Haydn's Haus

[Leon]

This is the set I have, however, I have it on LPs (it was my first Haydn box set and despite its age is in remarkably good condition) and have transferred it to CDs. 

[Karl Henning]

Just listened to the b minor quartet, with the two ensembles interleaved (i.e., listening to each movement twice in immediate succession).  The first thing which stands out is how, in the outer movements especially, the two ensembles are playing almost precisely the same tempo.

It was an exercise which again demonstrates (for me) the supremacy of the fruit (the banana), for while each of the two ensembles has its own distinct voice, Haydn's writing here shines in both 'manners'. The Amadeus plays more legato, the Mosaïques play more détaché, but in both cases (I find) it is the music which is paramount, and I do not find the manner (in either case) anything of a distraction – more a sort of lens.

[Gurn Blanston]

Just listened to the b minor quartet, with the two ensembles interleaved (i.e., listening to each movement twice in immediate succession).  The first thing which stands out is how, in the outer movements especially, the two ensembles are playing almost precisely the same tempo.

It was an exercise which again demonstrates (for me) the supremacy of the fruit (the banana), for while each of the two ensembles has its own distinct voice, Haydn's writing here shines in both 'manners'. The Amadeus plays more legato, the Mosaïques play more détaché, but in both cases (I find) it is the music which is paramount, and I do not find the manner (in either case) anything of a distraction – more a sort of lens.

Just as I have been saying all along. Nice to get some confirmation of that. Also, without even hearing the Amadeus version I would have ventured the legato to them. I am delighted to have reached the same conclusion (albeit over a much larger sampling) as the eminent Dr. Henning.   Isn't the music just wonderful though? 

[Leon]

As I have been transferring the Amadeus LPs to CD, a real-time process, I am listening to every quartet in that set and reacquainting myself with not only their interpretation, which I have no complaints about, but the many features of these works which bring a broad smile to my face. 

Last night I was enjoying the Op. 76#2 - transfixed.

So often the music bursts with joie de vivre and invention that I am almost forced to declare Haydn to be my favorite composer.

[Gurn Blanston]

As I have been transferring the Amadeus LPs to CD, a real-time process, I am listening to every quartet in that set and reacquainting myself with not only their interpretation, which I have no complaints about, but the many features of these works which bring a broad smile to my face. 

Last night I was enjoying the Op. 76#2 - transfixed.

So often the music bursts with joie de vivre and invention that I am almost forced to declare Haydn to be my favorite composer.

  The more I listen to, the easier it becomes for me to say exactly that. And Op 76 #2 is one of my favorite works in any case. Since my first hearing of it I have preferred it above all. So straightforward, so devious.

[DavidW]

Tokyo is great Karl, but you won't be finding it I don't think (could be wrong though).  I also like the Nomos Q:

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I want to try the Auryn Q but I can't find them as a digital download.

[Gurn Blanston]

Tokyo is great Karl, but you won't be finding it I don't think (could be wrong though).  I also like the Nomos Q:


I want to try the Auryn Q but I can't find them as a digital download.

That is what I think too. Every now and then I see it on eBay but always get outbid no matter how much I plunk down. And Arkiv want $35 for the burns!    I think the Nomos are a great next choice. Also, and you can write this down to remember it by, 'cause you won't see me do this often; I have The Lindsay's Op 50 and find it quite enjoyable indeed. There, I said it.

[chasmaniac]

and you can write this down to remember it by, 'cause you won't see me do this often; I have The Lindsay's Op 50 and find it quite enjoyable indeed. There, I said it.

Chuckles. I knew you weren't all bad. 

[Karl Henning]

Tokyo is great Karl, but you won't be finding it I don't think (could be wrong though).  I also like the Nomos Q:

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Cool, Davey! — fact is, I pulled the trigger on that yesterday, on an apparently fortunate impulse : )

[Gurn Blanston]

Chuckles. I knew you weren't all bad. 

Well, I probably am all bad, actually, but even at that I get surprised now and then.

