Haydn: Complete Name Symphonies - Adam Fischer | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic Haydn: Complete Name Symphonies google+ AllMusic Review by James Leonard Ahhh -- a collection of Haydn 's "Name Symphonies!" Why not? Giving symphonies nicknames was the original marketing gimmick, a quick and easy way for listeners to remember what piece was what. How much easier it is to recall the "Surprise" Symphony than his Symphony No. 94 in G major -- it's the one with the big crash in the slow movement -- to recall the "Farewell" Symphony than his Symphony No. 45 in F sharp minor -- it's the one where all the players leave the stage one by one in the finale -- and to recall the "Drumroll" Symphony than the Symphony No. 103 in E flat major -- it's the one with the percussion explosion in the slow movement. Still, the recordings of Haydn 's Name Symphonies in this 11-disc set issued here by Brilliant form as fine a collection of performances of the works as one is likely to hear.

Recorded between 1987 and 2001 and originally released as part of a cycle of the complete symphonies, these smart, stylish, and soulful performances of the 31 nicknamed symphonies by Hungarian conductor Adam Fischer leading the hand-picked Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra are easily in the same league as the best performances since the war. And since they were recorded in the Haydnsaal in Esterhazy Palace in Eisenstadt, Austria -- that is, in the very hall in which most of Haydn 's symphonies were premiered -- the sound is rich, colorful, and wonderfully evocative. Although not for the Haydn completist -- they may want to have Fischer 's recordings of all 104 symphonies -- this collection of his Name Symphonies will remind more casual listeners why Haydn is rightly considered one of the greatest symphonists of all time. Track Listing - Disc 1 Haydn - Symphony No. 101 (The Clock) - Classic FM Become a VIP Haydn - Symphony No. 101 (The Clock) Composed around 1793/4 especially for a trip to London, Joseph Haydn 's Symphony No.

101 has a reason for its quirky nickname… Listen to the bassoons and the strings in the second movement of Haydn 's Symphony No. 101, nicknamed 'The Clock', and you'll hear something quite striking. That incessant rhythmic pulse sounds so much like a timepiece going round and round it was given the perfect moniker. Aside from its rather fetching title, 'The Clock' is one of 12 symphonies written by Haydn that were inspired by his times in London. Every inch the anglophile, Haydn loved visiting the capital - perhaps unsurprisingly, Londoners loved his London symphonies too. Most of them were met with blanket praise, and 'The Clock' was no different. Even today it's one of the most performed of Haydn's symphonies in the modern concert hall. So, next time you're wandering past Big Ben, just think of those delicate little bassoon and string parts… you just might be able to get a feel for 'The Clock' as you walk through Haydn's London.

Great Composers | ArtsAlive.ca Music Franz Joseph Haydn "Rags to Riches" Joseph Haydn's story begins on March 31, 1732, in a poor peasant home in Rohrau. (Rohrau was in what is now called Austria.) Joseph loved to sing and he had a good voice. In those days, being musically talented gave many poor boys a chance at a better life. When Haydn was six years old, he moved to Hainburg to live with a distant relative, Johann Mathias Franck. Franck was the church schoolmaster and choir director there. Franz Joseph Haydn became a choirboy. Two years later, he was selected to move to Vienna and sing in Karl Georg Reutters's choir. Joseph Haydn was eight years old. In that choir, Haydn became an expert at singing and sight-reading. He also learned to play instruments like the harpsichord, violin and organ. Haydn was expelled from school when he was 17. He had cut off another boy's pigtail. That prank looked like it would be the end of his good luck. Joseph Haydn had no money, no references and no place to live.

It was the wintertime and he was out on the streets of Vienna. He had only one worn coat and three ragged shirts to call his own. He couldn't even earn a living singing because his voice was changing. He wasn't really good enough at playing instruments to make any money that way either. Haydn found a cheap apartment to lease. It had an "old worm-eaten clavichord" in it. Tenants in the building introduced Haydn to people who hired him to teach their children music. He also met an Italian composer, Niccolo Porpora. Haydn talked Porpora into teaching him Italian, singing and composition. Nine years later, Joseph Haydn was hired as the music director and composer for Count Karl Joseph Franz's private orchestra. Haydn composed his first symphony for that wind-based, 10-15 instrument orchestra. After only one year, Joseph was "down-sized" because the Count had money troubles. "Papa Haydn" Haydn became the assistant conductor for the Hungarian Prince Paul Anton Esterhazy. This time was known as Haydn's Sturm und Drang (strong, passionate, expressive) period.

