Haydn's Haus

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

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André

I forgot to mention (I think?) that the Hacker Nocturnes are played on period instruments, which adds a nice spicy flavor to the performance.  :)

SonicMan46

Quote from: André on August 19, 2021, 04:42:42 PM
I forgot to mention (I think?) that the Hacker Nocturnes are played on period instruments, which adds a nice spicy flavor to the performance.  :)

+1 André - own Hacker on other recordings playing historic clarinets - he's great and looking forward to that Haydn recording.  Dave :)

SonicMan46

Quote from: SonicMan46 on August 19, 2021, 07:14:17 PM
+1 André - own Hacker on other recordings playing historic clarinets - he's great and looking forward to that Haydn recording.  Dave :)

Well, my $8 'used' CD below arrived from the Amazon MP seller - disc surfaces pristine after a little cleaning, and both played just fine - at this point, I seem to have enough performances of these works -  :laugh:  And many not in my collection (from our previous posts) are now a Spotify playlist - my only temptation would be a 'new' release of these works using duo liras!  8)  Dave


André

Good, Dave. Now you must enlighten us with your impressions  :)

George

Quote from: André on August 24, 2021, 09:06:43 AM
Good, Dave. Now you must enlighten us with your impressions  :)

I hear he does a mean Alan Alda.
"I can't live without music, because music is life." - Yvonne Lefébure

SonicMan46

#12565
Quote from: André on August 24, 2021, 09:06:43 AM
Good, Dave. Now you must enlighten us with your impressions  :)  RE: Notturni w/ Hacker and Gang!

André - Gurn and you have already commented on the previous page - what can I add to your illustrious thoughts -  :laugh:

For others not aware of these Notturni (called 'Nocturnes' on the cover art of the London Double Decker) - Haydn wrote 5 concertos and 8 notturni for the King of Naples, who along w/ one of his staff played the lira organizzata (hybrid hurdy-gurdy organ) - from Gurn's Haydn Seek, the Naples instruments for these works are listed below from the link.  When Haydn went to London for the Solomon Concerts, he rescored the Notturni by replacing the lira with flute/oboe 'equivalents' among other changes noted by Gurn - apparently these 'new' arrangements for London were used in this recording.

Now the notes are quite scant for this re-issue but I found a listing of the performers and instruments in the Hacker recording (from the LPs, I believe), shown below in the other pic.  Being a fan of PIs and of Hacker and his clarinet recordings, I'm enthusiastic about this delightful recording; the combination of instruments is what I tend to like in a small chamber group, i.e. plenty of windy blowing!  Of course, hard to compare some of these offerings discussed in the last page or so, i.e. Naples vs. London manuscripts, Lira vs. other instruments, PI vs. MI.  I looked for reviews but came up pretty much 'dry', except for a brief one from BBC (attached) - they gave only a 3*/5* rating although their comments suggested another star should have been added (but I've found this pretty routine w/ this magazine).  Bottom line - recommended recording if you desire the London versions and period instruments; of course for me, I like to have a mixture (which I do!).  Dave :)

 

André

Thanks Dave !

It's the first time I see the line up of musicians in The Music Party. Apart from Hacker, I note the presence of some very well known figures from the english musical scene: Monica Huggett, Nicholas McGegan, Alan Civil are all star names.

SonicMan46

Quote from: André on August 24, 2021, 12:17:06 PM
Thanks Dave !

It's the first time I see the line up of musicians in The Music Party. Apart from Hacker, I note the presence of some very well known figures from the english musical scene: Monica Huggett, Nicholas McGegan, Alan Civil are all star names.

Yes!  Huggett & McGegan came to my attention immediately, and enjoyed seeing the instrument listing - these notes are completely absent from my brief booklet in the 'Double Decker', but not unexpected in an inexpensive re-release, I guess.  Dave :)

Gurn Blanston

Quote from: André on August 24, 2021, 12:17:06 PM
Thanks Dave !

It's the first time I see the line up of musicians in The Music Party. Apart from Hacker, I note the presence of some very well known figures from the English musical scene: Monica Huggett, Nicholas McGegan, Alan Civil are all star names.

I agree, it is the first time I see it too, since I don't recall the CD notes including such interesting tidbits! To your 'elites' list, I would add Catherine Mackintosh and Jennifer Ward Clarke. It is particularly impressive to see that all the instruments appear to be actual original instruments rather than reproductions (which I have no problem with BTW), especially things like the clarinets, since these Boxwood Beauties rarely survive in playable condition 200 years later!

Nice post, Dave, hope it revives interest in these lovely, but out of the way pieces. :)

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

Karl Henning

Quote from: Gurn Blanston on August 24, 2021, 12:35:13 PM
I agree, it is the first time I see it too, since I don't recall the CD notes including such interesting tidbits! To your 'elites' list, I would add Catherine Mackintosh and Jennifer Ward Clarke. It is particularly impressive to see that all the instruments appear to be actual original instruments rather than reproductions (which I have no problem with BTW), especially things like the clarinets, since these Boxwood Beauties rarely survive in playable condition 200 years later!

Nice post, Dave, hope it revives interest in these lovely, but out of the way pieces. :)

8)

Tandentially, I have Catherine Mackintosh playing Vivaldi viola d'amore concerti.
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 August 24, 2021, 12:40:29 PM
Tandentially, I have Catherine Mackintosh playing Vivaldi viola d'amore concerti.

Me too, nice disk! She was Concertmistress of the Academy of Ancient Music under Hogwood when they did the complete Mozart symphonies, which is where I first heard of her. Then she moved on to the OAE which is where she did that Vivaldi. May still be there, I don't know, she might have retired by now. :)

8)
Visit my Haydn blog: HaydnSeek

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

Madiel

Quote from: George on August 24, 2021, 09:12:07 AM
I hear he does a mean Alan Alda.

