Haydn's Haus

[Gurn Blanston]

I listened to Symphony No. 51 by The Academy of Ancient Music, conducted by Christopher Hogwood, and No. 50 by L'Estro Armonico, conducted by Derek Solomons, on this youtube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFtmJN8wzcuSWzXIMDXjq0g
(So far, Symphonies No. 1 - 60 by Hogwood and Solomons have been posted.)
I have Adám Fischer's set but I was interested in Hogwood. It's very nice and I like Solomons' performance too, which is vivid and lively.

Yes, Solomons and Hogwood are both great examples of "what could have been...". Hogwood got much closer to completion, but Solomons got a big chunk done too, and I am really keen on the style of those recordings. Sony's disinterest in re-releasing them once they got the rights is inexplicable. 

[kishnevi]

Oh boy, everybody's favorite; opera! C'mon, guys, this is some good stuff! Check it and see, then we'll talk.

The most popular opera

Thanks,

I have to admit I understand the Opera even less now that I know what the plot is.  Well eventually I will get around to hearing it..I have a huge listening pile for Opera that includes three Wagner Rings and the Dorati Hadyn box.

[Gurn Blanston]

I have to admit I understand the Opera even less now that I know what the plot is.  Well eventually I will get around to hearing it..I have a huge listening pile for Opera that includes three Wagner Rings and the Dorati Haydn box.

  I don't think you are supposed to be able to understand the plot, that's one of the beauties of the genre. Wow, 3 'Ring...'(s)? Man, you'll be 100 years old!   

[EigenUser]

Just purchased scores to symphonies 34, 35, 36, 38, and 65 (the last included a free set of parts!).

I have another burning Haydn question that Gurn likely knows the answer to. I am aware that the nicknames didn't generally come from Haydn. Did any of them?

Of course, we can immediately discount Sarge's names (who is now making replacement CD cover art for the symphonies ).

[Brahmsian]

Of course, we can immediately discount Sarge's names (who is now making replacement CD cover art for the symphonies ).

I love the cat cover art!    Now we need one for 'The Stumbling Goat'. 

[Sergeant Rock]

I love the cat cover art!    Now we need one for 'The Stumbling Goat'. 

There's a pasture just a short distance from my house that is home to a goat family. I'll have Mrs. Rock trip one while I snap a pic.

Sarge

[Brahmsian]

There's a pasture just a short distance from my house that is home to a goat family. I'll have Mrs. Rock trip one while I snap a pic.

Sarge

  Or hand the goat a few glasses of wine. 

[Gurn Blanston]

Just purchased scores to symphonies 34, 35, 36, 38, and 65 (the last included a free set of parts!).

I have another burning Haydn question that Gurn likely knows the answer to. I am aware that the nicknames didn't generally come from Haydn. Did any of them?

Of course, we can immediately discount Sarge's names (who is now making replacement CD cover art for the symphonies ).

Oh, Happy Birthday to you, EU.


There are very, very few which he did name. Excuse if I miss one, but I think they are like;

6   Morning
7   Noon
8   Night
64 Tempora mutantur (Times change)  (although, see here for discussion of that. It may not even be a name!)

I'm hard-pressed to come up with another OTTOMH, although there probably is one. It was thought that #69, 'Laudon' was named by Haydn, but actually it was his publisher, Artaria who used it to boost sales. Anyone else think of one? 

[EigenUser]

Oh, Happy Birthday to you, EU.


There are very, very few which he did name. Excuse if I miss one, but I think they are like;

6   Morning
7   Noon
8   Night
64 Tempora mutantur (Times change)  (although, see here for discussion of that. It may not even be a name!)

I'm hard-pressed to come up with another OTTOMH, although there probably is one. It was thought that #69, 'Laudon' was named by Haydn, but actually it was his publisher, Artaria who used it to boost sales. Anyone else think of one? 

Thanks! I forgot about 6, 7, and 8, but I didn't know about 64. Were any of the names contrived during his lifetime? If so, did he approve? I know that some composers don't like the idea of putting music to an extramusical "program". Schoenberg, for instance, was asked by his publisher to give names to each of his "Five Pieces for Orchestra". He did so, but only hesitantly.

Listening to 87 now ("The Hen"). I like it a lot overall, but I officially dislike the slow movement because parts of it remind me of Pachelbel's "Canon". Of course, Haydn would have no way of knowing this piece since it wasn't discovered until the 1900s (which is hard to imagine now, considering how often we hear it).

[Gurn Blanston]

Thanks! I forgot about 6, 7, and 8, but I didn't know about 64. Were any of the names contrived during his lifetime? If so, did he approve? I know that some composers don't like the idea of putting music to an extramusical "program". Schoenberg, for instance, was asked by his publisher to give names to each of his "Five Pieces for Orchestra". He did so, but only hesitantly.

Listening to 87 now ("The Hen"). I like it a lot overall, but I officially dislike the slow movement because parts of it remind me of Pachelbel's "Canon". Of course, Haydn would have no way of knowing this piece since it wasn't discovered until the 1900s (which is hard to imagine now, considering how often we hear it).

The #69 'Laudon' name was, Artaria didn't actually put it on the symphony, but on the piano reduction he made of it. AFAIK, this was the only piano reduction he actually did himself. So he must have known that one, and approved as soon as he found out about improving the sales.  

The rest of them, I really think they were given in the early 19th century, and most of that in England, since the English were wild about such things. German names are more prosaic, ones I have seen are based more on musical structure than perceived Romantic delusions. As an example, the second quartet of Op 76 was called by the Germans 'Quintens' or 'Fifths' because the opening theme is based on a series of falling fifths. Symphony #94 is called 'Surprise' by the English, but Mit dem Paukenschlag (With the Drumbeat) by the Germans. Haydn thought more like a German, so all the cool names are not from him, as a rule of thumb.   