During that time, he also wrote compositions for many other members of the European nobility. Haydn was a great composer and a very good leader! He took good care of the needs of the other musicians under him. They loved and respected him in return. He was known by them as "Papa" Haydn. Haydn's Symphony Names and Their Stories The orchestra musicians had been away from their families for months. They wanted to go home. The Prince didn't feel like returning. Haydn composed the "Farewell" Symphony as a clever protest to motivate his employer. In the last movement, "Papa" Haydn had one instrument after another play a solo. The musician would stop playing, snuff out a candle and leave the stage carrying the instrument. At the end of the symphony, only the conductor and two violinists are left. The Prince gave the order to return home the next day. Haydn also composed: Farewell Never Too Old To Learn When Haydn was 58 years old, he decided he had more to learn. He moved to London, England. He wanted to work with London's large, well-trained orchestras.

(Remember, Haydn had mainly worked with small orchestras.) In London, Joseph heard Handel's music and was inspired to focus on vocal music as well. Haydn had great success in England! The British aristocracy overflowed his concert halls. They came to hear the work of the great Austrian composer. Is There A Language Everyone Understands? Before going to London, Haydn spent his last day in Vienna with a dear friend, Mozart . As they parted, in tears Mozart said, "Oh, Papa, you have no education for the wide world, and you speak so few languages... I am afraid, Papa, this will be our last farewell!" Haydn replied, "But my language is understood all over the world." What language was Haydn talking about? Do you agree with him? Are you learning to speak that language? Mozart's prediction was correct. It was their last farewell. Mozart died while Haydn was in England. The loss of his friend and fellow composer caused Haydn great sadness. Haydn Liked Variety in His Friends Mozart and Haydn were close friends although they were very different. Mozart died at the age of 36.

At 36, Haydn hadn't written any of the compositions he is best known for. Mozart was moody. Haydn was even-tempered. Mozart loved giving solo performances. Haydn much preferred to conduct. Mozart was quite disorganised with everything, including money. He died penniless. Haydn loved order and neatness and managed his income very well. Beethoven came to Vienna to study music under Haydn. They found they couldn't work together. Haydn thought Beethoven was too stubborn and suspicious of everything. They were opposites politically. Beethoven admired Napoleon and the French Revolution. Haydn supported royalty and opposed Napoleon. Even with their differences, they admired each other's abilities. Boundless Energy Haydn released his energy in operas , string quartets, elegant symphonies and church music. He wrote two oratorios , The Creation and The Seasons When he wrote The Creation it was a deeply moving and spiritual experience for him. It remained his crowning achievement in oratorio. He composed beautiful music until 1803. Six years later, in 1809, the French Emperor, Napoleon, attacked Austria.

Although the outskirts of Vienna was bombarded for 24 hours, Haydn refused to leave his home. Later, Napoleon placed a guard of honour around Haydn's house. The explosions had used up the last of old "Papa's" energy. He died in his sleep. The entire cultured world of Vienna came to Franz Joseph Haydn's funeral to say good-bye. Joseph Haydn - Biography Joseph Haydn (1732 - 1809) Austrian Various paternity charges have been levelled at the composer Haydn. His career coincided with the development of classical style and forms, with the symphony, sonata, string quartet and other instrumental forms, in the moulding of which he played an important part. Born in Rohrau in 1732, the son of a wheelwright, he was trained as a chorister at St Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna, where he made his early living, before appointment to the small musical establishment of Count Morzin in 1759.