This is the best thing I've read all day.  :laugh:
I am now working on a discography of the works of Vagn Holmboe. Please visit and also contribute!

SonicMan46

Quote from: Madiel on August 24, 2021, 10:19:36 PM
This is the best thing I've read all day.  :laugh:

LOL!  :laugh:  Believe that George was referring to me - in our family the best impersonator by far is my BIL (he does a lot of amateur acting on Long Island) - for my relationship to MASH, the TV series, one of the night techs when I was on call as a radiology resident nicknamed me Radar from the show - our noses do have a similar appearance!  8)  Dave


Madiel

Does anyone have sufficient familiarity with the Auryn Quartet's series to comment on stronger or weaker volumes?

Some time ago on this thread I tried op.54 (I think) and found it a fraction too smooth for my taste and the acoustic a bit reverberant.

I'm currently giving them a go in op.1 and finding it highly enjoyable. The acoustic is still warm, but this time I'm not finding it too much. And there's a spring in the step of the performances.

I don't know right now how much of this is just me and my mood, and how much there's actually some difference in the volumes (surely, over such a big project, there will be at least some variation in success).

There aren't all that many options for opp.1 and 2, but a couple of works in and I'm definitely eyeing the Auryn with interest.
I am now working on a discography of the works of Vagn Holmboe. Please visit and also contribute!

Jo498

Not really enough, but I'd recommend slightly against their op.33. (The only other volume I have is op.17 and an older recording of op.71 and it's been too long that I heard these to comment on them, only that I think I liked them both more.)
It shares the features you mention wrt op.54 and while not at all bad, I found it a bit uninvolved, especially in my favorite #3 "Bird"  (and a piece with a lot of good recordings, unlike the other 5...) I still keep that op.33 around because I am not totally happy with any other I have either. (I am happy at least with superlative recordings of op.33#3 by the Jerusalem and Smetana quartets, so I don't need this one with the Auryn but it is still telling that they "fail" this best and most famous of the 6.)

Unlike some others opus numbers, though, there are quite a few recordings for op.33. So while this might be orthogonal to your request/approach, I'd try first the volumes with not much competition (i.e. NOT op.20,33,76,77). I stopped buying the series because they tended expensive and were not as good as I had hoped to warrant the expense (especially with me having already a lot of Haydn quartets on the shelves).
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Florestan

Quote from: Madiel on October 16, 2021, 01:56:02 AM
There aren't all that many options for opp.1 and 2

I've recently listened to Opp. 1 & 2 played by the Kodaly Quartet and was mightily impressed.
Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Rossini

Pohjolas Daughter

I'm currently enjoying a glorious and touching recording of Haydn's The Creation.  This one:

with a number of my favorite singers.  I owned this recording for several years, but confess that I hadn't gotten around to playing it 'til now.  It's absolutely gorgeous!  What wonderful lyrics too!  As my set doesn't contain any info re the work itself (though thankfully, it does have the texts and translations) can anyone here shed further light on it?  From what I could glean from Wiki,  the texts were from Gottfried van Swieten which in turn was based on John Milton's poem "Paradise Lost".  Does this sound about right?

The first section/part really resonated with me--loved the description of the creation of the world and all of the animals....moved to tears by Janowitz's singing of the birds and about the nightingale and the "No sorrow weighs as yet upon her breast, as yet no note of sadness sounds in her lovely song."

Gorgeous singing all around.  Great way to start the day.   :)

PD
Pohjolas Daughter

Gurn Blanston

Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on December 04, 2021, 04:16:52 AM
I'm currently enjoying a glorious and touching recording of Haydn's The Creation.  This one:

with a number of my favorite singers.  I owned this recording for several years, but confess that I hadn't gotten around to playing it 'til now.  It's absolutely gorgeous!  What wonderful lyrics too!  As my set doesn't contain any info re the work itself (though thankfully, it does have the texts and translations) can anyone here shed further light on it?  From what I could glean from Wiki,  the texts were from Gottfried van Swieten which in turn was based on John Milton's poem "Paradise Lost".  Does this sound about right?

The first section/part really resonated with me--loved the description of the creation of the world and all of the animals....moved to tears by Janowitz's singing of the birds and about the nightingale and the "No sorrow weighs as yet upon her breast, as yet no note of sadness sounds in her lovely song."

Gorgeous singing all around.  Great way to start the day.   :)

PD

Hey , PD. Creation really is a great piece of music, for certain. I've written 3 or 4 essays about it, and they contain all the info currently available, along with bibliography. Here is the first one, the others follow along. Hope they have what you're looking for. 

https://www.fjhaydn.com/my-blog/2018/08/1798-the-music-part-1.html

🤠😎
Visit my Haydn blog: HaydnSeek

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

Pohjolas Daughter

Quote from: Gurn Blanston on December 04, 2021, 05:43:43 AM
Hey , PD. Creation really is a great piece of music, for certain. I've written 3 or 4 essays about it, and they contain all the info currently available, along with bibliography. Here is the first one, the others follow along. Hope they have what you're looking for. 

https://www.fjhaydn.com/my-blog/2018/08/1798-the-music-part-1.html

🤠😎
Thanks Mike!  I'll read them a bit later today.   :)

PD
Pohjolas Daughter

Symphonic Addict

Independently of whether I agree or not with Hurwitz regarding what he thinks and put on his videos, I do admit that his Haydn symphony traversal is becoming an important achievement on Youtube. I enjoy much of his content, albeit I disagree with many of his assessments.
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