Haydn: Symphonies

 

What a journey!

I started listening to Ádám Fischer's Haydn Symphony set in March, and have only just finished in December of the same year. I unfortunately had to take a three-month absence, right in the middle of Haydn's 'London Symphonies', so I would most likely have finish up in August without that break.

But think of accompanying one man's lifetime worth of work in just a handful of months. In our modern world of streaming and binging, it hard to put into perspective the growth of Haydn and the symphony as a genre without having lived it with him in real time. Plus, take into consideration all of the other music he wrote and performed parallel to the symphonies. It makes ones head spin.

But, what of this set? I mentioned very early on that I thought the acoustic, the sticking point of most reviews, would become an equal character as were the performers on these recordings. Indeed, as I came to these later symphonies, I was reminded of the least friendly qualities of the acoustics from the beginning. Yet, I was only truly disappointed by the sonics in the 'Clock' Symphony; perhaps now, I should now go back and have a fresh listen. In either case, my ears adjusted and I rather enjoyed the sound of much of this set.

I have no problem with the playing either. In so many cases, there is as much magic in these performances as there is life injected into the music. Never was I disassociated with the music due to these performances, and often Fischer's choices added to what Haydn had to say rather than take away. Only a few times did I mention interpretive intervention which irked me; otherwise these were a delight. Generally, the later the performance, the better the sonics and balances, but also, the more interventionist and HIP-aware Fischer becomes (nothing ever to a disturbing or intrusive degree however).

On the other hand, I did no comparative listening to Fischer's set. Once or twice I trotted out Antal Doráti's classic recordings to compare tempos, but that was much more the exception than the rule on my part. Generally, tempos under Fischer are buoyant and flowing, with plenty of character from the Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra. I appreciated their dutiful attention to the Minuet movements, moments I do not always relish in these symphonies. Doráti could be heavy and the Philharmonia Hungarica scrappy, where Fischer's set greatly improves upon those particular aspects.

I have the slimmer Brilliant Classics set, with the cardboard sleeves as opposed to the jewel cases. It is still a solid block, but nothing compared to the ungainly original. I do wish there were a list of performance dates for each symphony, as there was in the girthier set, as well as cover art attributions. The liner notes, though, are a thoughtful retrospective from Ádám Fischer, who together with the Austro-Hungars, lovingly set down their musical thoughts from 1987 to 1996.

So, is this the one to get? Well, I think it will be one of the more consistent sets of Haydn's symphonies available. Furthermore, Fischer didn't try to record these symphonies in one sitting, but rather, over a period of time (14 years!). In these days of trying to make a quick buck, I appreciate performers taking the time to evolve and spend time with the music rather than toss off as many as possible to sell as quickly as possibly.

Sound-wise, I like the fullness of Antal Doráti's orchestra, but I also appreciate the modern instruments here, only slimmed down in numbers. I am no fan of period orchestras, but since Fischer's set was finished, there have been others started with period instruments and performance practice approaches, leaning into those elements harder than Fischer ever did. As a matter of fact, Fischer turned around to record even more Haydn symphonies on Naxos with the Danish Chamber Orchestra, hoping to better the results compared to starting this Brilliant Classics set (Nimbus at the time).

Plus, you get to hear Haydn's symphonies in the Esterházy Palace performed in the Haydnsaal. This is perhaps the closest example to how these works might have been heard in their time, although number of players, types of instruments, tuning, and speeds would be quite different, I imagine.

 

 

 

What else could I give this set but the Oozy Keep key to enter.

The love and care conductor and orchestra put into Haydn's symphonies in Haydn's own place of employ is admirable.

Plus, these are on modern instruments, a boon for me.

All of this, and I haven't even said a word about Haydn's music! What must one say about someone names the 'Father of the Symphony'?

If you are interested in a more detailed look at Haydn's symphonies from Fischer and crew, go on over to our Haydn page, linked below, to read more:

 

Find more Haydn recordings HERE!