[Karl Henning]

Surprised by the occasional outcrop of craggy goodness . . . .

[Gurn Blanston]

Surprised by the occasional outcrop of craggy goodness . . . .

Yes, it is incongruent with my self-image...

[Gurn Blanston]

Part 45

1796

Home again. And no longer an unknown quantity. Vienna's peculiar habit of failing to recognize its greatest residents until the rest of the world had led the way held true again. For Haydn truly was famous now throughout Europe and was even known as far off as America, so Vienna could afford to take the chance to extend itself.  

In addition to that, it was also a great year for music. Well, they all were, yes? But in this year, the seed planted in 1793 on the way back to London, hearing The Seven Last Words sung as an oratorio, sprouted and came to fruition. And a talented inventor who played the trumpet, and knew it could be better, approached him to write what would be his greatest concerto for an instrument that he had never even heard played before, the keyed trumpet. As well, promised pieces for English friends were completed as the finest of his keyboard trios.

But the works which would be prophetic of the remainder of his life were the first two of the so-called 'Six Great Masses'. Because with the exception of some brilliant string quartets and a minor piece here and there, vocal music, especially sacred vocal music, would comprise the remainder of his oeuvre.

Un unusual feature of this year, and possibly inspired by the passion that he had observed in England for group singing (catches and glees were all the rage at that time and Haydn enjoyed them as much as anyone), we find here thirteen 'part-songs'. Haydn said of them that they were composed 'con amore, in happy times and without commission' (Griesinger); as far as we know they (and his canons) are his only works of which this is true.

Then of course, the masses. The numbering of these first two, #9 the Paukenmesse (Missa in Tempore Belli or Mass in Time of War) and #10 the Heiligmesse (Mass for St Bernard) is probably reversed. In any case, these were the beginning of a tradition that lasted during the remainder of Haydn's creative life. Each is distinctive and unusual, none of them can be confused for another or any mass by anyone else either. Another unique achievement in a career that was packed with them.


The music of 1796;

Hob 07e_1 Concerto in Eb for Trumpet
   Pinnock, Trevor/English Concert


Hob 15_27 Trio in C for Piano & Strings   
Hob 15_28 Trio in E for Piano & Strings   
Hob 15_29 Trio in Eb for Piano & Strings   
Hob 15_30 Trio in Eb for Piano & Strings
   Trio 1790


Hob 20_2 Oratorio The Seven Last Words of Christ on the Cross
   Concentus Musicus Wien / Harnoncourt


Hob 22_09 Paukenmesse
Concentus Musicus Wien / Harnoncourt
Hob 22_10 Heiligmesse
   REBEL Baroque orchestra / Burdick


Hob 25a_01 Italian Duet for Soprano, Tenor & Keyboard "Guarda qui, che lo vedra"
Hob 25a_02 Italian Duet for Soprano, Tenor & Keyboard "Saper vorrei se m'ami"
   Four Nations Ensemble


Nine Part-Songs for Mixed Chorus & Keyboard
Hob 25b_1 Song for 3 Voices "An Den Vetter"
Hob 25b_2 Song for 3 Voices "Daphnens einziger Fehler"
Hob 25b_3 Song for 3 Voices "Betrachtung des Todes"
Hob 25b_4 Song for 3 Voices "An die Frauen"
Hob 25c_1 Song for 4 Voices  "Der Augenblick"
Hob 25c_2 Song for 4 Voices  "Die Harmonie In Der Ehe"
Hob 25c_3 Song for 4 Voices  "Alles Hat Seine Zeit"
Hob 25c_4 Song for 4 Voices  "Die Beredsamkeit"
Hob 25c_5 Song for 4 Voices  "Der Greis"
Hob 25c_6 Song for 4 Voices  "Die Warnung"
Hob 25c_7 Song for 4 Voices  "Wider Den Übermut"
Hob 25c_8 Song for 4 Voices  "Aus Dem Dankliede Zu Gott"
Hob 25c_9 Song for 4 Voices  "Abendlied Zu Gott"
   Netherlands Chamber Choir / Glen Wilson (1795 Walter reproduction Fortepiano)


