(My apologies for any inconsistencies between Haydn's Symphony 98 and 99. I took a 3-month sabbatical just before my Haydn series was due to complete amidst his London Symphonies, thus my approach to each may differ)
What a great way to come back to Haydn after a few-month's absence! Symphony no. 99 in E-flat Major's Adagio introduction is wonderfully imposing, without taking away from the following Vivace's buoyancy. Mid-way through the slow introduction, Haydn holds on a fermata C flat, pivoting unusually to its distant enharmonic equivalent of B as the intro continues on. This forces Haydn to awkwardly shift to a B-flat dominant at the introduction's conclusion, here given to the winds alone, as the ensemble settles on G just beforehand. Despite terms such as unusual and awkward, this makes for engaging listening.
A sort-of chromatic half-step idea, germinated from this introduction, is continued into the rest of the first movement, a wonderful bit of structural carry-through from Haydn. As to the rest of the movement, there is a freshly sprung pastoral quality which I really enjoy, aided by a favorite E-flat Major key. The main musical theme is first stated in a calm, elegant manner, but Haydn seems to prefer the following grander statements of the same material, although I find it works both ways most effectively. The transitional material utilizes the aforementioned half-step musical idea, which together with some sforzandos and chord realizations across the ensemble, remind me strongly of Beethoven in portions.
The rather brief 'B-section theme' is not as effective in my opinion, reminding me more of Rossini in humor mode, but I suppose the musical idea offsets the extended 'A theme' well enough. Indeed, Haydn prefers to utilize the 'B theme' in the following development section, so perhaps its design is intentional.
Up to this point, I haven't mentioned Haydn's first addition of clarinets in his orchestrations. These instruments were available to him in his second trip to London, and a fine addition they are to the composer's symphonic sound. You can particularly hear them in the 'B section' and the development section of Hob. I:99, as Haydn makes the winds an integral part of the music rather than mere doubling.
The second movement bears a gentle Mozart-ian otherworldliness filled with many lengthy wind-only portions. Ádám Fischer paces this music beautifully, taking his time with the Adagio tempo and thankfully not imbibing on overly flowing speeds.
A stormier middle section leads away from such talk of Mozart, especially with the timpani showing up in a second movement setting. This talk of Beethoven and Mozart as comparisons aren't meant to lessen Haydn as a composer, nor are they legitimate academic observations, but hopefully they show how Haydn had such an indelible effect on the sound of later composers from my mind. On the other hand, it seems Haydn isn't truly confident in his application of clarinet yet, as the woodwind instrument is not often given the spotlight the other winds are afforded.
I like how the third-movement Minuet has a dance feel to it. Often, these areas become pure music on their own, but when the dance element isn't glossed over, I feel the disparate elements of the symphony coming together. Fischer has something to do with this too, as the Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra ever-so subtly stretches the pick-up beat to excellent effect.
The key relation between the Minuet and Trio is a curious one here, with the chromatic SubMediant of C Major offsetting the home key of E-flat Major. While oboe and bassoon get most of the time to shine in the trio, Haydn does allow some clarinet sounds to utter forth on their own, even if only in coloring terms. So too, the as-of-yet unmentioned trumpet is given little pipings as well.
While horn, trumpet, and timpani have been included in the complete Symphony no. 99, it is only in the fourth-movement Vivace where they are afforded little utterances to themselves. If the final movement wasn't charming enough on it own, there is a wonderfully complex imitative/contrapuntal section at its middle to really drive home the substance of this work.
Perhaps it was my vacation from any dedicated listening over the last three months, but this work utterly charmed me from start to finish. While many complain regarding the 'ordinary' start of Ádám Fischer's Haydn series, I find this symphony blessed by a lack of interpretive individualism, instead leaning into the inherent beauty of Haydn's music. Bravo!
Haydn's Symphony no. 100 in G Major famously dons the sobriquet 'Military', aptly heard in this work's second and fourth movements. The composer continues the use of clarinets from Hob. I:99 (although strangely only appearing in mvt. 2) and not only adds a unique trio of percussion later on (due to the symphony's nickname), also divides the strings into parts as well, an unusual technique from Haydn. Older age certainly didn't limit Haydn's innovation and experimentation.
A rather gentle introduction opens the work, only for a parallel minor mode coming in to break up the calm. Haydn easily wends back to the G-Major preparation, much more confidently and straight forwardly compared to Symphony no. 99. A flute and a pair of oboes open the Allegro proper, only to be restated by the strings playing alone in a contrasting middle register. This ably prepares the listener for more sterling wind work from the composer.
While the exposition confidently concludes in the Dominant D Major, the development section takes off in the odd key of B-flat Major, a chromatic-third relationship, one prepared by Haydn through a two-measure rest between sections. The composer does something similar in the recapitulation where an abrupt E-flat Major appears, although he does use this to slide his way back to the G-Major dominant.
Even before the notable second movement begins, the listener knows something is up due to the Allegretto tempo marking, a tempo usually left to the third movement. Strings and winds pleasantly play back and forth amongst each other, almost suggesting a theme and variations to come.
An unusual shift to a menacing musical attack is cemented by the unusual use of cymbals, triangle, and bass drum, not to mention an aggressive appearance from the brass and timpani. For a movement position known for its gentle song-like qualities, the surprise of a militaristic instrumentation must have been an outrageous choice from Haydn. How fortunate we are that the 'Father of the Symphony' took so many chances, or perhaps, it is because of this he attained such an historical title. Of course, the fanfare inserted into the final portion of the second movement is the stuff of legend.
How does Haydn follow up such a musical oddity? With a Moderato-tempoed third-movement Minuet, here taken at a sturdy swing from Fischer and company. Flute, oboe, and bassoon take over much of the Trio, which all comes and goes pleasantly enough, done so with a slight skip in their step.
A compound-meter Presto skitters the fourth movement to Hob. I:100's conclusion, taking quite a few harmonic divergences, even in the music's initial statements before any developmental section appears. But of course, the development takes some odd turns as well, which nearly explores Beethoven levels of mood swings, including a bombastic timpani solo, plenty of wind features, and the reappearance of the Turkish percussion mentioned earlier in the second movement, finishing off the work in a clatter of noise.
The last handful of 'London' Symphonies are proportioned in such a way as each volume now are paired two-to-a-CD as opposed to the typical three seen in most of the previous Brilliant Classics volumes. Haydn obviously had more to say, so the expansion of the symphony as a genre is easily seen within its progenitor.
Symphony 99 in E-flat Major, Hob. 1:99 (23.22)
Symphony 97 in G Major 'Military', Hob. 1:100 (25.57)
Performers
Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra
Ádám Fischer, conductor
Label: Brilliant Classics
Year: 1988-89; 2002
Total Timing: 52.00
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