Haydn's Haus

[Gurn Blanston]

It was a reminder of how great those relatively obscure symphonies numbered between 50 and 80 are. So many gems there.

Sarge

Yeah, that reminds me, if Brian thought 67 was a bit bizarre, wait til he moves on to 60...

And as a flashback to my post yesterday about "Mr. Entertainment", here is a quote about #60:

The conductor Kenneth Woods describes it as "the funniest and most modern work on [my] list, possibly the funniest and most modern symphony ever written. Haydn uses most of the 20th c 'isms' in this piece- surrealism, absurdism, modernism, poly-stylism, and hops effortlessly between tightly integrated symphonic argument and rapid-fire cinematic jump-cutting. This is Haydn at his absolute boldest- he undermines every expectation, and re-examines every possible assumption about music...

[Brian]

Yeah, that reminds me, if Brian thought 67 was a bit bizarre, wait til he moves on to 60...

And as a flashback to my post yesterday about "Mr. Entertainment", here is a quote about #60:

Don't worry, I already love No. 60! It's a corker.

Sarge, it sounds like much of the blame for my problems with 37 lie with DRD/Stuttgart. For one thing, the performance took a few more than 13 minutes, if my memory's right. For another, his timpani are never especially prominent, sadly. I will have to listen to Fischer to rectify the impression.

[Old Listener]

No. The only PI 67 is Hogwood, and it is super. Just the parts that you were bewailing in the recording you listened to are up front in Hogwood, as well as those outstanding natural horns.

I'm listening to the Solomons recording of 67 now.  Wonderful PI sound.

[Sergeant Rock]

Does anyone have a list of symphonies that Solomons recorded? I'd like to know what to expect if Sony ever re-issues the recordings.

Sarge

[Gurn Blanston]

I'm listening to the Solomons recording of 67 now.  Wonderful PI sound.

Really? I wonder how it is that I've never seen that disk...   Well, in any case, a reissue would do everyone a lot of good. That is, if Sony can get it's corporate head out of its corporate, umm, butt.

[Gurn Blanston]

Does anyone have a list of symphonies that Solomons recorded? I'd like to know what to expect if Sony ever re-issues the recordings.

Sarge

Well, I thought I did, Sarge, but clearly there is a disk I was unaware of. I will post the remainder of it tonight when I get home though.

[Gurn Blanston]

I'm listening to the Solomons recording of 67 now.  Wonderful PI sound.

Old Listener, do you have the CD's from Haydn House or are you listening to the vinyl?  Volume 11 doesn't appear to have ever been officially transferred to CD, but Haydn House claims here that they have all 9 disks that never made it to CD. It's a pretty impressive list of works, although for $108 for the 9 disks, transferred by them from LP, it requires some thought. OK, I've thought about it....   

[Gurn Blanston]

Thanks for the link; I'll probably get the downloads.  I don't need the physical items, especially at double the cost.  But, I'm weird like that.

Well, if it wasn't Haydn... it will be nice if they include any sort of liner note repros. Not that I recall the Vol 7 & 9 ones as being brilliant.

[Old Listener]

Does anyone have a list of symphonies that Solomons recorded? I'd like to know what to expect if Sony ever re-issues the recordings.

I have 44 symphonies and an overture on my computer. 

1-5
11,15,18,26, 27
32,33, 35,37,38,39
41-49
50-52
54-59
60, 63-69
Symphony 'A' in B flat major

Overture, La Pescatrici


I found CD one set and 2 single CDs (45 and 48on one CD and 39,45 and 59 on another CD). Someone gave me CD-Rs made from LP transfers.  What a wonderful gift!  Thanks, Fred.

Haydn House has some LP transfers for sale (http://www.haydnhouse.com/composer.htm)

From a description by Jim Strickland that I found years ago on the internet:

"Morzin Symphonies 1758-1760 Volume 1.  Symphonies 1, 37, 18, 2, 15, 4,
and 10.  3 LP set; not released on CD.

Morzin Symphonies 1758-1760 Volume 2.  Symphonies 32, 5, 11, 33, 27,
A, and 3.  3 LP set; not released on CD. 

Sturm und Drang Symphonies 1766-1776 Volume 7.  Symphonies 35, 38, 39,
49, 58, and 59.  3 CD set.  This shows up occaisionally on Ebay.

Sturm und Drang Symphonies 1766-1776 Volume 8.  Symphonies 26, 41, 43,
44, 48, and 52.  3 LP set; not released on CD.

Sturm und Drang Symphonies 1766-1776 Volume 9.  Symphonies 42, 45, 46,
47, 51, and 65.  3 CD set. 

Sturm und Drang Symphonies 1766-1776 Volume 10.  Symphonies 50, 64,
54, 55, 56, and 57, plus the Overture to Le Pescatrici.  3 LP set; not
released on CD. 

Sturm und Drang Symphonies 1766-1776 Volume 11.  Symphonies 60, 63,
66, 67, 68, and 69.  3 LP set; not released on CD."

