Haydn's Haus

[Karl Henning]

Both of them signal temptations, Alan.

[TheGSMoeller]

Disc number 2 of Fey's Haydn has arrived with symphony No70 at the start, a piece I'm not too familiar with, but again Fey is creating an exciting and full-bodied sound that I greatly appreciate. Nice dynamic marking additions and changes that are enhancing the quality of these compositions. I have 4 more in the mail along with 2 more Goodman/Hanover on their way, this is too much fun. 

[kishnevi]

I'm also looking long and hard at this next, below, and we're very near the end of the month, so I think I might take the plunge in the next day or two:

That's anchoring my shopping cart at Arkivmusic.  I'll probably be ordering it tonight or tomorrow.  ( I like to wait for Friday,  to see what "Weekend Specials" they are offering, and then if something is tempting I use it to top off the order.)

[jlaurson]

That's anchoring my shopping cart at Arkivmusic.  I'll probably be ordering it tonight or tomorrow.  ( I like to wait for Friday,  to see what "Weekend Specials" they are offering, and then if something is tempting I use it to top off the order.)

I've had the set for well over a year, but only this Christmas vacation did I finally get a chance to play it (thanks to the portable Blu-ray drive)... so it's like a new recording for me, as well.

[Opus106]

Any reason why Haydn waited until No. 99 to write a symphony which employed clarinets? Was Stadler too busy playing Mozart?

[Elgarian]

OK, I pressed the button. Europadisc are doing a nice offer on it through Jan
and Feb (25% off, down to £27):

http://www.europadisc.co.uk/classical/99405/The_Virtual_Haydn_-_Complete_Works_for_Solo_Keyboard.htm

[Gurn Blanston]

So, "eight mature operas" is what I read. I suppose I need only wait for Gurn's further instalments! : )

These are the Italian operas, Karl.

Hob 28 - (Italian) Operas            
Year      Hob 28 #   Title                     Libretto    
1762         1            Acide                          Migliavacca   
1766         2            La canterina              Unk   
1768         3            Lo speziale                 after Goldoni   
1769         4            Le pescatrici         after Goldoni   
1773         5            L'infedelta delusa   Coltellini   
1775         6            L'incontro improvviso    Friberth   
1777         7            Il mondo della luna    Goldoni   
1778         8            La vera costanza             Puttini   
1779         9            L'isola disabitata   Metastasio after Lorenzi   
1780        10           La fedelta premiata       Unk   
1782        11           Orlando paladino     Badini   
1783        12           Armida                       Unk   
1791        13           L'anima del filosofo     Badini   


The ones in blue are written for the Esterháza Operas House, and they are the 8 that Dorati recorded. Note that the box does say "The Esterházy Operas". Also, the likelihood that he wrote more, possibly several more that were destroyed in the Great Fire of 1779 has to be considered.

When we get to 1791, I will present a fuller discussion of L'anima del filosofo. It was never performed there due to infighting on the part of concert promoters, but Haydn got paid for it so he was OK with that.



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Now playing:


La Gaia Scienza \ Marco Brolli (Traverso) - Hob 15_17 Trio in F for Flute, Cello & Fortepiano 2nd mvmt - Finale: Tempo di Menuetto

[Gurn Blanston]

Good morning, fellow Haydnistos. Hard to believe that 4 pages went by without yours truly getting a word in. I became ill on Wednesday and have only now sufficiently recovered to see what's going on here. I'm delighted that y'all have been working on your collections.

I think that those of you who have invested in Beghin will be pleased. I read a comment in the Haydn User Group on Yahoo, the writer didn't like Beghin's playing style although he was very pleased with the set in general. Well, as you may or may not know, keyboard instruments were played differently in the 18th century, usually with a much more articulated style, and very little legato. By the early 19th century the relationship between staccato and legato had completely reversed, and staccato had become an ornament. This is why you hear Beethoven telling Ries that he had heard Mozart play and thought his playing to be "choppy". In any case, Beghin tends towards that very authentic playing style, and I think if your ears aren't ready for it, the lack of legato sounds a bit odd. I would just point out that if you really want to hear that style expertly performed, a brief visit with Semmerjian playing Mozart is in order.

I like Fey too. I have the first 6 disks in his series. If I wasn't confining myself to strictly PI rec's, I would have him near the top of the list.

[Elgarian]

Beghin tends towards that very authentic playing style, and I think if your ears aren't ready for it, the lack of legato sounds a bit odd.

For myself, I think I'll be happy with 'a bit odd', Gurn. I bought the set primarily because I was intrigued by the nature of the virtual project, but also because it would give me a PI alternative to Schornsheim that really was significantly different, and not just 'another recommended set'. The bargain Europadisc price clinched it.

