Haydn's Haus

[Antoine Marchand]

As for the Ameling CD, besides the Brilliant issue it's also available from Pentatone, in what I have read (probably right here on this thread, if we looked it up) is apparently a better remastering.

It's not just an opinion, it's a fact. I have both sets and Pentatone has notoriously better sound quality. Actually, I would say a lovely sound quality.

[Antoine Marchand]

I am very keen on The Creation also. I have (and really enjoy!) your Spering version, and also Gardiner. His Monteverdi Choir is so special in this sort of thing. For an English version I have (and really like) this one:



which brings into play the other great(er) English soprano, Emma Kirkby. The other PI English version is Macreesh, and I would like to give it a go, just haven't got to it yet, no urgency with already having Hogwood on the shelf.

I have five Creations: Hogwood (disc & DVD); Hengelbrock (DHM); Jacobs (HM); Harnoncourt (DHM) and Spering (Naxos), being Hogwood and Hengelbrock my favorites, nearly followed by Jacobs (which is quite unusual to me).

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[Antoine Marchand]

I know it's rude of me not to publish in "Purchases Today" but really, only Haydnites will be interested anyway.



The surprise so far has been Ensemble Trazom. Of course, we know the gimmicky derivation of the name, but not a lot else about this group. Well, they kick butt! My only lament, as usual these days, is that they chose the most played part of the repertoire to record. It's a pity really, as, for example, I now have 8, count 'em 8, recordings of Hob 15:27 on period instruments alone!   And 7 of 15:28. Compare to only 2 each of Hob 15:5, 6, 7 & 8 which are simply wonderful! Of course, Hoboken didn't help things by not having an apparent clue of the chronology when he numbered these. Those 4 are from 1784-85, hardly early works!   

You would expect the Trio Mosaiques (well, not really, but I will call them (Hobarth, Coin and Cohen) that) to be excellent, and of course you won't be disappointed. I am simply delighted to see them go back as far as Hob 15:18-23 for this double disk, which is a Harmonia Mundi re-release to celebrate the 2009 Haydn Year. Not the entire series is PI, but there has been a treasure trove that IS PI, including this, which were the 2 hardest disks to find of the original releases (I didn't have either of them!).  Check out BRO, I got it there for a Lied.

Speaking of which, I still have a disk of Lieder to get into here. Vermeulen is a known quantity to me, as I greatly enjoy both his new and old cycles of Schubert. I haven't heard him in Classical Era works yet, I have my fingers crossed that his 1st rate pianism isn't tinged with incurable Romanticism. Also Anna Cambier is new to me, so tomorrow evening I will spend with these 2 folks, enjoying what is actually a cross-section of Haydn's earlier German Lieder and his late English Canzonettas.

Finally, the lovely and talented Robert Hill. One of my favorite Bach cembalists, I look forward to hearing what he can do with Haydn. He promises to maximize my enjoyment by not being so ultra-conservative as many moderns who have adopted a backlash against the early 20th century harpsichordist who were OTT with audio effects because they had no role models. But Hill writes quite convincingly in the liner notes that the great majority of extant period harpsichords are equipped with all sorts of effects that are rarely used by modern players, and he feels that Haydn's music will work well with it. Since he is a professor of harpsichordism and I am merely an enthusiastic Haydnite, I owe him an open mind.   

We shall see.

Nice, Gurn! I only have the disc of piano trios with the Mosaïques, but I would surely enjoy any of the others.

BTW, I have four discs of piano trios by Coin-Höbart-Cohen (yours and piano trios Nos. 25-27 & 43-45), but I think they are not a first choice in this repertoire, at least I prefer the van Swieten Trio (Brilliant Classics) by some distance. Even I consider their recorded sound a bit "dull.

[jlaurson]

BTW, I have four discs of piano trios by Coin-Höbart-Cohen (yours and piano trios Nos. 25-27 & 43-45), but I think they are not a first choice in this repertoire, at least I prefer the van Swieten Trio (Brilliant Classics) by some distance. Even I consider their recorded sound a bit "dull.

