[jegnyc]

Tonight I'm listening Haydn Symphony performed by George Szell and Cleveland Orchestra.
Its so clean and played beautifully. 

And the sound is a huge improvement over my old Odyssey CDs (of Symphonies 93-98).

 

[CanadianMaestro]

The Szell-Haydn set is a real gem imo. Listen to the 2nd mvt of #93. Towards the end, the orch falls silent, and a single oboe lets out a loud FART. Absolutely hilarious, and it destroys the widely spread notion that Szell was a humorless dictator of a conductor! It's one of my favorite moments in that box set. Pity Szell did not record more Haydn symphs.

 

[Quinto]

  Tonight I'm listening Haydn Symphony performed by George Szell and Cleveland Orchestra.
Its so clean and played beautifully. 
 

Very interesting! I love Haydn symphonies but somehow have a hard time finding performances that are to my liking. Bernstein's (with few exeptions) were a huge disappointment to me for example.
 
Most def. gonna try this, thanks!

 

[jegnyc]

  The Szell-Haydn set is a real gem imo. Listen to the 2nd mvt of #93. Towards the end, the orch falls silent, and a single oboe lets out a loud FART. Absolutely hilarious, and it destroys the widely spread notion that Szell was a humorless dictator of a conductor! It's one of my favorite moments in that box set. Pity Szell did not record more Haydn symphs.

Bassoon fart. 

 And my other recordings of the symphony don't compare in this regard.
 
Several years ago Sony Korea released a Szell mega-box.  I hoped it would be released in the U.S. (as was the Bruno Walter box, which I bought), but no.  However, since then I have purchased remastered versions of his Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Brahms, mostly from Japan.  I also have several SACDs released by Sony in the early days of that format (Schumann, Mendelssohn, Strauss, Dvorak).  Since I started listening to classical music, there is no conductor I have found more reliable.

 

[CanadianMaestro]

  Bassoon fart. 

 And my other recordings of the symphony don't compare in this regard.
 
Several years ago Sony Korea released a Szell mega-box.  I hoped it would be released in the U.S. (as was the Bruno Walter box, which I bought), but no.  However, since then I have purchased remastered versions of his Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Brahms, mostly from Japan.  I also have several SACDs released by Sony in the early days of that format (Schumann, Mendelssohn, Strauss, Dvorak).  Since I started listening to classical music, there is no conductor I have found more reliable.

You're right. Bassoon, not oboe. Brain cramp on my part.
 
His Beethoven cycle is excellent, right up there with Bernstein/VPO, Chailly/Leipzig, and Karajan/BPO 1963,1977.

 

[gmahler2u]

another gem,  Monteux's Haydn is one of my favorite.
 

 

[Amictus]

Bassoon fart.   And my other recordings of the symphony don't compare in this regard.

Several years ago Sony Korea released a Szell mega-box.  I hoped it would be released in the U.S. (as was the Bruno Walter box, which I bought), but no.  However, since then I have purchased remastered versions of his Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Brahms, mostly from Japan.  I also have several SACDs released by Sony in the early days of that format (Schumann, Mendelssohn, Strauss, Dvorak).  Since I started listening to classical music, there is no conductor I have found more reliable.

I keep looking at the now ultra-expensive Szell mega-box... I do wish that Sony would issue an absolutely complete, perfectly remastered set of the recordings that they own. There is so much in his discography that is world-class. Thanks for bringing it up!

 

[gmahler2u]

Sony has complete Szell recording...but it's $200.
 

 
another discovery here, much cheaper price but less cds...
 

 
i just pick this set for $10...not a bad deal..

 

[Amictus]

The Sony box isn't showing up on the UK Amazon site, alas... I think that last time I saw it, it was priced at over $600...

 

[Pokemonn]

I feel fine now...

 

[CanadianMaestro]

^ good news, Pokemonn. Glad you feel more up.

 

[Pokemonn]

  ^ good news, Pokemonn. Glad you feel more up.

Thank you Maestro! Vivaldi and mozart works fine for me too. Thanks again.

 

[Claritas]

Sony has complete Szell recording...but it's $200.

It's not the complete Sony recordings. One can see that some are missing from the list. Also, it doesn't include Szell's main European recordings.



Anyway, that Haydn set is my second favorite, after Beecham. Szell is actually more faithful temperamentally to Haydn, but Beecham is more fun. (Sometimes the conductor or performer whose personality is more like the composer's might not recreate the most satisfying performance.) Reiner's no. 88 is another favorite.

 

[gmahler2u]

It's not the complete Sony recordings. One can see that some are missing from the list. Also, it doesn't include Szell's main European recordings.



Anyway, that Haydn set is my second favorite, after Beecham. Szell is actually more faithful temperamentally to Haydn, but Beecham is more fun. (Sometimes the conductor or performer whose personality is more like the composer's might not recreate the most satisfying performance.) Reiner's no. 88 is another favorite.

 
 
WOW, I never heard Reiner perform Haydn... 
Beecham, I think of him as Delius Conductor, he's SOOOO good with Delius' music.
Thanks

 

[Quinto]

right now this is one of my favorite Haydn cd's..'Mein Gott, warum hast du mich verlassen' is stunning (du..lol)