In 1760 he entered the service of the Esterházy Princes, and succeeded to the position of Kapellmeister on the death of his predecessor and immediate superior Gregorius Werner in 1766. Much of Haydn’s life now centred on the magnificent palace and estate at Esterháza, where his employer Prince Nikolaus Esterházy had moved his entourage for most of the year. The death of the Prince in 1790 released Haydn and allowed travel to London. There followed further service of the successors of Prince Nikolaus, now at the former residence at Eisenstadt, and concluding retirement in Vienna, where he died in 1809, as the soldiers of Napoleon again entered the city. Haydn’s duties as Kapellmeister to the Esterházy family involved the provision of church music, as well as music for entertainment. The Mass settings composed for the younger Prince Nikolaus include the well known Nelson Mass, celebrating the English admiral’s victory at the Battle of the Nile.

Between 1796 and 1802 Haydn wrote seven Masses, all with popular German nicknames, “Heiligmesse”, “Paukenmesse”, “Coronation Mass”, “Theresienmesse”, “Schöpfungsmesse” and “Harmoniemesse”. Haydn’s visits to London suggested to him the musical possibilities of oratorio, in the form perpetuated after Handel’s death by commemorative festival performances. The result was The Creation (Die Schöpfung), with a text by Baron van Swieten based on English sources, first performed in Vienna in 1798. The Seasons (Die Jahreszeiten), with a text by van Swieten based on James Thomson, was first performed in 1801. Haydn’s earlier oratorios include Il ritorno di Tobia (The Return of Tobias), completed in 1775. Haydn’s two dozen operas have received rather less attention than many of his other works. Most of these were written for performance at Esterháza, either in the principal theatre or in the marionette theatre.

Haydn wrote a number of songs, providing nearly 400 British folk-song arrangements for the Edinburgh publisher Thomson, in addition to songs and cantatas in German and English. The two sets of Canzonettas written in England in 1794 and 1795 include settings of verses by the wife of Haydn’s London surgeon, Hunter. Haydn’s 108 symphonies, written between 1759 and 1795, range from works written for the relatively modest local court orchestra of two oboes, two horns and strings, to the greater complexity of his larger scale London Symphonies, the twelve written for performance in London under the direction of the German-born violinist and impresario Salomon during the composer’s two London visits. The London Symphonies include a number of works with nicknames, No. 94, “The Surprise”, No. 96, “The Miracle”, No. 100, “The Military”, No. 101, “The Clock”, No. 103, “The Drumroll”, and No. 104, known as “The London” or “The Salomon”.

Other named symphonies that remain in regular concert repertoire include No. 92, “The Oxford” and Nos. 82, 83 and 84, “The Bear”, “The Hen” and “La reine” (The Queen of France). Earlier named symphonies include the interesting Symphony No. 22, “The Philosopher”, which includes two cor anglais or English horns, tenor oboes in place of the normal higher-pitched instrument, written in 1764, three years after “Le matin”, “Le midi” and “Le soir” (Morning, Noon and Evening), Nos. 6, 7 and 8. The “Farewell” Symphony, No. 45, allows players, impatient for a return from Esterháza to their families at home, to leave the platform one by one. Its immediate predecessor is the “Trauersinfonie”, Mourning Symphony, while No. 49, “ La Passione”, reflects elements of Sturm und Drang, the Storm and Stress movement in German literature and art of the period.

Of Haydn’s concertos, the work written in 1796 for the newly developed and soon to be obsolete keyed trumpet, is the best known, closely rivalled by the two surviving Cello Concertos, in D and in C. Three genuine Violin Concertos remain, in G, in C and in A, and one Horn Concerto. The keyboard concertos have recently entered popular repertoire, in particular the Concerto in D major. They were originally designed either for organ or harpsichord and were written in the earlier part of Haydn’s career, before his employment by the Esterházys. Haydn was a prolific composer of chamber music, with a considerable number of compositions for his principal patron, Prince Nikolaus Esterházy, who played the baryton, a bowed string instrument resembling a viola da gamba, with sympathetic strings that could also be plucked. The English scholar Dr. Burney suggested it as only useful on a desert island, where a player could accompany a bowed melody with plucked accompaniment, without other assistance.

