Haydn's Haus

[Antoine Marchand]

The Naxos-Haydn is an *awesome* disc; HMB's Haydn is every bit as good as his best Bach and Hadelich is going to be a major violinist soon and the disc shows why.

The Archiv disc is available on the MPE Player and Spotify. Only listened with one ear last night, on the computer: quite lovely.

We have some agreement here:

I have von der Goltz/Freiburger Baroque Orchestra too and I think they really suck. I prefer - by far - Müller-Brühl and his people playing on modern instruments. BTW, his soloist Agustin Hadelich is a great violinist, who plays these concertos in the most virtuosistic way that I have heard. When I listen to those interpretations, I'm constantly thinking: "fatto per il luigi".   

In short, I would say: Wallfisch: beautiful tone and balance - Hadelich: impassioned and virtuosistic - Von der Goltz: boring - Guglielmo: chamber music. 

[Gurn Blanston]

Actually, the Naxos box set of the Complete Concertos is probably worth getting, if you're not Gurn. (It's not PI.)
Meanwhile, on another front, look what FedEx just dropped off at my door, with a bunch of other Naxos CDs [asin]B0000502AH[/asin]

In truth, I am so much in favor of this music that even if a performance choice doesn't suit me personally, I will favor it for someone else if that's what it takes to get them interested in it. I have well over 1000 Haydn CD's, so it is true, bolstering that number is not as compelling as it was when I only had a few here and there.   BTW, I still have (and listen to) my first string quartets, the Kodaly's, which I bought one at a time as they were being released.  0:)

And on the picking up new CD's front, I ran across this today, and as it was slated to drop off the availability list, I made a minimal bid and won it:



Anyone familiar with?  Other than the ubiquitous #'s 97 & 113, it also features the rarely performed #45 and 109. I figured for $6.99 "Like New", I couldn't really lose...

[SonicMan46]

And on the picking up new CD's front, I ran across this today, and as it was slated to drop off the availability list, I made a minimal bid and won it:



Anyone familiar with?  Other than the ubiquitous #'s 97 & 113, it also features the rarely performed #45 and 109. I figured for $6.99 "Like New", I couldn't really lose...

Hi Gurn - I've had that disc for years - in fact, my FIRST baryton recording! Can't remember 'where or when' I purchased the CD but enjoyed initially and remains in my collection despite adding MANY more performances on this instrument - guess that I like it!  So a 'thumbs up' if you can obtain at the price desired - Dave

[mszczuj]

Anyone familiar with? 

My second baryton LP. I have listened to it once. This was the time when I bought too much Haydn. Never had a chance to relisten much of this. It was in 96-97.


But I had just opposite habits before. My first six records of Haydn were London Symphonies. One day I tried to listen to all of them. I didn't manage and had to listen to No. 104 next morning. I already knew them perfectly then. About 1980.

Not now.

These symphonies were for me absolutely perfect. Long strange trip. Does anybody know them?

http://www.amazon.com/Haydn-London-Symphonies-Nos-93-104/dp/B000084I3Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325811675&sr=8-1

[Gurn Blanston]

Hi Gurn - I've had that disc for years - in fact, my FIRST baryton recording! Can't remember 'where or when' I purchased the CD but enjoyed initially and remains in my collection despite adding MANY more performances on this instrument - guess that I like it!  So a 'thumbs up' if you can obtain at the price desired - Dave

Dave,
Oh, I did obtain it at that price. Time was so short (5 minutes left in the auction) that I didn't have time to research it before buying. I note the cheapest AMP price is <> twice what I paid, so I reckon by your report that I am pleased.

[SonicMan46]

By the way, the London Haydn Quartet does it again in their Op.20 account...absolutely stunning sonics and performances! Wow!

Hi Leo - I've enjoyed the first two Haydn SQ releases from this excellent group & the reviews were excellent, so I just went ahead and purchased the Op. 20 set assuming similar excellence - have just listened once and really enjoyed also - Hyperion as usual has done an outstanding effort in recording these string players.

Well, there was an excellent review on MusicWeb reprinted HERE; however, I just received the Jan-Feb 2012 issues of the American Record Guide & Fanfare, and was rather shocked by simultaneous and independent negative comments made in both of these publications (for those interested, I've attached a summary of both reviews) - my first feeling is that neither of these reviewers are into this approach at all, particularly by some of their alternate recommendations - will be interested in the thoughts of others - hard to believe that the London Haydn SQ fell apart and did not know what they were doing on these recordings vs. their earlier superb efforts.

I plan to re-listen to these Op. 20 recordings soon and will be curious about the comments from others - Dave

[Gurn Blanston]

My second baryton LP. I have listened to it once. This was the time when I bought too much Haydn. Never had a chance to relisten much of this. It was in 96-97.

There is no such possibility. Clearly you were deluded at the time...

But I had just opposite habits before. My first six records of Haydn were London Symphonies. One day I tried to listen to all of them. I didn't manage and had to listen to No. 104 next morning. I already knew them perfectly then. About 1980.

Not now.

These symphonies were for me absolutely perfect. Long strange trip. Does anybody know them?

http://www.amazon.com/Haydn-London-Symphonies-Nos-93-104/dp/B000084I3Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325811675&sr=8-1

I have not heard those versions. The lone review there is highly praiseful. I also note that he says that #100 may be the best of the set. It is my favorite one, so that is attractive right there! 

[Gurn Blanston]

Hi Leo - I've enjoyed the first two Haydn SQ releases from this excellent group & the reviews were excellent, so I just went ahead and purchased the Op. 20 set assuming similar excellence - have just listened once and really enjoyed also - Hyperion as usual has done an outstanding effort in recording these string players.

