Haydn's Haus

[Karl Henning]

Well, from the (single, as yet) Haydn quartet I've listened to so far, your thoroughness strikes me as no mere eccentricity, Jeffrey.

[Brahmsian]

Today, from the DRD set, disc # 4 and disc # 34

Disc 4

Symphony No. 11 in E flat major (The breathtaking, gorgeous I. Adagio Cantabile!  Wow....) 
Symphony No. 5 in A major
Symphony No. 32 in C major

Disc 34

Symphony No. 97 in C major (Great timpani, effectively used I found in the III. Menuetto & Trio) 
Symphony No. 99 in E flat major

Now, after 12 discs, I may have to take a break.     Just want to make sure I'm giving each symphony its fair, attentive listen.  Please don't kick me out of the Haus just yet. 

[Gurn Blanston]

Today, from the DRD set, disc # 4 and disc # 34

Disc 4

Symphony No. 11 in E flat major (The breathtaking, gorgeous I. Adagio Cantabile!  Wow....) 
Symphony No. 5 in A major
Symphony No. 32 in C major

Disc 34

Symphony No. 97 in C major (Great timpani, effectively used I found in the III. Menuetto & Trio) 
Symphony No. 99 in E flat major

Now, after 12 discs, I may have to take a break.     Just want to make sure I'm giving each symphony its fair, attentive listen.  Please don't kick me out of the Haus just yet. 

Interesting group today, Ray. Please keep commenting what appeals to you. The fact that most of these are first listens makes it very cool to see what grabs your attention. It isn't always the same things as the pros, and I care far less about their opinion than I do about yours.

[Brahmsian]

Interesting group today, Ray. Please keep commenting what appeals to you. The fact that most of these are first listens makes it very cool to see what grabs your attention. It isn't always the same things as the pros, and I care far less about their opinion than I do about yours.

Thanks Gurn, will do!!

[Karl Henning]

Every one grabs my attention when I listen to it.

[Gurn Blanston]

Every one grabs my attention when I listen to it.

But Ray writes it down for vicarious sharing enjoyment.

[Brahmsian]

But Ray writes it down for vicarious sharing enjoyment.

  A non-musicological essay, to be sure. 

[Gurn Blanston]

  A non-musicological essay, to be sure. 

Thus perfect for me! 

[Sergeant Rock]

I am live and let live. Actually, I believe Sarge is the one that was all over this one. I bet that makes it more believable. 

It's my favorite Haydn quartet disc:




Sarge

[Brian]

But Ray writes it down for vicarious sharing enjoyment.

I was driving when I listened to the first dozen or so, and it sucked because I kept thinking "well that's the really awesome thing about THAT symphony!" but then when I sat down at the computer Monday morning, couldn't remember which was which for many of them. 

[Gurn Blanston]

I was driving when I listened to the first dozen or so, and it sucked because I kept thinking "well that's the really awesome thing about THAT symphony!" but then when I sat down at the computer Monday morning, couldn't remember which was which for many of them. 

I know, and you're only a virgin once. That's why I was encouraging Ray. Hell, I can't remember what I think of each of them without a relisten!

It's my favorite Haydn quartet disc:




Sarge

Yeah, I like my disks that have a variety instead of only 1 opus on them. Two groups that leap to mind as faves that way are the Schuppanzigh Quartet and the Amsterdam SQ.  It just seems like a better lineup to me. 

[Gurn Blanston]

There was a GMG member, Mark Simon (a missing member I truly miss), who once posted that he and his brother used to play a game where they would challenge each other by singing a theme from a Haydn symphony and the other would have to guess which one.  He implied that they could do this for all of them.

Pretty amazing, if you ask me.

It IS amazing, although Mark (and possibly his brother) was a professional musician, and memorization like that is something they are trained in. That said, having the facility to do it, whether as a pro or not, is a super thing. I can whistle one of the variations in the second movement of Op 76 #3..... 

[Karl Henning]

. . . Hell, I can't remember what I think of each of them without a relisten!

I am, in a way, relieved to know it!     0:)

[Mandryka]

It's my favorite Haydn quartet disc:




Sarge

For me their style in both Haydn CDs is too mellow, not wild enough.

[kishnevi]

Well, from the (single, as yet) Haydn quartet I've listened to so far, your thoroughness strikes me as no mere eccentricity, Jeffrey.

What! You don't have their DSCH?

On the topic of the symphonies, now that I've gone through the Hogwood box ,  I'm not sure it's possible to say there's a clear superiority of one (or even a select few) among them all, or that one will ever be my favorite of them all.  Just too much diversity and high quality musicianship involved. 

Interestingly, the same does not, for me apply to Mozart.  I'm now going through a somewhat mutilated set of Tate/ECO's incomplete cycle (this set made further incomplete by the fact that it's missing CD 1*) and finding that the earlier works don't engage with me nearly as much as the later ones.  The earlier ones merely make appealing music.

*a used copy, obviously, and explains what seemed to be an absurdly cheap price that prompted me to buy it at a store that doesn't allow you to undo the shrinkwrap before purchasing.

[Karl Henning]

What! You don't have their DSCH?

On the topic of the symphonies, now that I've gone through the Hogwood box ,  I'm not sure it's possible to say there's a clear superiority of one (or even a select few) among them all, or that one will ever be my favorite of them all.  Just too much diversity and high quality musicianship involved. 

Interestingly, the same does not, for me apply to Mozart.  I'm now going through a somewhat mutilated set of Tate/ECO's incomplete cycle (this set made further incomplete by the fact that it's missing CD 1) and finding that the earlier works don't engage with me nearly as much as the later ones.  The earlier ones merely make appealing music.

Of course. Mozart was yet a tike when he wrote the earlier ones, where "Papa" was already a formed composer when setting out on both the SQ and symphony cycles.

(True even of the pre-SQ divertimenti, Gurn?)

[DavidW]

There was a GMG member, Mark Simon (a missing member I truly miss), who once posted that he and his brother used to play a game where they would challenge each other by singing a theme from a Haydn symphony and the other would have to guess which one.  He implied that they could do this for all of them.

Pretty amazing, if you ask me.

Mark posted well before you registered on this forum.  I came up with some possibilities:

(a) you used to post here under a different handle
(b) you know Mark from real life or a different forum
(c) you read ALOT of older posts on the forum

If it is (a) would you please share with us your previous handle.

[kishnevi]

Of course. Mozart was yet a tike when he wrote the earlier ones, where "Papa" was already a formed composer when setting out on both the SQ and symphony cycles.

(True even of the pre-SQ divertimenti, Gurn?)

Valid point--and no doubt that's at least one reason why Tate left out the earliest dozen or so.  Although the symphonies I had in mind was the batch that runs roughly from 17 to 28, when he was no tyke and turning out some significant music in other genres.

("He" refers to WAM, not FJH.)

[Dancing Divertimentian]

For me their style in both Haydn CDs is too mellow, not wild enough.

Who do you consider "wild enough"?

For me I prefer a more middle-ground approach in the quartets. Not that there isn't room for something on the more mellow side, like the warm and comfy Kodály.

There is of course something to be said for the energetic approach, too. For that I like the Ysayë quartet. Another quartet I'm considering is the Medici:




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[Gurn Blanston]

(True even of the pre-SQ divertimenti, Gurn?)

Well, he was 25 when he wrote his first SQD, so certainly not a kid.