For the more conventional string quartet Haydn wrote some 83 works, described originally as divertimenti, but later dignified by the more serious title by which they are generally known. Once again nicknames reflect the continued popularity of many of these works. Sets of named quartets include the Sun Quartets of 1772, Op. 20, the Russian Quartets written in 1781, Op. 33, and including “The Joke” and “The Bird”, the Prussian Quartets of 1787, Op. 50, much influenced by Mozart and including “The Frog”. There are three sets of Tost Quartets, Opp. 54, 55 and 64, bearing the name of the Esterháza violinist turned business-man Johann ToSt The Tost Quartets include “The Razor” and “The Lark”. Further sets of quartets were issued in 1793 and 1797, the “Apponyi”, Opp. 71 and 74, including “The Rider”, and the “Erdödy”, Op.

76, including the “Fifths”, “Emperor” and “Sunrise”, both groups bearing the names of aristocratic patrons. The Opus 1 Quartets were seemingly written between 1757 and 1761. The Seven Last Words of Christ on the Cross was arranged in string quartet form from the original work for full orchestra, amplified with the addition of choral parts. It was written for performance in Cádiz on Good Friday 1787. In addition to a number of works for two violins and cello and 126 baryton trios, Haydn wrote a number of attractive piano trios between 1784 and 1797. The best known of these last is the G major Trio with its so-called Gypsy Rondo. Haydn composed nearly fifty keyboard sonatas, the earlier intended for harpsichord and the last for the newly developed hammer-action fortepiano. The final works in this form include the so-called English Sonata in C major, written in 1795 during Haydn’s second visit to London.

Haydn: 29 Name Symphonies / Marriner, ASMF - Philips: PHI-454335 | Buy from ArkivMusic Haydn: 29 Name Symphonies / Marriner, ASMF Release Date: 09/16/1997 Recorded in: Stereo Length: 10 Hours 50 Mins. Low Stock: Currently 3 or fewer in stock. Usually ships in 24 hours, unless stock becomes depleted. This CD is reissued by ArkivMusic. Notes and Editorial Reviews The orchestral playing is wonderfully eloquent and vivaciously alert by turns. Marriner and the ASMF consistently achieve a degree of polish and refinement which is ravishing to the ear. Even by current Philips standards the sound on this disc is startlingly vivid with each instrument clearly defined and with an overall bloom that could hardly be more seductive... The performances are immaculate too, carrying on the attractive and imaginative series which Marriner and the Academy started last year coupling Haydn symphonies with related nicknames... In the extraordinary adagio first movement of No. 22 with its antiphonies of horns and cor anglais Marriner makes the music very stylish and elegant...

Dorati makes one feel Read more the more clearly how original the use of cor anglais was, where Marriner moulds it to the conventions of the time, even thoughï¿½paradoxicallyï¿½he uses no continuo in this movement... In the brilliant Presto second movement the polish and virtuosity of the Academy's playing (which in sheer technical finesse clearly outshines the work of the Philharmonia Hungarica) brings exhilarating results... The contrasts in No. 55 are comparable, with Marriner consistently achieving a degree of polish and refinement which is ravishing to the ear... Marriner's sweetness of sound particularly in the smoothness of string tone and the vivid recording are impossible to resist. -- Edward Greenfield, Gramophone [2/1978, reviewing Symphonies 22 and 55] --------------------- These three early symphonies join the series of ASMF/Marriner recordings of all the 'named' symphonies of Haydn. They are delightfully lightweight with unusual prominence given to the woodwind, and they receive here wholly enjoyable 'chamber-music' style performances of great style and precision.

The recorded balance has ideal spread and depth, the harpsichord being just in evidence. The sum of its many musical and technical virtues makes this CD compulsive listening through every one of its 13 movements. Indeed, if you programme your CD player to 'repeat' you could extend this civilized music to accompany the longest mealï¿½with benefits to the spirit and the digestion of all present. -- Gramophone [10/1984, reviewing Symphonies 6-8, Philips 411441 ] --------------------- Marriner and his Academy play Haydn with a natural freshness. They do not display all the robust vigour which characterizes the Dorati/Philharmonia Hungarica cycle on Decca, but there are different ways of approaching Haydn and this is a rewarding one. -- Gramophone [3/1978, reviewing Symphony no 48] --------------------- Marriner's coupling of Haydn's Mourning Symphony with La passione is superb. The orchestral playing is wonderfully eloquent and vivaciously alert by turns. The expressive phrasing is a joy and the recording warm and natural...