[Gurn Blanston]

For myself, I think I'll be happy with 'a bit odd', Gurn. I bought the set primarily because I was intrigued by the nature of the virtual project, but also because it would give me a PI alternative to Schornsheim that really was significantly different, and not just 'another recommended set'. The bargain Europadisc price clinched it.

Me too. One thing I particularly enjoy about the 5 complete box sets is that each of them has a very distinct personality. That, plus the Project aspect of it, really make a major attraction for me. Price didn't hurt, sure enough.



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Now playing:


Ronald Brautigam - Hob 16_50 Sonata #60 in C for Fortepiano 1st mvmt - Allegro

[SonicMan46]

Hey Gurn - yes, I did notice your absence here lately - hope all is well now - and a Happy New Year!

Last few days, I've been exploring the outstanding Beghin box (cover art from booklet below, left) - just an excellent lavishly illustrated booklet (nearly 100 pages); watched the film on the DVD yesterday (over an hour and a half) about the making of this project - what an effort and collaboration; for $35 this is pretty much a 'no-brainer' for Haydn keyboard fans!

Now listening to disc 5, Program 4, entitled Haydn's Workshop (ca. 1760-1771) - all on the clavichord (also shown below, right) - the acoustics are really wonderful on my den speakers - now I do not have a large number of clavichord recordings (despite liking the instrument), but I must say that his program is convincing and would likely be an 'eye-opener' for those not familiar w/ this keyboard, plus the video really goes into a lot of depth on the making and techniques of the instrument.  Dave

 

[Gurn Blanston]

Thanks, Dave, on the mend anyway. Not quite feeling 'struck-by-lorry' as I did Thursday.

Your mention of the programs reminds me that I hadn't quite thought to mention to people that listening to these the way thjat they are ordered on the CD's is an important part of the enjoyment. Of course, if you are actually listening to the CD's then that will work for you. But if, like me, you ripped these all to FLAC and stored the box away, you will likely have to take steps with your file structure to make it happen. It's worth the effort to follow his lead though.

[Gurn Blanston]

Part 31

1782

If you went back in a time machine to 1782, you could almost hear Bob Dylan in the background singing The times they are a'changin.  I found this paragraph in a biography to be quite interesting;

"The conjunction with Artaria's founding in 1778 and Haydn's publication of music with them beginning in 1779–80 cannot be coincidental. The prince was losing interest in instrumental music; Haydn must have persuaded him to strike a compromise, whereby he remained in residence at court, continued in charge of the opera and drew his full salary, but was granted compositional independence in other respects, including the income from sales of his music. In addition, he began to market his music in other countries: in England beginning in 1781 with Forster, to whom he sold more music than to anyone except Artaria; in France beginning in 1783, selling Symphonies nos.76–8 (composed 1782) to Boyer and offering nos.79–81 (1783–4) to Naderman. (To be sure, certain works not composed for the court – for example, the 'Paris' Symphonies – were still performed, or at any rate tried out, there before being sent into the world, and others, such as the piano sonatas hXVI:40–42, were dedicated to members of the princely family.)" The New Grove Haydn

And thus we come to the symphonies of the present instance. As I have mentioned before, I am very fond of what ultimately became a set of 6. They are not theatrical pasticcios but are clearly intended for their potential audience, the public at large. As he wrote to Boyer in Paris when he offered them up for sale;

Last year I composed 3 beautiful, magnificent and by no means over-lengthy Symphonies, scored for 2 violins, viola, basso, 2 horns, 2 oboes, 1 flute and 1 bassoon – but they are all very easy, and without too much concertante – for the English gentlemen, and I intended to bring them over myself and produce them there: but a certain circumstance hindered that plan, and so I am willing to hand over these 3 Symphonies.

Collected Correspondence and London Notebooks &c Edited H.C.R.-Landon

We learn from this, as a sidelight, that he really was planning on a trip to London, but the likely thing as that the Prince quashed the idea. What he didn't quash that year were another Mariazellermesse, a much tauter affair altogether from his huge first effort. And then, another opera. Based on the famous Orlando story that had been a bestseller in Europe for a couple of centuries now, and the object of plenty of operas (including 2 by Vivaldi). 

The music of 1782;

Hob 01a_16 Orlando Paladino: Sinfonia in Bb
   Manfred Huss / Haydn Sinfonietta Wien



Hob 01_076 Symphony in Eb
   The Hanover Band / Goodman
Hob 01_077 Symphony in Bb
   The Hanover Band / Goodman
Hob 01_078 Symphony in c
   The Hanover Band / Goodman



Hob 16_34 Sonata #53 in e for Fortepiano
   Ronald Brautigam



Hob 22_08 2nd Missa Cellensis
   Collegium musicum 90 / Richard Hickox


Hob 28_11 Opera "Orlando Paladino"
   Concentus Musicus Wien / Harnoncourt Petibon / Gerhaher / Schade / Magnus


So, our Manfred has come through again with a nice overture to this year's opera. So all the opera non-listeners can get a taste anyway.