Hmmm... sad to hear.

But which are those discs:

This two-CD set (formerly released individually as ???) of nos. 32 to 37,

and the 'musique d'abord' issues of 25-27 and 43-45?

In what way are the original releases split up among these three newer releases?



 

[Gurn Blanston]

Hmmm... sad to hear.

But which are those discs:

This two-CD set (formerly released individually as ???) of nos. 32 to 37,

and the 'musique d'abord' issues of 25-27 and 43-45?

In what way are the original releases split up among these three newer releases?



 

Jens, I don't have any of the originals, which are the ones on your bottom row. I have both of the Musique d'abord disks and the Haydn year double disk, and I believe that amongst them they represent all 4 of the original releases. Which is to say, no new recordings, 8 disks = 4 recordings.

[Antoine Marchand]

I don't exactly know how many discs they recorded, but I know the existence of at least 6 CDs, AFAIK:

Vol. 1: Hob. XV:12-14 (piano trios Nos. 25-27)

Vol. 2: Hob. XV:18-20 (piano trios Nos. 32-34)

Vol. 3: Hob. XV:21-23 (piano trios Nos. 35-37)

Vol. 4: Hob. XV:24-26 (piano trios Nos. 38-40)

Vol. 5: Hob. XV:27-29 (piano trios Nos. 43-45)

There is also a CD with Hob. XV:15-17 (trios Nos. 28-30) and Konrad Hünteler playing the flute. 

[Gurn Blanston]

Nice, Gurn! I only have the disc of piano trios with the Mosaïques, but I would surely enjoy any of the others.

BTW, I have four discs of piano trios by Coin-Höbart-Cohen (yours and piano trios Nos. 25-27 & 43-45), but I think they are not a first choice in this repertoire, at least I prefer the van Swieten Trio (Brilliant Classics) by some distance. Even I consider their recorded sound a bit "dull.

I thought so on the M d'a disks, but not on the 'new' one I just got. Don't know if it was 'punched up' a bit or if it happens to be that the originals were recorded more brightly.

Not sure yet how the playing itself compares to others. It is presto in the presto sections, adagio in the adagios; IOW, I didn't note any tempo issues. The finale of Hob 18, in particular, rocks its butt off! Still, I go back to that Trazom disk and I find them to be much looser and more relaxed sounding without being sloppy about it. As I noted earlier, that disk was a surprise to me, not least because it wasn't a talked about best-seller, in fact, I haven't seen it mentioned, just sits there quietly. Ended up making a mercy purchase to round out a BRO order; glad I did! 

[Gurn Blanston]

I don't exactly know how many discs they recorded, but I know the existence of at least 6 CDs, AFAIK:

Vol. 1: Hob. XV:12-14 (piano trios Nos. 25-27)

Vol. 2: Hob. XV:18-20 (piano trios Nos. 32-34)

Vol. 3: Hob. XV:21-23 (piano trios Nos. 35-37)

Vol. 4: Hob. XV:24-26 (piano trios Nos. 38-40)

Vol. 5: Hob. XV:27-29 (piano trios Nos. 43-45)

There is also a CD with Hob. XV:15-17 (trios Nos. 28-30) and Konrad Hünteler playing the flute.

Ah, your volume 4 is the stranger to me then. The balance I have (except for the flute trios). I shall need to look around for that, if it isn't totally gone from the market.

[Gurn Blanston]

I have five Creations: Hogwood (disc & DVD); Hengelbrock (DHM); Jacobs (HM); Harnoncourt (DHM) and Spering (Naxos), being Hogwood and Hengelbrock my favorites, nearly followed by Jacobs (which is quite unusual to me).

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Hengelbrock looks interesting, Antoine. What opinion do you (or anyone who does know) have on this Harnoncourt?;

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Generally love Harnoncourt's Haydn. Don't hear this one mentioned much though.

[Antoine Marchand]

Hengelbrock looks interesting, Antoine. What opinion do you (or anyone who does know) have on this Harnoncourt?;

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Generally love Harnoncourt's Haydn. Don't hear this one mentioned much though.