I cannot praise this issue too highly: buy it and you will find it infinitely rewarding. -- Gramophone [10/1978, reviewing Symphonies 44 and 49] --------------------- These modern-instrument versions of the Paris Symphonies are closer in scale to the period performances we get today than to the Romanticised, big-band approach of Karajan, Böhm and Bernstein. The orchestral playing is superb: opening and closing movements are buoyant and incisive, allegrettos are light on their feet and the minuets really dance. The user-friendly tempi will appeal to those who find authentic performances too hard-driven.

Performance: 5 (out of 5), Sound: 5 (out of 5) -- David Michaels, BBC Music Magazine [reviewing Symphonies 82, 83, and 85] CD1 � recorded June 1990 [76.45] Symphony No 1 in D major, Hob.I:1 (1759) Symphony No 2 in C major, Hob.I:2 (1764) Symphony No 3 in G major, Hob.I:3 (1762) Symphony No 4 in D major, Hob.I:4 (1762) Symphony No 5 in A major, Hob.I:5 (1762) CD2 � recorded April 1989 [70.02] Symphony No 6 in D major �Le Matin�, Hob.I:6 (1761) Symphony No 7 in D major �Le Midi�, Hob.I:7 (1761) Symphony No 8 in G major �Le Soir�, Hob.I:8 (1761) CD3 � recorded June 1990 [70.08] Symphony

 No 9 in C major, Hob.I:9 (1762) Symphony No 10 in D major, Hob.I:10 (1766) Symphony No 11 in E flat major, Hob.I:11 (1769) Symphony No 12 in E major, Hob.I:12 (1763) CD4 � recorded April 1991 [65.23] Symphony No 13 in D major, Hob.I:13 (1763) Symphony No 14 in A major, Hob.I:14 (1764) Symphony No 15 in A major, Hob.I:15 (1764) Symphony No 16 in B flat major, Hob.I:16 (1766) CD5 � recorded April 1991 (Nos 17/18) and May 1991 (Nos 19/20) [53.50] Symphony No 17 in D major, Hob.I:17 (1765) Symphony No 18 in G major, Hob.I:18 (176

6) Symphony No 19 in D major, Hob.I:19 (1766) Symphony No 20 in C major, Hob.I:20 (1766) CD6 � recorded April 1989 (Nos 22/24) and June 2000 (Nos 21/23) [68.50] Symphony No 21 in A major, Hob.I:21 (1764) Symphony No 22 in E flat major �The Philosopher�, Hob.I:22 (1764) Symphony No 23 in G major, Hob.I:23 (1764) Symphony No 24 in D major, Hob.I:24 (1764) CD7 � recorded June 1989 (No 27), September 1990 (No 25) and June 2000 (Nos 26/28) [76.15] Symphony No 25 in C major, Hob.I:25 (1766) Symphony No 26 in D minor �Lamentatione�,

 Hob.I:26 (1770) Symphony No 27 in G major, Hob.I:27 (1766) Symphony No 28 in A major, Hob.I:28 (1765) Symphony No 29 in E major, Hob.I:29 (1765) CD8 � recorded April 2001 (Nos 30-32) and May 2001 (No 33) [69.30] Symphony No 30 in C major �Alleluja�, Hob.I:30 (1765) Symphony No 31 in D major �Hornsignal�, Hob.I:31 (1765) Symphony No 32 in C major, Hob.I:32 (1766) Symphony No 33 in C major, Hob.I:33 (1767) CD9 � recorded May 2001 [62.17] Symphony No 34 in D major, Hob.I:34 (1767) Symphony No 35 in B flat major, Hob.I:35 (176

