Which is Your Favorite Season of the Year?

 

Autumn for me!

To keep this short, I love this recording of Haydn's oratorio The Seasons.

It is full of striking personality, where all parties involved are dedicated to making this a special musical occasion.

I am no lover of the period-performance movement, but still I can be persuaded by fine musicianship. Here it is René Jacobs leading the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra, RIAS Chamber Choir, with a special mention of soprano soloist Marlis Petersen, whom I hope to hear from again soon.

A review from 2022

Of Haydn’s two oratorios, The Creation and The Seasons, I greatly prefer the latter for its Salt-of-the-Earth robustness and secularisms over the former’s majestic and grandiose sacred drama. This is despite The Seasons’ two hour runtime vs The Creation’s 90 minutes. Divided into four sections, Spring and Autumn present unfettered elation while Summer and Winter contain the work’s moodiest moments.

René Jacobs’ production of The Seasons is filled with uninhibited joyous abandon from the instrumentalists, singers, and chorus across the board. It is really an infectious performance that gives life to every aspect of Haydn’s overlong oratorio that makes the music whizz by without notice. While Jacobs presents this in German, the singers perform with such expression that I don’t really need to know what they are singing about, although Harmonia Mundi provides complete English translations with the physical media.

I don’t particularly like Haydn to sound like Baroque music, and the Freiburg ensemble uses period strings of a wiry Baroque quality, but their 25-person string section is of a fuller variety, and each willing dig in heartily. Furthermore, Jacobs has the winds and percussion play out with determined character; listen to that contrabassoon honk out amusingly, and those horns! The basso continuo occasionally play up the story set pieces, making its more voluble contributions apt and integrated.

The chorus and soloists are all excellent. The soloists invest a bit more dramatics than I am used to in the gentility of Haydn’s music, but their investment pays off with great interest. I caught a soprano/tenor duet particularly breathless in their love affair, and the soprano’s ghost story is well done. Really, each are crisp and clear, and Marlis Petersen beautifully heads a terrific trio of soloists. The chorus is equally robust, in large numbers, giving a truly authentic, earthy character to the story’s rural community celebrating and lamenting the joys and tragedies that come about due to the seasons. Superb!

One could hardly need another recording after René Jacobs’ spirited venture here on Harmonia Mundi, in very fine, upfront, clear sound. Paul McCreesh on Signum is another wonderful period reading, sung in English though, featuring the lovely Carolyn Sampson, but the overall character is not as rugged as Jacobs. For a modern instrument version, Rafael Kubelík, live on Orfeo, has big-boned sound and playing.

But look no further, for this is a stellar recording in every way, and I couldn’t be more enthusiastic regarding every aspect of what is presented here.

Listen on YouTube

Works
The Seasons, Hob. XXI:3

Soloists
Marlis Petersen, soprano
Werner Güra, tenor
Dietrich Henschel, baritone

Performers
RIAS Chamber Choir
Freiburg Baroque Orchestra
René Jacobs , conductor

Label: Harmonia Mundi
Year: 2004; 2013
Total Timing: 2.05.03

Even I can be persuaded by period instruments, although the string tone still strikes me as less than ideal to my ears.

Regardless, this is the most fun I have had with a recording in a long time. Who could say that with a Haydn oratorio?

Find more Haydn recordings HERE!