Solomons' 39, 45, 48 and 59 are my first choices for these works.

Bill

[Gurn Blanston]

Thanks, Bill. Right now I have the Volume 7 & 9 and the single with 45 & 48. Although I have some mp3 downloads of most of the others, I don't count them as part of my collection because I am funny that way. I agree with you, 39, 45, 48 & 59 are brilliantly done. When I get home, I will refresh my memory of what others I favor. Goes without saying that I can't list them OTTOMH!!   

[Sergeant Rock]

I have 44 symphonies and an overture on my computer...

Thanks for info. Much appreciated 

Sarge

[Old Listener]

Although I have some mp3 downloads of most of the others, I don't count them as part of my collection because I am funny that way. I agree with you, 39, 45, 48 & 59 are brilliantly done.

That reminds me.  I had CDs with some of Blum's Hayn symphonies but not all of his recordings.  The Back Guild Haydn Symphonies set (MP3 downloads) on Amazon has 60,70, 73, 81, 90 and 91.

These are MP3 files but at $ 2.99 for the entire set, it is an easy way to get some of the Blum recordings you don't already have.

The Big Haydn Box is worth a look for Blum's 39 and 59 and for some other things like the Griller Quartet's Op. 71 and 74 recordings. At $ 0.99 for the set, it's a bargain.

Bill

[Florestan]

My radar is set on these two:



Hob VI:1-6



Any comments will be highly and warmly appreciated.

[Gurn Blanston]

My radar is set on these two:



Hob VI:1-6



Any comments will be highly and warmly appreciated.

I am very partial to the Hob VI set. Guglielmo & Piva are as entertaining in this rep as Steck and Gooses, which is saying a lot! And at a fraction of Accent's high end price point, too. Highly recommended.

I totally don't know those symphony performances though...

[Gurn Blanston]

Despite the fact that we discussed the impending release of this disk several months ago, I don't feel particularly tardy to the party to admit that I just got it yesterday. It was a long time coming to Amazon, and the few advance offerings were OTT price-wise.



Have to say though, even at the mildly inflated regular price (it's on Accent) it was a great purchase! 

We are looking at a superb Op 20 #2, finally one as satisfactory as the Esterházy Quartet on Seon!  The other two are equally high on my list of favorite quartets (somewhat of an oddity for an anthology to actually have 3 for 3 of my top picks), Op 54 #1 and Op 74 #3. Sound is superb, performance is even better. I can't deny that I've become a solid fan of Anton Steck, but the rest of his group ain't too shabby either. This quartet is on a par with the best PI quartets playing today. Highly recommended, as are the first two volumes of this series. Let's hear a Volume 4 soon! 

[Gurn Blanston]

Thanks, Gurn, for the comments, and the heads up that the disc is now available on Amazon.  Immediately after posting this, I will plop it in my Shopping Cart.

Hope you enjoy it as much as I do, San. Listening to the g minor again as I write this. Wonderful! 

[kishnevi]

Despite the fact that we discussed the impending release of this disk several months ago, I don't feel particularly tardy to the party to admit that I just got it yesterday. It was a long time coming to Amazon, and the few advance offerings were OTT price-wise.

I need the smelling salts. 

I actually got a Haydn recording before Gurn the Great got it! (I got mine through Arkivmusic.)
I've only given it one listen so far, as usual, but I heard no flaws in it.

[Brian]

How do folks like the complete symphonies on Naxos? Is it HIP?

The Naxos recordings use a lot of bands.

copy-and-pasted: Sinfonia Finlandia Jyväskylä, Northern Chamber Orchestra, Cologne Chamber Orchestra, Toronto Chamber Orchestra, Nicolaus Esterhazy Sinfonia, Swedish Chamber Orchestra & Capella Istropolitana, Patrick Gallois, Nicholas Ward, Helmut Mühler-Brühl, Kevin Mallon, Bela Drahos & Barry Wordsworth

None of these are HIP, though Kevin Mallon has conducted many HIP recordings. The Sinfonia Finlandia and Swedish, Cologne & Toronto Chamber Orchs are pretty reliably excellent, while the Capella Istropolitana is one of the better of the generic Slovakian recording bands which my father fondly calls the "Bratislava Kitchen Ensembles". They do get trusted with a lot of top symphonies, including Farewell and almost all the Londons. Or maybe all the Londons, I'm not sure.

I can't pretend to have heard anything like all of these. General consensus is that a lot of stuff is indeed worthwhile, especially if you find an awesome price, but that people don't consider it a top choice for the complete cycle.

[Mandryka]

How do folks like the complete symphonies on Naxos? Is it HIP?

Béla Drahos is good.

[Florestan]

I am very partial to the Hob VI set. Guglielmo & Piva are as entertaining in this rep as Steck and Gooses, which is saying a lot! And at a fraction of Accent's high end price point, too. Highly recommended.

I totally don't know those symphony performances though...

Thanks. I'll buy the sonatas on my next trip to the closest brick-and-mortar bookstore (so to speak, it's actually part of a mall... ).