7) Symphony No 36 in E flat major, Hob.I:36 (1769) Symphony No 37 in C major, Hob.I:37 (1758) CD10 � recorded June 2000 ('A' and 'B') and May 2001 (Nos 38/39) [57.45] Symphony No 38 in C major, Hob.I:38 (1769) Symphony No 39 in G minor, Hob.I:39 (1770) Symphony 'A' in B flat major, Hob.I:107 (1762) Symphony 'B' in B flat major, Hob.I:108 (1765) CD11 � recorded May 1991 (No 40), June 1994 (No 42) and June 1995 (No 41) [62.14] Symphony No 40 in F major, Hob.I:40 (1763) Symphony No 41 in C major, Hob.I:41 (1770) Symphony

 No 42 in D major, Hob.I:42 (1771) CD12 � recorded September 1988 (No 45) and June 1994 (Nos 43/44) [73.11] Symphony No 43 in E flat major �Mercury�, Hob.I:43 (1772) Symphony No 44 in E minor �Trauersymphonie�, Hob.I:44 (1772) Symphony No 45 in F sharp minor �Farewell�, Hob.I:45 (1772) CD13 � recorded June 1995 [64.16] Symphony No 46 in B major, Hob.I:46 (1772) Symphony No 47 in G major, Hob.I:47 (1772) Symphony No 48 in C major �Maria Theresia�, Hob.I:48 (1769) CD14 � recorded June 1994 (No 51) and June 1995 (Nos 49/50) [5

9.20] Symphony No 49 in F minor �La Passione�, Hob.I:49 (1768) Symphony No 50 in C major, Hob.I:50 (1773) Symphony No 51 in B flat major, Hob.I:51 (1774) CD15 � recorded June 1994 (No 52) and June 1995 (Nos 53/54) [68.10] Symphony No 52 in C minor, Hob.I:52 (1774) Symphony No 53 in D major �L�Impériale�, Hob.I:53 (1778/9) Symphony No 54 in G major, Hob.I:54 (1774) CD16 � recorded May 1996 [68.21] Symphony No 55 in E flat major �The Schoolmaster�, Hob.I:55 (1774) Symphony No 56 in C major, Hob.I:56 (1774) Symphony No 57 in D major, Hob.I:

57 (1774) CD17 � recorded May 1996 [58.54] Symphony No 58 in F major, Hob.I:58 (1775) Symphony No 59 in A major �Fire�, Hob.I:59 (1769) Symphony No 60 in C major �Il distratto�, Hob.I:60 (1774) CD18 � recorded May 1996 (Nos 61/63) and June 1997 (No 62) [60.45] Symphony No 61 in D major, Hob.I:61 (1776) Symphony No 62 in D major, Hob.I:62 (1781) Symphony No 63 in C major �La Roxelane�, Hob.I:63 (1781) CD19 � recorded June 1997 [57.40] Symphony No 64 in A major �Tempora Mutantur�, Hob.I:64 (1778) Symphony No 65 in C major, Hob.I

:65 (1778) Symphony No 66 in B flat major, Hob.I:66 (1779) CD20 � recorded June 1997 [71.35] Symphony No 67 in F major, Hob.I:67 (1779) Symphony No 68 in B flat major, Hob.I:68 (1779) Symphony No 69 in C major �Laudon�, Hob.I:69 (1779) CD21 � recorded June 1997 (Nos 70/71) and May 1998 (No 73) [58.45] Symphony No 70 in D major, Hob.I:70 (1779) Symphony No 71 in B flat major, Hob.I:71 (1780) Symphony No 72 in D major, Hob.I:72 (1781) CD22 � recorded June 1997 (No 73) and May 1998 (Nos 74/75) [58.37] Symphony

 No 73 in D major �La Chasse�, Hob.I:73 (1782) Symphony No 74 in E flat major, Hob.I:74 (1781) Symphony No 75 in B flat major, Hob.I:75 (1781) CD23 � recorded May 1998 [58.35] Symphony No 76 in E flat major, Hob.I:76 (1782) Symphony No 77 in B flat major, Hob.I:77 (1782) Symphony No 78 in C minor, Hob.I:78 (1782) CD24 � recorded May 1998 [65.45] Symphony No 79 in F major, Hob.I:79 (1784) Symphony No 80 in D minor, Hob.I:80 (1784) Symphony No 81 in G major, Hob.I:81 (1784) CD25 � recorded September 1991 (No 83), September 1992 (No 82) and June 

