I do like the first angular idea from Haydn, cemented by hearing it in unison from the ensemble. Just as fine is the skipping second idea, thus symphonic construction is as good as ever from the composer, continued through the development as well.
I had wondered if Haydn was abandoning the second movement Andante which featured in so many of his early symphonies, but here we are with a solid Andante, carried on in the next symphony too. The quick vacillating semiquaver figures draw most of my attention in this movement, although Haydn also shares the C-Major calm opposite occasional strife and melancholy, particularly drawn out in the second section.
A lot of emphasis is put on the preceding note to the downbeat in the Minuet and Trio third movement. Ádám Fischer moves this music along at a Presto rather than the statelier Allegretto, preferring a one-beat-per-bar feel. A light contrapuntal start to the final movement holds back any strong outbursts until the listener simply can't wait anymore, a wonderful sense of timing from the composer.
I haven't found much background information relating to the nickname 'Imperial' from Symphony no. 53 in D Major. One can assume another regal visit or theatrical application for the work. Certainly, the weighty Largo maestoso which opens the symphony might remind one of a Baroque-like overture. It doesn't take too long, however, for Haydn to launch into a swift Vivace, which here seems a little restrained under Fischer, at least until the rhythmic motion finally gets going. Add to all of this a timpani part, and Imperial comes into focus for the listener, if it must be addressed at all.
I don't think I realized Haydn included a flute in Hob. 1:53 until midway through the second movement's theme and variations. Once heard, there it is! By the way, I love the tune Haydn uses for the theme; it is one of those rather simple sounding melodies and harmonic motion which one can enjoy throughout each variation. The composer tends to begin varying through easy-going ornamentation, although it doesn't take long for him to shift into minor here. A dandy movement.
Right in the middle of the third-movement Minuet, the composer throws in an unavoidable deceptive cadence held by a fermata. What a choice on the part of Haydn, for it sticks out like a big, sore thumb! What follows is a long, chromatic descending line which seems to go on far longer than it really should.
While the final movement is marked Finale - Capriccio Presto in the physical media from Brilliant Classics, Ádám Fischer actually chooses to perform Finale 'B', which I had always thought was just marked Presto without the unusual Capriccio descriptor. Finale 'A' is set at a Moderato tempo and designated Capriccio, but is not provided in this recording.
In any case, this final movement is a jolly D-Major conclusion to the work.
Ádám Fischer performs the two flute, two trumpets, and timpani orchestration of Symphony no. 54 in G Major. I am used to hearing trumpets from Haydn in C Major, so color me surprised to hear them in a G-Major symphony. The additional flutes certainly create a new sound amongst the ensemble.
The first movement has another slow introduction attached to its start. While we have gotten one or two introductions from Haydn inconsistently before now, perhaps this is a signal for the composer's favored opening style to begin appearing more regularly. The large role for horn adds a bit of fanfare, especially separated from the trumpets as it is. One really gets a sense of the Sonata-Allegro form in this opening too, for the whole movement seems substantial and well developed.
The second movement is given over to solo violin and eventually a violin duet, a curious musical journey in this music, for the ensemble appears in charge during most of its runtime. Ádám Fischer actually adopts Largo as his tempo instead of Adagio, perhaps the reason the Hungarian conductor chooses not to acknowledge any of the repeats in this movement.
Fischer again chooses Presto over Allegretto in the third movement, but each time he does so, he at least makes sense of his choice; still, the difference is noticeable. The Trio gives time to highlight the bassoon while the Minuet has little solo string moments, buoyed by timpani.
Like Vivace, Presto is not an ever present first movement tempo. I wonder what the odds are when Haydn both opens and closes a symphony at Presto? In this last movement, I hear more elegance and clarity from Haydn, although the driving bass and strings are ever present as well.
This has been a lovely set of symphonies to cover.
Works
Symphony 52 in C minor, Hob. 1:52 (20.50)
Symphony 53 in D Major, Hob. 1:53 (22.23)
Symphony 54 in G Major, Hob. 1:54 (24.38)
Performers
Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra
Ádám Fischer, conductor
Label: Nimbus / Brilliant
Year: 1994-95; 2002
Total Timing: 68.10
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