I will listen to this set again this weekend, Gurn. I only heard it two times, so my image is still a bit diffuse. Considering the last two versions that I have heard (Harnoncourt and Jacobs), quite unexpectedly I enjoyed more Jacobs than Harnoncourt (specially because of how Jacobs uses the pianoforte in the recitatives).

[Gurn Blanston]

I will listen to this set again this weekend, Gurn. I only heard it two times, so my image is still a bit diffuse. Considering the last two versions that I have heard (Harnoncourt and Jacobs), quite unexpectedly I enjoyed more Jacobs than Harnoncourt (specially because of how Jacobs uses the pianoforte in the recitatives).

Ah, thanks in advance for the feedback then. Another that I have run across that has potential for me is Bruno Weil on Vivarte. It has managed to keep a low profile....

[jlaurson]

Ah, thanks in advance for the feedback then. Another that I have run across that has potential for me is Bruno Weil on Vivarte. It has managed to keep a low profile....

Favorite Creation: McCreesh, by some measure. http://www.weta.org/oldfmblog/?p=446

I like Jacobs, too, but his Creation isn't as superior to the rest as his Seasons were. Harnoncourt had a real run when he made his Creation... one superb disc after another... and then there were a few that fell oddly flat. His Messiah, for example, or this Creation which rises above average, but not by much.

[Gurn Blanston]

Favorite Creation: McCreesh, by some measure. http://www.weta.org/oldfmblog/?p=446

I like Jacobs, too, but his Creation isn't as superior to the rest as his Seasons were. Harnoncourt had a real run when he made his Creation... one superb disc after another... and then there were a few that fell oddly flat. His Messiah, for example, or this Creation which rises above average, but not by much.

Thanks, Jens. McCreesh seems to be the one that I need to get, I think. You are but one of the Legion of Admirers of that performance.  Pity about Harnoncourt, every once and again he does that, sad to say.

[Antoine Marchand]

Thanks, Jens. McCreesh seems to be the one that I need to get, I think. You are but one of the Legion of Admirers of that performance.  Pity about Harnoncourt, every once and again he does that, sad to say.

A bona fides recommendation, Gurn: Think in Hengelbrock.

[Gurn Blanston]

A bona fides recommendation, Gurn: Think in Hengelbrock.

Always 1 German & 1 English. So both will be just right.

[SonicMan46]

Boy, a lot of pages have been added since my last visit to Joe's place! 

Now despite having 'tons' of Haydn's instrumental music, I've been ignoring his oratorios - do own the Gardiner version of The Creation, and decided to just add an 'English' performance to my Amazon cart - the Paul McCreesh recording appears to be one of the top recordings being recommended from the previous discussion.

Now for The Seasons, I discarded an older bargain recording (cannot recall which one) a number of years ago, and would like to correct that absence in my collection - SO, what would Papa Haydn enthusiasts recommend?  Thanks - Dave

[Gurn Blanston]

Boy, a lot of pages have been added since my last visit to Joe's place! 

Now despite having 'tons' of Haydn's instrumental music, I've been ignoring his oratorios - do own the Gardiner version of The Creation, and decided to just add an 'English' performance to my Amazon cart - the Paul McCreesh recording appears to be one of the top recordings being recommended from the previous discussion.

Now for The Seasons, I discarded an older bargain recording (cannot recall which one) a number of years ago, and would like to correct that absence in my collection - SO, what would Papa Haydn enthusiasts recommend?  Thanks - Dave

Not sure about him, Dave, but I listened to my Gardiner just the other night and found it highly enjoyable.

[Bogey]

Anyone here familiar with this Creation recording?

[Gurn Blanston]

Anyone here familiar with this Creation recording?

Not I. The only familiar name to me there is Miah Persson, a wonderful soprano who specializes in Classical Era repertoire. The Mozarteum Orchestra never sucks, that's the most I can add...

[Bogey]

Here are four more under consideration....anyone have opinions on Huss: