Haydn Symphonies - Complete

[DarkAngel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottder DA, I notice the last disc of that set has Jochum with a few Orchestras, does the quality of the recordings hold together throughtout? Scott

Just listened to that CD, great just like rest of the 5CD set. Let me now say without question this is my reference for Haydn London Symphonies, surpasses Dorati/London and Davis/Phillips 50 Greatest sets which were my previous standards.

 

[Tyson]

Thanks to DA I'll be picking up the Jochum set this weekend. Probably also get the Bruggen "london" set as well. And have some Goodman on the way also.

 

[classicalguy]

I have some of the disks from the Nicholas Ward set on Naxos and the Leonard Slatkin set on RCA. I like the sound quality of the Naxos set - they did a good job, and Ward's performance is quite good. Slatkin is good too. I don't have much overlap to compare side by side.

I've heard a few of the brilliant classics disks, and have been disappointed with the sound quality of what I've heard.

Haydn was an excellent composer. I like his piano sonatas and quartets also (again our friends at Naxos have much to offer). Too bad he gets overshadowed by Mozart. There is a great trove of music to discover.

So trivia question for the day: for what instrument did Haydn write the most music for? Answer, the Baryton - a cello-like instrument with plucked strings in the back of the neck. Dorian released an insteresting disk of Baryton Trios. Seems one of his royal employers played the Baryton and expected a steady stream of new music to perform.

 

[Tyson]

Brilliant Classics label doesn't produce their own cd's, they re-issue other companies' back catalog. Nimbus is the company that produced the Haydn set with Fischer, and sound quality is pretty excellent, particularly in symphonies #25-90. Even 90-104 are good, but a little to reverberant.

 

[Tyson]

Well, the Jochum is certainly better in the London Symphonies than Fischer, no doubt about that. But the palm must go to Bruggen as the best of the lot (including the old Davis set I have). He just has that incisiveness and energy that Haydn, IMO, requires.

 

[DarkAngel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tyson Well, the Jochum is certainly better in the London Symphonies than Fischer, no doubt about that. But the palm must go to Bruggen as the best of the lot (including the old Davis set I have). He just has that incisiveness and energy that Haydn, IMO, requires.

Doesn't Bruggen use period instrument performance? This may be part of what you are hearing, also where did you get your Bruggen/Phillips Duo Haydn set......these are hard to find except as $$$ import from Arkiv or Tower.

 

[Tyson]

My local library had both the Bruggen and the Jochum set. Bruggen is definitely a period instrument performance. The strings are a bit scratchy and the horns a bit brash, but that's of secondary concern for me, since the rest of the performance is so good. I wish Fischer had went back and re-recorded the late haydn symphonies, cause he has a better orchestra, and by the end of his project (the middle symphonies) he was getting just the right balance between vigor and refinement. Oh well, Bruggen is still a good 2nd option.

 

[Bill Ward]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MTL As I quite like the "period" approach with Haydn I then turned to The Orchestra of the 18th Century under Brüggen on Philips for nos. 93-104 (which I like much more than for example Bernstein / NYP on Sony). So, still looking for a few recordings to complete my Haydn collection from nos. 76-92... Any suggestions (not including another complete set! Am running permanently out of storage space!)?

Sigiswald Kuijken - Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment

Haydn: The Paris Symphonies 82-87 Virgin Veritas

Sigiswald Kuijken - La Petite Bande

Haydn: Symphonies Nos. 88-92 Virgin Veritas

BW

 

[Tyson]

Picked up the Pinnock set of "Sturm und Drang" symphonies box set. I have to say it is pretty good. Better than Dorati. Unfortunately it still falls short of Fischer. But then Fischer is at his very considerable best in these particular symphonies. I'm still looking for a reference set of the later symphonies, from about 80 onward....

 

[DarkAngel]

I've had that Pinnock/Archiv "sturm & drang" set for some time now and it is quite good, sharp clear sound and lively period instrument performances. A great companion to the Pinnock/Archiv complete Mozart symphony set which I also purchased some time ago.

I recently picked up two volumes of the Fischer/Nimbus Haydn set:
Vol 2 (21-39 2001)
Vol 3 (40-54 1997)

The sound is quite good on these two since they were recorded later in cycle and performances are close to best I have heard......agree with Tyson's assessment but not going to get complete Fischer set (I do have complete set when mix/match from various different conductors)

 

[Bunnyears]

I picked up Peter Maag's recording of Mozart's Late Symphonies when I was looking for a good G minor (40), but now I'm looking at Harnoncourt's new recording of Haydn's Paris Symphonies. The critics have been very enthusiastic and they are not that expensive. They are a bmg recording and if I'm lucky, they will be offered at yourmusic the way the requiem was.

 

[pframe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bunnyears now I'm looking at Harnoncourt's new recording of Haydn's Paris Symphonies

I've been waiting for someone to post on Harnoncourt's new Haydn (esp. SACD), because I am tempted every time I see it at Tower or Virgin. Since I'm already thrilled with his Mozart Requiem and the Bruckner 5 and 9, I should quit waiting and just buy it already.

 

[Bunnyears]

Is it also in SACD? All of my surfing didn't say that there was an SACD/Hybrid edition, but it would make sense because it's listed twice, and the second listing is always much more expensive!

 

[scottder]

Speaking of Haydn on SACD.

 

[Bunnyears]

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottder Speaking of Haydn on SACD.

Scott,
Are you conspiring to make me spend more money? My husband has set me to cataloguing all of my cds now, and I am overwhelmed with the number that I have. Actually I need a good program to enter all of them, as MS Word really isn't cutting it.

pframe,

I have just gone all over the net looking for information as to whether the Paris Symphonies is in SACD and have come up blank. I think it is only released in Stereo.