Well, there was an excellent review on MusicWeb reprinted HERE; however, I just received the Jan-Feb 2012 issues of the American Record Guide & Fanfare, and was rather shocked by simultaneous and independent negative comments made in both of these publications (for those interested, I've attached a summary of both reviews) - my first feeling is that neither of these reviewers are into this approach at all, particularly by some of their alternate recommendations - will be interested in the thoughts of others - hard to believe that the London Haydn SQ fell apart and did not know what they were doing on these recordings vs. their earlier superb efforts.

I plan to re-listen to these Op. 20 recordings soon and will be curious about the comments from others - Dave

Well, that was interesting. The first review was written by someone who likes period string playing (but is woefully ignorant about it). In the sense that it reflects some of my own opinions, I essentially agree with it. The second one is written by someone who does not like period string playing, and while I agree with the basic analysis (well, how can you argue whether repeats were taken?) I don't necessarily agree with his solution, which is that since this doesn't please, then one should throw period strings out the window and just go with modern. That's silly. Even if you don't want to go the Festetics route, the Mosaiques are more than capable of pleasing. It is a minor tragedy that the Esterházy Quartet only did #2 & 4. They are tops in those two works though.

[Leon]

Hi Leo - I've enjoyed the first two Haydn SQ releases from this excellent group & the reviews were excellent, so I just went ahead and purchased the Op. 20 set assuming similar excellence - have just listened once and really enjoyed also - Hyperion as usual has done an outstanding effort in recording these string players.

Well, there was an excellent review on MusicWeb reprinted HERE; however, I just received the Jan-Feb 2012 issues of the American Record Guide & Fanfare, and was rather shocked by simultaneous and independent negative comments made in both of these publications (for those interested, I've attached a summary of both reviews) - my first feeling is that neither of these reviewers are into this approach at all, particularly by some of their alternate recommendations - will be interested in the thoughts of others - hard to believe that the London Haydn SQ fell apart and did not know what they were doing on these recordings vs. their earlier superb efforts.

I plan to re-listen to these Op. 20 recordings soon and will be curious about the comments from others - Dave

I have to wonder why these period recordings are assigned to reviewers who are so ignorant as to write this kind of thing: "the sad fact is that we know very little about what the sound of an ensemble of that time would have been."   But I am not surprised that reviewers at the ARG have a tendency to not like PI performances, taking their cue from the editor himself who is unthrottled in his hatred of all things HIP.

These guys could not even agree on the intonation, which is usually the complaint de jure of those forced to review a PI disc.  But since I have not heard these recordings, I cannot comment more particularly about these reviews other than to say that I wish the publications would have chosen reviewers who do not come to the task with a negative bias towards the whole HIP enterprise.

[Elgarian]

I'm just poking my head over the parapet to say that I've been listening to the Thomas Fey Paris symphonies, and - without making any big deal out of it - being vaguely disappointed. So far I haven't found myself supercharged with electricity: just a few mild tinglings. Certainly I feel I miss the period strings; altogether these seem - I keep on using these words because I know no others - a bit polite and smooth.

I'm going to go back to Kuijken and see how I find those. It may be that I'm just not very receptive right now.

[Karl Henning]

The phrase "rarely played" must surely qualify as redundant when applied to the baryton works, yes? ; )

[Karl Henning]

I'm going to go back to Kuijken and see how I find those. It may be that I'm just not very receptive right now.

Maybe you need a Sibelius Fourth jolt, Alan . . . .

[Sergeant Rock]

I'm just poking my head over the parapet to say that I've been listening to the Thomas Fey Paris symphonies, and - without making any big deal out of it - being vaguely disappointed. So far I haven't found myself supercharged with electricity: just a few mild tinglings. Certainly I feel I miss the period strings; altogether these seem - I keep on using these words because I know no others - a bit polite and smooth.

Well, compared to his recordings of the earlier numbered symphonies (e.g., 39, 54) his Paris symphonies come across more "big band"--which isn't historically out of place (Paris had a large orchestra). I'd hardly call the readings polite though. Fey really brings out the dissonance and drama in, for example, the Bear's first movement. But I accept the fact that you have a different set of ears 

Sarge

[Karl Henning]

OTOH, compared to the Sibelius Fourth, any Haydn will sound polite. I withdraw the suggestion, Alan . . . .

[Sergeant Rock]

OTOH, compared to the Sibelius Fourth, any Haydn will sound polite. I withdraw the suggestion, Alan . . . .

And then there's the question: in Haydn, other than those instances when he's being intentionally vulgar, should it ever be anything but polite?

Sarge

[Gurn Blanston]

And then there's the question: in Haydn, other than those instances when he's being intentionally vulgar, should it ever be anything but polite?

Sarge

Polite is OK. It mustn't be carried too far though. It is not effete. My personal taste runs more to rowdy.

[Gurn Blanston]

Yeah, when did polite bcome a dirty word? . . .

In the mid-19th century when music 'experts' dismissed most of Mozart and all of Haydn because they were too polite. Lacy rococo bon-bons. Polite in the sense used by Alan and myself, although maybe not by you, Karl, has always been a dirty word.

[Karl Henning]

Good morning, O Gurn!

[Sergeant Rock]

Polite is OK. It mustn't be carried too far though. It is not effete. My personal taste runs more to rowdy.

I'm listening to Fey's last movement of the Bear. Rowdy is a perfect word to describe his performance 

Sarge

[Karl Henning]

. . . Lacy rococo bon-bons.

You know, there's a place for lacy Rococo bon-bons, dadfrazzanabbit!