Hob 30_5a Incidental music to Alfred, Knig der Angelsachsen: Chor der Dänen
Hob 30_5b Incidental music to Alfred, Knig der Angelsachsen: Aria des Schutzgeistes   Collegium musicum 90 / Richard Hickox



Well, we start right out with one of those works which is loaded with excellent versions. I have two that I am very comfortable with, and there is a third which has yet to grace my shelves. The first of these is pictured above.  Overall the Pinnock is a fine choice. Paul Goodwin plays expertly on a modern (1990) reproduction of the 'organized (keyed) trumpet'. I think that from beginning to end this is the smoothest version I've heard. In this version, on the other hand;

Friedemann Immer plays an actual Viennese organized trumpet from the very beginning of the 19th century. And while he eventually emerges triumphant, it is really easy to imagine that Weidinger had to really have his hands full when he used a nearly identical instrument to play this work in 1799. I have to admit that by the end I was pulling for Immer to bring it off, and he did! The final version, which I haven't heard but am intrigued by for more than one reason is this one;

This disk also includes concertos by Hummel and Puccini so overall it is likely to be far closer to a recreation of one of Weidinger's original academies. I have heard nothing but good about this disk from some trusted sources, so it could certainly be a great choice for you.

The last 4 piano trios. The Bartolozzi Trios composed for Therese Jansen Bartolozzi. They were likely begun last year, nearly certainly completed this year. These are works that will certainly hook you on the genre. As expected, there are many quality versions available, but I have no problem completing Haydn's Trio oeuvre exactly how I began it, with Trio 1790. For those of you inclined to branch away from them, here are a  couple of fine disks to go on with;

If you enjoyed Beghin's sonatas disks and/or his Lieder disk with Andrea Folan, then the Trio Galatea could be for you. He has a couple of excellent string players, and I am personally amused at the precise reversal of typical Classical style which has instead a man at the keyboard and two ladies on the strings.    The Bylsma/Beths/Levin disk is an absolute classic and has been my favorite for years. This is the sort of disk one should have on hand no matter your personal taste in music, or instruments or style.


The oratorio version of The Seven Last Words also has a great representation in the recorded treasury. This version, for example, is a fine choice;


But I have elected to stay with one of my earliest favorites, Concentus Musicus / Harnoncourt. I think the power and grandeur, and at the same time, the tragedy and humility that characterize both the unfolding of the event itself and the liturgical expression of it, and Haydn's fabulous characterization of it in the music, are all facets that are well represented here. The masses box featured below also contains this same recording, BTW.

Now we turn to the masses. Everyone has an opinion on how these should sound, and there is a version to suit each of them, it seems. My opinion is based directly on the fact that these were composed for performance in the chapel at Eisenstadt, which is not a great huge cathedral by any means, it is exactly what it says it is; a chapel. This lowers the number of competitors by far, IMO.   Ultimately, I feel that there are three versions of them which could be suitable for MY needs. Those are the two pictured above (Burdick and Harnoncourt) and then the lovely set by Weil, either the Benelux version on Brilliant or the generally released Sony version with just the last six masses on it;

For the first of these two, I chose Harnoncourt, not least because of the wonderful percussion in the Agnus Dei which they bring off to perfection. Pauken is the German word for timpani, and any version in which the timpani don't stand out here just isn't living up to it. For the second mass (the Saint Bernard's mass, which is actually the first of the Great Six), I very much enjoyed the REBEL Orchestra / Burdick, some lovely singing in there and the playing is first-rate.

All this is not to say that Hickox, or the Gardiner set, are not good either. They are very good indeed, and I find myself in the mood for them from time to time. But as exemplars of my personal ideal, the featured performances are it.

Haydn composed the Italian Duets in this year too. Despite some considerable searching, I really haven't found anything of note about them, even in the liner notes. The notes say that they resulted from his work with Badini in London ('Orfeo e Euridice'), although not that Badini wrote the texts. They were his last works of Italian style music. They are a pleasure to listen to and I can recommend the disk they are on for not just these two works, but also for the balance of works that are on there. Definitely an underrated effort that I am pleased to have.

