Haydn: Symphony 21 - 24

 

Another fine set of Haydn symphonies, as I make my way through his next set of twenty.

The Sonata da Chiesa is once again Haydn's form of choice in Symphony no. 21 in A Major. Way back in Symphony no. 5, I surmised the opening slow movement could be looked at as an elongated introduction to the second fast movement. With the relative brevity of this opening movement, these thoughts come to mind again.

The opening is wonderfully peaceful in the strings, with a lovely arched phrasing, only to be continued by the oboes and horns. It is moments such as these where I appreciate the modern instruments used by this ensemble, although I still would have liked a fuller vibrato.

Haydn follows up with a bracing Presto in the second movement with motoric unison strings, punctuated by winds, particularly some high horn lines. It is thrilling, nicely offset by the following Minuet which mostly focuses on strings, especially the Trio section in a rare moment of dance-based intimacy.

I love the trading of notes between the opening violins in the final movement, making the second violins syncopated. This is continued in connecting material with the entire string section later on, and I find this musical idea great every time it returns. The little bit of wind imitation makes the whole affair quite characterful.

Symphony no. 22 in E-flat Major also dons the Sonata da Chiesa form. The slow first movement is made of much meatier stuff however, with the winds once again making an indelible mark upon the proceedings. To me, this opening almost sounds like Bach, where the chorale melody is played slowly and stately in the winds, while the strings scurry underneath with their own melodic and rhythmic material, ala the famous Wachet Auf cantata.

It should be mentioned that Haydn employs English Horns instead of oboes, whose huskier timbre is markedly different than Haydn's usual piping oboes. Also, the Philosopher moniker does little for me as a subtitle in this work, although I realize it probably aided in sales. Certainly, Haydn's named symphonies still remain some of his most popular today.

Once again, Haydn follows up the opening slow movement with a bracing moto-perpetuo Presto second movement. A Minuet and Trio of rather short measure makes up the third movement, this time making use of the English Horns and Horns, particularly in the Trio.

A fleet Presto in compound meter concludes the symphony in a flurry of activity. I love these types of endings from Haydn, and in general, I believe these two Sonata da Chiesa symphonies as rather fine works altogether.

Ah... an opening Allegro in Symphony no. 23 in G Major! Haydn is back with horns and oboes for color, and the little semi-quaver figures are passed among the strings quite effectively, especially when the lowers strings chug along with them one after the other. The extended circle-of-fifths sequences lies on the Baroque side, as well as the propelling rhythmic underlay, often in unison.

Strings alone tackle the Andante second movement. I have mentioned before that I appreciate when Ádám Fischer takes Haydn's 2/4 time signature in a '2' feel, and does so again here. Otherwise, this is an amiable major-keyed movement, continuing little semi-quaver runs here and there, tying together some of the composer's rhythmic ideas from the first movement. As before, I wish there were more vibrato from the strings, most noticeable in the sequencing portions, making this sound more Baroque than necessary.

The little scalular runs continue in the third Minuet movement, this time in triplets. Haydn writes the Trio for strings alone again, but Fischer uses solo strings, affording the listener some variety, almost sounding folksy. Another 6/8-metered galop concludes this symphony. This one is a little lighter and frothier, and I like how Fischer marks the quick violin popups. Unusually, Haydn concludes the movement in a whisper with some rests adding a bit of humor.

Whereas I have mentioned a Baroque quality to Haydn's symphonies before, again whether the reduced vibrato or musical effect I am unsure. In Symphony no. 24 in D Major I hear a solid Classical Era traversal from the composer, with a firmer sense of development in the second half of the first movement. Here, the symphony opens in a fanfare amongst the horns and oboes, which is drawn throughout the entire opening.

Flute makes an appearance as a soloist in the second movement, making it a solid concertante feature. Flute returns in the Trio of the third movement as well, yet is absent during the Minuet in lieu of oboes. I notice the Minuet is a little heavier-footed than others Fischer has led elsewhere, perhaps allowing some variety between these movements?

A hardier Allegro tempo is chosen to end this symphony, a marked difference in comparison to the previous three concluding Prestos I just heard. Haydn opens the final movement almost in a whisper, only to burst out full voiced as a sudden change.

The sixth CD in the Fischer set is the first to share recording dates both from towards the beginning of their Haydn symphonies project and the end. Nos. 21 & 23 come from the year 2000 while Nos. 22 & 24 date at 1989.

There are a few things to notice. The Philosopher Symphony is where harpsichord is most notable, and if it is employed elsewhere, the keyboard instrument's presence is extremely subtle. More noticeable is the period-practice influence, especially apparent in the later recorded symphonies. Again, reduced vibrato mostly reminds this listener of the Baroque, mainly because this style is not to my tastes and not one I often seek out. Sonically, the oboes are better balanced with the strings in the later recordings, and where when the oboes double the strings, their presence is more attainable by the listener.

Perhaps my ears have acclimatized, but the acoustic of the Haydnsaal is less apparent. I don't mind the resonant acoustic; after all, this is how Prince Esterházy would have heard this music with his guests. Yet, I like to hear the colors of the winds better in relation to the strings rather than hidden.

All of the symphonies on this 6th volume are four-movement creations, and all from Haydn's time working for Prince Esterházy. Perhaps that is the strength of this particular batch of early symphonies, and a foretaste of Haydn's future progress in the symphony genre. I, for one, look forward to what comes next.

 

 

 

 

Works
Symphony 21 in A Major, Hob. 1:21 (15.53)
Symphony 22 in E-flat Major, Hob. 1:22 (16.50)
Symphony 23 in G Major, Hob. 1:23 (16.34)
Symphony 24 in D Major, Hob. 1:24 (19.03)

Performers
Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra
Ádám Fischer, conductor

Label: Nimbus / Brilliant
Year: 1989, 2000; 2002
Total Timing: 68.50