After hearing the highly stylized 'Time of Day' symphonies for Prince Esterházy (BLOG), Symphony no. 9 in C Major sounds rather simplistic in comparison.
Motoric unison strings are the obvious attribute of the first movement, peppered with rhythmic winds. The bipartite form seems rather uncomplicated, as does the short second movement, where flutes add some varietal color, here rather watery sounding in the resonance within the back of the ensemble in the empty HaydnSaal.
The Minuet third movement barely gets a breath in before it is over. For a bit of variety, the oboes receive some spotlight alongside the addition of a walking bassoon underlay.
But don't necessarily take simplistic and uncomplicated as a backhanded comment. All I can really do is make comparisons to what I have heard before, and this one sounds more in line with the brief Symphony no. 2 (BLOG), also returning to the three movement symphony format.
So too, Symphony no. 10 in D Major is structured in three movements. I think the opening movement is better geared towards leading the listener along its journey though, furthered by featuring solo strings in the short B section.
Haydn expends a little more time on the second movement compared to his Ninth Symphony, making this portion the center of importance in the work. I particularly like the halo effect at the start, simply achieved by having the lead violins hanging out on one note above the motion in the middle strings. It is a simple touch, but highly effective for this listener, especially as Haydn brings the idea back later on in the movement.
This time, Haydn avoids the Minuet altogether in favor of a lively Presto finale in a rocking triple meter. Fischer showcases solo strings in portions of this last movement, especially notable in the short minor-keyed middle section.
Sharing a similar structure seen in Haydn's Third Symphony (BLOG), as well as his first symphony to be set in a flat key, Symphony no. 11 in E-flat Major is based on the Sonata da Chiesa, structured in four movements. Also notable of this form is the slow first movement, which I intimated with the earlier symphony as a possible prelude to the fast second movement. At over 10 minutes in length though, I think this opening movement exists more on its own rather than providing a lead-in to quicker material. The length also makes the work rather unbalanced regardless of its beauty, and in regards to the latter, displays a slight melancholy amongst its gentle sweetness.
I also mentioned with the earlier symphony the trick of the following three movements is to deliberately demarcate their tempos so as to give them a separate character, particularly since they are all generally upbeat. I think Fischer is more successful on that front here, further aided by differing time signatures from Haydn.
I like the white-note aspect of the second movement, at least from a music score point of view. This attribute gives a hymn-like feel to some of this music, sometimes begun in a contrapuntal fashion, yet Haydn keeps the momentum moving ever forward regardless.
What Fischer does after this, is he retains the pulse of the minim from the second movement and gives that pulse to the crotchet in the third movement. Then he goes ahead and adopts the reverse for the fourth movement, giving that same pulse back to the minim. All of this allows a different 'feel' between the last three movements, while still retaining a relationship between these quicker movements.
Instead of handing solos to the winds in the Minuet, Haydn writes for strings only in the Trio, a distinctly different take from the composer comparatively. In the fourth movement, I really enjoy the syncopated rhythms of the first violin offset by the on-beat action from the lower strings. With these final three movements especially, I have warmed to Haydn's Eleventh Symphony considerably.
Symphony no. 12 in E Major returns once again to the three-movement format. The Twelfth Symphony is also the first symphony Haydn set in E Major, lending the opening movement a pastoral quality. Here, the strings provide the momentum while the winds mostly sustain, although there are notable moments of silence (rests), a choice I always enjoy from Haydn.
The middle movement is composed for strings only. With spare textures, some unison string scales, and a rather moody minor key, I am reminded of the Baroque once more. I really find a lot of pleasure in the rocking meter here, recalling to my mind the same movement in Haydn's Symphony no. 4, but without the walking bass. At nearly 10 minutes, the composer also forms the central soul of the symphony by laying the work's most music in the second movement, and Fischer adds a little solo cadenza before the final chords.
The rollicking Presto in triple time concludes the symphony in high spirits. Again, Fischer has solo strings play in the minor sections, a nice bit of variety for the end of the work.
As an unimportant aside, I wish Brilliant Classics had information regarding the cover art on each entry. This leaves me to name the images myself, and my imagination is either rife with color or dead of inspiration. If you are not on a mobile device, you can hover over the image to rate my naming qualities.
Works
Symphony 9 in C Major, Hob. 1:9 (12.12)
Symphony 10 in D Major, Hob. 1:10 (16.23)
Symphony 11 in E-flat Major, Hob. 1:11 (17.24)
Symphony 12 in E Major, Hob. 1:12 (22.34)
Performers
Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra
Ádám Fischer, conductor
Label: Nimbus / Brilliant
Year: 1990; 2002
Total Timing: 70.08
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