As for the symphonies, I decided for my own choice to be the perky readings of Goodman & Co. Despite my continued despair over their (and everyone else's) failure to record the next 3 and make the full set of 6. Ah well, we'll resolve that shortly.    Anyway, the symphonies are essentially galant, which contributes to their popular appeal, of course. Of the 3, #78 in c minor retains the galant inner movements, but the outer movements are some good old c minor Stürm und Dräng. The entire trio make for a couple of hours of fine listening.

The e minor keyboard sonata, Hob 34 Landon 53, is in a style that reminds me of his S & D works of the 1770 era. In trying to find some info about beyond liner notes, I was surprisingly shut out. So I will just say 'try it, you'll like it'. Right now I have Brautigam's very nice version of it as my exemplar, but in re-listening to Beghin this morning, I am fairly certain that his version will fill this slot soon. Either way it is a win:win situation for me when they are both this good, And that does not even to mention Schornsheim....

The 2nd Missa Cellensis (Mariazellermesse) Doesn't tend to sprawl the way the 1st one did. Not that the 1st one was bad, just huge!      I like Hickox' version here and will stick with it despite having both Weil's and Burdick's excellent versions. You won't go wrong with any of those.

And then, there was Orlando Paladino. A dramma eroicomico based on a libretto by Porta, the Prince's own librettist. What it lacks in dramatic intensity (due to poor planning in the libretto) it more than makes up with in beautiful music. Being a relative newcomer to opera, even the best-planned ones sort of leave me behind unless they are well-explained to me, but the music is why I am there. And this music is nice!  I have 2 versions of this, the old standby Dorati, and the choice here, Concentus Musicus Wien / Harnoncourt. Harnoncourt seems to have a special knack with opera, I always enjoy his efforts. Either way you will like it, I think. Plus, you can always Wiki up the story of Orlando, a major literary achievement of the time, and see what all the hooting was about.

OK, well that's 1782. As always, comment is very much welcomed.

[Opus106]

That E minor sonata was the first of his that I heard (and likely the only one I remember), and that last movement is quite memorable. The make of the fortepiano is not known, but it was a (recording of a) live performance by Hungarian artist Szekendy Tamás.

[Elgarian]

If you went back in a time machine to 1782, you could almost hear Bob Dylan in the background singing The times they are a'changin.

Last time I saw him in the flesh (about 2003), he did look about as old as that.

But then, he hadn't been well.

[Gurn Blanston]

Last time I saw him in the flesh (about 2003), he did look about as old as that.

But then, he hadn't been well.

Oh yes, I wasn't implying that Dylan needed the time machine... 

[Gurn Blanston]

That E minor sonata was the first of his that I heard (and likely the only one I remember), and that last movement is quite memorable. The make of the fortepiano is not known, but it was a (recording of a) live performance by Hungarian artist Szekendy Tamás.

I can't even remember the first one I heard, and it wasn't more than 15 years ago!  I don't find a Haydn disk by Tamás on AMP, but I am judging that he recorded it on Hungaroton like the others I see (Brahms). I can't remember you discussing keyboard music very much; are you a fan of it? Thousands aren't, I know, so we do have someone to balance out George and Mandryka. 



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Now playing:


Tom Beghin - Hob 16_48 Sonata in C for Clavier 2nd mvmt - Rondo: Presto

[Opus106]

I can't even remember the first one I heard, and it wasn't more than 15 years ago!  I don't find a Haydn disk by Tamás on AMP, but I am judging that he recorded it on Hungaroton like the others I see (Brahms).

It was an air-check of a recital with a couple of PTs and another sonata, IIRC.

I can't remember you discussing keyboard music very much; are you a fan of it? Thousands aren't, I know, so we do have someone to balance out George and Mandryka.

I am not a connoisseur of recordings, but I am known to like the tinkling by Bach (and his Baroque buddies, and Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Rachmaninoff, some Scriabin)! My username refers to No. 29, if you get the reference.

[mszczuj]

Hob 28_11 Opera "Orlando Paladino"

So:

Do you (or does anyboy) want me to make scans of libretto of Orlando Paladino and Armida? Or may be the notes would be sufficient?

Don't hesitate if you want.

[Sergeant Rock]

So:

Do you (or does anyboy) want me to make scans of libretto of Orlando Paladino and Armida? Or may be the notes would be sufficient?

Don't hesitate if you want.

Speaking only for myself: I've downloaded your previous efforts but don't need those two (I have Harnoncourt's versions which came with libretti). Once again, thanks for your work. Much appreciated.

Sarge