1994 (No 84) [74.15] Symphony No 82 in C major �L'Ours�, Hob.I:82 (1786) Symphony No 83 in G minor �La Poule�, Hob.I:83 (1785) Symphony No 84 in E flat major, Hob.I:84 (1786) CD26 � recorded September 1991 (No 85), September 1992 (No 86) and June 1994 (No 87) [73.42] Symphony No 85 in B flat major �La Reine�, Hob.I:85 (1785) Symphony No 86 in D major, Hob.I:86 (1786) Symphony No 87 in A major, Hob.I:87 (1785) CD27 � recorded September 1990 (Nos 88/90) and September 1991 (No 89) [69.41] Symphony No 88 in G major, Hob.I:8

8 (1787) Symphony No 89 in F major, Hob.I:89 (1787) Symphony No 90 in C major, Hob.I:90 (1788) CD28 � recorded September 1988 (Hob.I:105), September 1990 (No 92) and September 1991 (No 91) [74.41] Symphony No 91 in E flat major, Hob.I:91 (1788) Symphony No 92 in G major �Oxford�, Hob.I:92 (1789) Sinfonia Concertante in B flat major, Hob.I:105 (1792)* CD29 � recorded June 1989 (Nos 93/95) and September 1998 (No 94) [69.25] Symphony No 93 in D major, Hob.I:93 (1791) Symphony No 94 in G major �Surprise�, Hob.I.94 (1791) Symphony No 95 in

 C minor, Hob.I:95 (1791) CD30 � recorded June 1988 (No 96) and June 1989 (Nos 97/98) [79.14] Symphony No 96 in D major, Hob.I:96 (1791) Symphony No 97 in C major, Hob.I:97 (1792) Symphony No 98 in B flat major, Hob.I:98 (1792) CD31 � recorded September 1988 (No 100) and September 1989 (No 99) [52.00] Symphony No 99 in E flat major, Hob.I:99 (1793) Symphony No 100 in D major �Military�, Hob.I:100 (1793/4) CD32 � recorded June 1987 (No 101) and June 1988 (No 102) [56.30] Symphony No 101 in D major �Clock�, Hob.I:

101 (1793/4) Symphony No 102 in B flat major �Miracle�, Hob.I:102 (1794) CD33 � recorded June 1987 (No 103) and September 1989 (No 104) [59.38] Symphony No 103 in E flat major �Drumroll�, Hob.I:103 (1795) Symphony No 104 in D major �London�, Hob.I:104 (1795) Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra, cond.

Adam Fischer, with *Rainer Küchl (violin), Wolfgang Herzer (cello), Gerhard Turetschek (oboe) and Michael Werba (bassoon) DDD: recorded at the Haydnsaal, Esterházy Palace, Eisenstadt, Austria BRILLIANT CLASSICS 99925 A dream comes true. I didn�t think I would ever home my sights on a box of all Haydn�s symphonies that truly satisfies. Adam Fischer�s is not the first integral set of Haydn�s 104 numbered symphonies to appear, although his best fits the bill to my mind. It�s been an ill-fated adventure. Max Goberman, forty years ago, and more, started a cycle and died with 43 symphonies recorded. Antal Dorati, of course, made gramophone history with his complete recording for Decca. Yet, it�s of variable quality � Haydn needs a little more imagination than Dorati was able to bring.

The appearance on LP of Dorati�s versions was concurrent with, and overshadowed, a cycle for Oryx conducted by Ernst Märzendorfer, which I have never heard and to the best of my knowledge has never appeared on CD (I would be grateful to hear if any reader knows differently); and I�ve only seen one review, that of Anthony Hodgson for "Records and Recording" in the �seventies when he compared it with Dorati; swings and roundabouts as I recall. Then there are the historically-informed outfits. Roy Goodman got halfway through his traversal for Hyperion when the plug was pulled, and Christopher Hogwood�s Decca cycle has appeared in dribs and drabs. Whether Hogwood�s will be completed is unclear; Naxos�s collection appears healthy in comparison, although it�s not a venture I�ve followed wholesale. Then there�s the present set, most of which has already appeared on Nimbus. With one volume to go, Nimbus went under. Jinxed or what? To those with the Nimbus boxes, the transfers of this Brilliant Classics set are virtually indistinguishable from the previous pressings.