This is the only complete recording that I have been able to find of the part-songs. It is fortunate, then, that it is so good.   Glen Wilson on the fortepiano provides excellent accompaniment to the very capable Netherlands Chamber Choir. Haydn's effort to bring British tradition into the German sphere may or may not have been successful, but either way the music itself is wonderfully well-written, blending the voices in counterpoint, and begging one to sing along. One of these songs, which were all very dear to Haydn, became his living epitaph in his old age. Der Greis (The Old Man) is less sad and tragic here than it will be later when it appears on his calling card.    

And finally, a bit of incidental music for a play by J.W. Cowmeadow "Alfred, King of the Saxons". When the play was given in Eisenstadt in September of 1796, Haydn whipped up a Chorus of the Danes and an aria. This recording that Chandos included in the Hickox' "Complete Masses" box is the only one I've found, and it is certainly well done, and interesting, if not stirring. It's incidental music, after all, and save Beethoven's 'Dance of the Dervishes' what incidental music truly stirs?   

I will add here, tease that I am, that the Op 76 string quartets were also begun in this year, but completed in 1797. So that gives us something to look forward to next year, as though contemplation and enjoyment of the current one is not enough for the average one of us! 

[Sergeant Rock]

For the first of these two, I chose Harnoncourt, not least because of the wonderful percussion in the Agnus Dei which they bring off to perfection. Pauken is the German word for timpani, and any version in which the timpani don't stand out here just isn't living up to it.

I've never commented on your choices, Gurn, because I didn't want to appear negative. I'll just say now that this is the first time I've wholeheartedly agreed with you 

Sarge

[Gurn Blanston]

I've never commented on your choices, Gurn, because I didn't want to appear negative. I'll just say now that this is the first time I've wholeheartedly agreed with you 

Sarge

Well, it was a natural there, Sarge, since it was your rec that had me check it out.  

I'm pleased that you have seen beyond the futility of disputing choices, since I have always been at pains to make it abundantly clear that these are just the things that I like, and I even present alternative choices that I don't particularly care for. It's all about the music for me. One thing you can be sure of though, if I say that such-and-such is the only version available of something, that isn't written lightly, since I've been shopping the hell out of this music for the last 4-5 years! 

[Sergeant Rock]

I'm pleased that you have seen beyond the futility of disputing choices, since I have always been at pains to make it abundantly clear that these are just the things that I like....

Which is as it should be; your survey, your choices.

And it's always interesting to see your picks. And really, with the exception of the Festetics and 1790 picks for quartets and trios, I've found little to disagree with.

Sarge

[Gurn Blanston]

Which is as it should be; your survey, your choices.

And it's always interesting to see your picks. And really, with the exception of the Festetics and 1790 picks for quartets and trios, I've found little to disagree with.

Sarge

Well, that's good to hear. Chamber music, with it's strong element of intimacy as opposed to orchestral music, is certainly going to be the most personal choice, and probably most reflective of an individual listener's personality too. If it gives you anything to look forward to, I won't be using the Festetics for Op 76...

[DavidW]

I've found little to disagree with.

Sarge

That's probably because there isn't much to choose from in many of Haydn's works in the first place!!

Poor Haydn.

[Sergeant Rock]

If it gives you anything to look forward to, I won't be using the Festetics for Op 76...

It does! I'm really curious...who will it be? I wonder about your op.77 pick too. I prefer a very stately march rhythm in the first movement of op.77/1. Auryn is ideal to these ears.

Sarge

[Sergeant Rock]

That's probably because there isn't much to choose from in many of Haydn's works in the first place!!

Poor Haydn.

True, in many works there isn't much choice. But I was thinking mostly about the symphonies and quartets, where choice isn't too shabby. Nothing like Beethoven...or Mahler, of course, but still pretty decent.

Sarge