At the opening of Symphony no. 13 in D Major, Haydn gives the motion to the strings while the winds sustain. Only a few flute tootlings and a horn fanfare give any interplay between the sections.
I suppose it should be mentioned that the instrumentation is larger here, with four horns in place of Haydn's normal two, plus oboes and flute together, and a doubling bassoon, not to mention the appearance of timpani. Color-wise, there is a lot going on.
The Thirteenth Symphony's slow movement is a showcase for solo cello, while the rest of the strings hang out in the background, and the winds tacet. We at The Oozy Keep love cello, so any limelight shed on the instrument is always a celebration at The Keep.
A rather martial sounding Minuet leads into a flute-friendly Trio, the last we will hear from the instrument on this volume. Before saying good bye for a while, Fischer allows the flute a short cadenza before returning to the Minuet.
Haydn uses bell-sounding minims once more in the fourth movement, and while the musical idea sounds like they will be introducing contrapuntal textures, it is only later where overlapping musical ideas occur. I would also like to point out a brief syncopated linking portion which struck me as rather curious each time it appeared, although offbeat stresses appear throughout this final upbeat movement.
A rather sturdy triple time opens up Symphony no. 14 in A Major, one which gives some deference to oboes and horns in the texture. Chugging strings again provide momentum in this first movement, often in unison.
The second movement is a wonderful showcase for how Haydn shapes and develops a melody. The first statement of the melody plays it straight, while the second iteration is decorated. The following material builds off of the rhythm and shape of the original melody, but shortens it for repetition, and lengthens the cadence, only to falsely think he is bringing the main idea to a close by extending the final portion of the main idea. Hearing Haydn develop melodic material is akin to watching a master craftsman at work. I love this movement!
The third movement Minuet is one where I wish the oboes were heard more clearly in the acoustic, for I think their timbre would add much to this movement. Luckily when they are firmly in the spotlight in the Trio, there is no problem detecting their presence. Again, there is a bell-like presence in the final movement, one which overlaps faster material, creating interesting polyphonic textures. The chains of sequences bring to mind the Baroque, with light dissonance resolutions compounding the feeling.
Like two previous symphonies from Haydn, Symphony no. 15 in D Major begins with a slow tempo. The difference here is this leads into a middle faster section which eventually comes back to the slower tempo as a first movement bookend. There is a distinct calm to the opening, punctuated by pizzicato strings and light horn statements, which strongly suggests a foretaste towards Mozart's Piano Concerto 21, K. 467. The middle of this movement is rather busy sounding, which only breaks for short amounts of time to give way to solo strings.
If opening the symphony with bookended slow tempos was unusual, following it up with a second-movement Minuet and Trio is virtually unheard of. After a rather magisterial and poky Minuet, solo viola and solo cello are given some time together to shine. Haydn reduces much of the slow third movement into simple, two part harmony, making for simple sounding music making, yet drawing in the listener to the melody and the counter movement.
Despite a Presto marking, Fischer gives this final movement a much heavier swing. He almost directs the fourth movement in a Minuet time, and I am not sure it is the right choice for this listener, especially since we have already had that dance already. A lengthier middle section in minor really sets apart the outer portions, here without winds interjecting until the opening material returns.
Symphony no. 16 in B-flat Major is only the composer's second symphony set in a flat key. I like how the very first measure of music almost sounds 'in media res', as if we are walking in on a conversation which has already begun. I am also wild about a chromatic harmonic progression in the first portion of this movement, some of which presages Beethoven to my ears.
The second movement is notable for its cello solo, that instrument's second solo appearance on this volume. Haydn gets creative by having the violins double the solo cello up the octave, while the violas, cellos, and basses move the bass line along. It is really a singular sound, and I am in awe when I hear it.
Of the four symphonies presented on Volume 4, the Sixteenth Symphony is the only one with a mere three movements, while the rest come in four. Thus, instead of a Minuet, the listener is treated to rocking 6/8 with a fair bit of momentum behind it. A solid and joyous send-off to the symphony.
I know I am only on CD4 of 33, but I expected much less from Haydn's early symphonies. Instead, these works grab my attention as if he had been writing symphonies all his life. Granted the composer had a decent career before he began composing these early symphonies, so he wasn't a n00b to music, but I find so much to enjoy in each entry.
I had mentioned in Volume 1 that the acoustic of the Esterházy Palace Haydnsaal was a character of its own. Here, I can see it becoming a detriment to some of this music. There were parts where I wanted to hear the oboes against the strings, but they were virtually inaudible. So too, the flute had a major role in Symphony no. 13, yet that instrument is captured as if they only had a small nook in a side room to house it. Odd too, since the strings are captured so wonderfully 100% of the time.
Works
Symphony 13 in D Major, Hob. 1:13 (18.06)
Symphony 14 in A Major, Hob. 1:14 (14.53)
Symphony 15 in D Major, Hob. 1:15 (19.43)
Symphony 16 in B-flat Major, Hob. 1:16 (12.10)
Performers
Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra
Ádám Fischer, conductor
Label: Nimbus / Brilliant
Year: 1991; 2002
Total Timing: 65.23
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