faber Pocket Guide to Haydn -
"The promise of Op.9 and especially Op.17 is richly fulfilled in the Op.20 Quartets of 1772, an annus mirabilis which also saw the production of three magnificent symphonies, Nos 45-7. ... the quartets display a mastery only intermittently glimpsed in Op.9 and Op.17 ... Op.20 left a profound impression on Mozart, and on Beethoven who copied out No.1 in 1794. Brahms owned the autographed manuscripts until he bequeathed them ...
... much of the writing suggests a 'conversation between four intelligent people' ... a reminder that the art of civilised, witty conversation was avidly cultivated in eighteenth-century salons."

[71 dB]

Given that the Dorati recordings are (a bit unfairly) rather dismissed these days in the light of more recent offerings - that was a fine marathon effort!

I happened to have the mp3s... 

To quote from my trusty Faber Pocket Guide to Haydn -
"The promise of Op.9 and especially Op.17 is richly fulfilled in the Op.20 Quartets of 1772, an annus mirabilis which also saw the production of three magnificent symphonies, Nos 45-7. ... the quartets display a mastery only intermittently glimpsed in Op.9 and Op.17 ... Op.20 left a profound impression on Mozart, and on Beethoven who copied out No.1 in 1794. Brahms owned the autographed manuscripts until he bequeathed them ...
... much of the writing suggests a 'conversation between four intelligent people' ... a reminder that the art of civilised, witty conversation was avidly cultivated in eighteenth-century salons."

Ok, I need to revisit Symphonies Nos. 45-47. Thanks! Frankly Haydn was so prolific the best 10 % of his music is more than I "need."  0:)

If this "annus mirabilis 1905 1772" turns out to be the most suitable period in Haydn's output to me, I can go backward and forward in time and see how fast things start to fall apart for me. The feature I don't like about Haydn's later String Quartets (Opp. 64 & 76) is the "pulsing", constant staccato in fast movements which I found tiresome and even lame. Op. 20 had much more legato in fast movements, the slow movement are gold and I love that and for example the fugue of No. 5 is damn good, almost J. S. Bach good and that's saying a lot!

[Papy Oli]

Indeed.

I can't currently find the complete 10-CD edition of the Mosaiques for sale.** But I can find both separate editions of op.20 and op.33, and also a 5-CD set that had 20, 33 and the Seven Last Words. So that's an appealing option.

**The first Mosaiques I sampled was actually op.76 because those are the pieces I know best. It made a favourable impression so I wouldn't be averse to getting their recordings of works I already own.

Madiel,
not sure if downloads are an acceptable option for you but Qobuz have a sale on Boxsetswhich includes the Mosaiques for £20.15 in CD quality :

https://www.qobuz.com/gb-en/album/complete-haydn-recordings-quatuor-mosaiques-erich-hobarth-andrea-bischof-anita-mitterer-christophe-coin/eergw67yo8pjb

the Festetics are also in there for £20.99:

https://www.qobuz.com/gb-en/album/joseph-haydn-the-complete-string-quartets-played-on-period-instruments-festetics-quartet/3760195733783

[Madiel]

Madiel,
not sure if downloads are an acceptable option for you but Qobuz have a sale on Boxsetswhich includes the Mosaiques for £20.15 in CD quality :

https://www.qobuz.com/gb-en/album/complete-haydn-recordings-quatuor-mosaiques-erich-hobarth-andrea-bischof-anita-mitterer-christophe-coin/eergw67yo8pjb

the Festetics are also in there for £20.99:

https://www.qobuz.com/gb-en/album/joseph-haydn-the-complete-string-quartets-played-on-period-instruments-festetics-quartet/3760195733783

Thanks. I'll use downloads if necessary, but not my preference. And I cannot use Qobuz in any case.

[71 dB]

Did some "homework" concerning Haydn. The exact date of composition isn't always known, but according to Wikipedia the following Symphonies are written around 1770-1775:

Nos. 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 50, 51, 52 and 64.

I listened to again Nos. 42, 43, 45 and 46 (Dorati) and yes, I do like them. Seems the correct Haydn period for me. Among the Piano Sonatas the Esterházy Sonatas are from 1773, but I have to figure out if the optimal Haydn period for me is the same among different genres*. I happen to have (sometimes you find BIS cheap) the last three of the Esterházy Sonatas on a BIS CD played by Ronald Brautigam.

If it turns out  1770-1775 Haydn is "my thing" it certainly helps reducing the very large output of a this prolific composer to something I can manage better + help me enjoy this composer, something I have kind of strugged with because a lot of his works just don't work for me it seems, but some other works are most enjoyable...  I have always been a bit "lost" with Haydn, but maybe this helps...

* Among Oratorios/Masses late Haydn seems to work for me just fine.