One where German and English are the same though is 103, which is called 'Drumroll' in English and Mit dem Paukenwirbl (With the Drumroll) in German. Hard to think of another like that, although I suppose there are other examples.

[Karl Henning]

Love that word, Paukenwirbl.

[Gurn Blanston]

Love that word, Paukenwirbl.

Me too. German has a great vocabulary!

[Karl Henning]

Pardon if this is “old news,” but look what is being released day after tomorrow:

[asin]B009LNI0T0[/asin]

[Gurn Blanston]

Pardon if this is "old news," but look what is being released day after tomorrow:

[asin]B009LNI0T0[/asin]

No, new news, at least on this side of the ocean. But $180!!   Who are they kidding?  It won't sell, then they'll be pissed and complain about people not spending money...   Oh well, it won't last for long. 

[Gurn Blanston]

New to me, just arrived, spinning the second for a first listen (for all you guys who miss Coop! ):



I posted the second one the other day to see if anyone was familiar with, but apparently not. Well, I will also be surprised if anyone is familiar with the other one either!

Wiener Akademie is a super band, they have their own sound, can't describe it but you know it when you hear it. Sort of how M used to say about idiomatic playing by orchestras. In the disk of the two London symphonies, they use a band of 35 players, which is plenty big enough. Playing is great, tempi are just how I like them. This may not be how they were played by the Opera Orchestra at their premiére, however, when he got back to Vienna with them and was finally a hero in his own town, these works were played constantly by Viennese orchestras and this is what they could have sounded like.

The one with the two earlier works on it, the notes don't say how large the ensemble is, but it is noticeably smaller, perhaps 20 players, which would have been the orchestra he was writing for. Very nice playing here, too!

I don't know if you will have an opportunity to get these disks, I just kept after it for 2-3 years until I found them, both at once and from two different sellers! Persistence pays!   

[TheGSMoeller]

New to me, just arrived, spinning the second for a first listen (for all you guys who miss Coop! ):



I posted the second one the other day to see if anyone was familiar with, but apparently not. Well, I will also be surprised if anyone is familiar with the other one either!

Wiener Akademie is a super band, they have their own sound, can't describe it but you know it when you hear it. Sort of how M used to say about idiomatic playing by orchestras. In the disk of the two London symphonies, they use a band of 35 players, which is plenty big enough. Playing is great, tempi are just how I like them. This may not be how they were played by the Opera Orchestra at their premiére, however, when he got back to Vienna with them and was finally a hero in his own town, these works were played constantly by Viennese orchestras and this is what they could have sounded like.

The one with the two earlier works on it, the notes don't say how large the ensemble is, but it is noticeably smaller, perhaps 20 players, which would have been the orchestra he was writing for. Very nice playing here, too!

I don't know if you will have an opportunity to get these disks, I just kept after it for 2-3 years until I found them, both at once and from two different sellers! Persistence pays!   

Sampling the 101/102 disc on iTunes, and at only $7.92. And I understand what you mean by "their own sound", has an almost perfect quality to it, not perfect in the sense that its as good as it gets but that the group is in such a strong partnership with both balance and tone.
Would love to hear Nos. 73 and 30.

Edit: iTunes has 94/73/30 and 6/7/8 bundled together. Not sure I need another Le Matin in my collection, but this sounds so sweet and smooth.
Does No. 30 "Alleluja" always have an organ in it?  I don't remember one, but it's in this one.

[Gurn Blanston]

Sampling the 101/102 disc on iTunes, and at only $7.92. And I understand what you mean by "their own sound", has an almost perfect quality to it, not perfect in the sense that its as good as it gets but that the group is in such a strong partnership with both balance and tone.
Would love to hear Nos. 73 and 30.

Edit: iTunes has 94/73/30 and 6/7/8 bundled together. Not sure I need another Le Matin in my collection, but this sounds so sweet and smooth.
Does No. 30 "Alleluja" always have an organ in it?  I don't remember one, but it's in this one.

FWIW, their 6, 7 & 8 are very fine too, I think we discussed it with Gordo here a couple of years ago.

#30 has a continuo, unwritten but necessary anyway. I have no doubt that Haydn played one when it was originally performed. I would say their logic on it goes that it has been accepted to be a Church Symphony (at least it was for decades), and if that is so, then why not use the organ for continuo instead of a harpsichord? Especially when your leader is one of the top Baroque organists! I kinda like the sound, different and interesting. FWIW, #30 isn't even mentioned in the liner notes, only #73 & 94 are discussed, so one can only make assumptions. Strange, but then, those Swiss...

[EigenUser]

Somebody, help me!

I acquired scores for 34, 35, 36, 38, and 65. Which should I hear first? Does anyone have a personal favorite out of these?

And don't just say "they're all good." I know that!

I didn't care much for 22. I thought that the opening movement was kind of dull. *runs for his life*

[Gurn Blanston]

Somebody, help me!

I acquired scores for 34, 35, 36, 38, and 65. Which should I hear first? Does anyone have a personal favorite out of these?

And don't just say "they're all good." I know that!

I didn't care much for 22. I thought that the opening movement was kind of dull. *runs for his life*

I like 38, it might be a good place to start. Here is a little background on it. It is part of a genre that all Viennese composers contributed to from the early 1700's through Beethoven and even Bruckner, called 'Festive C major'. Haydn was as good at it as any, and better than most. Nice place to start, IMO.

[EigenUser]

I like 38, it might be a good place to start. Here is a little background on it. It is part of a genre that all Viennese composers contributed to from the early 1700's through Beethoven and even Bruckner, called 'Festive C major'. Haydn was as good at it as any, and better than most. Nice place to start, IMO.

Thanks! I'll check it out this afternoon!