Indeed, from comparisons at random, I thought the new ones marginally superior in terms of detail; this may have to do with there being slightly less reverberation on the current pressings, which suits me. Crescendos also seem slightly more vivid than previously � but I stress there�s little in it. (Not always the case as EMI�s re-transfers of Boult�s Vaughan Williams symphonies show; the original CD of No.5 being vastly preferable � compare the opening bars.) Those with Nimbus�s CDs need have no fear in passing them on in favour of the new set and, of course, the additional symphonies to complete the cycle. There are, inevitably, many recordings of certain Haydn symphonies � especially those bracketed �Paris� (82-87) and �London� (93-104). From these collectives, those symphonies (and others outside these groups) bearing nicknames (not necessarily if at all labelled by the composer himself!) have become especially popular and attracted many conductors.

These range from the gloriously old-fashioned and inauthentic to those with every �I� dotted and �T� crossed in �period� conceptions that can have as much life as a dull, dusty lecture on the subject. And as for those nasal-sounding old instruments � the development of instrument-production surely sought to eradicate this. Notable exceptions are Frans Brüggen (Philips) using �original� instruments and Sir Charles Mackerras (Telarc), combining modern ones with �authentic� manners, and some élan and affection. Of Harnoncourt (Teldec) I�m less certain � always interesting certainly. You�ll have spotted I�m not a fan of the �authentic� movement. To be precise, it�s the tone that puts me off. The lessons learnt relating to tempi, phrasing et al are invaluable but are not at odds with �modern� orchestras. You can ask the timpanist to use hard sticks, you can request the strings to play with minimal or no vibrato, you can make woodwind and brass equal voices with the strings, which you can reduce in numbers. There are so many possibilities.

Essentially this is what Adam Fischer does with his contemporary band, and he has the necessary fancy, regard and instinct for Haydn�s music. He has in the Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra a group of players who speak Haydn�s language � the band constituted from members of the Vienna Philharmonic and Symphony Orchestras and the Hungarian State Symphony Orchestra. Moreover, all the recordings were made in Haydn�s own territory, the Esterházy Palace in Eisenstadt, Austria. A sense of its grandeur is generally well conveyed in these recordings. Successive members of the Esterházy family, most notably Prince Nikolaus, employed Haydn, not only as a composer but also as a music director. His association was effectively lifelong. The astonishing catalogue of symphonies, string quartets, opera, oratorio and religious works owes much to the Prince�s musical requirements. Haydn developed musical forms, especially the symphony and quartet, and although he enjoyed travel in his later years and accepted commissions from overseas � the �London� symphonies were at the behest of the London impresario J.P.

Salomon for example � Haydn�s close identity with the Esterházy family and its estate is permanent. Haydn became known as "the father of the symphony", an apposite epithet. One has only to hear the opening of Symphony No.1 and the �Finale� of 104 to realise how far Haydn took the symphony as a form. His remarkable ability to invent ideas and his ceaseless imagination in developing them can best be described as awesome. In short, every Haydn symphony has something to offer. Alfred Brendel has remarked on the genius of Haydn (1732-1809) and Liszt. He feels there is a chance with Haydn because at least other people recognise his stature. Yet the appreciation of Haydn needs to be widened beyond those symphonies that are popular. The sheer diversity of Haydn�s music is without parallel. The tunes, the song and dance, the pathos, wit, minor-key deliberation and major-key jubilation, the phrasal beauty of the slow movements and the sparkle of the finales, the twists and turns, the jokes, the seriousness, and the fresh takes on structure and form.

Each symphony is a new adventure, each movement intriguing and without precedent. This box of 33 CDs (recorded between 1987 and 2001) contains the 104 numbered symphonies plus those termed �A� and �B� by H.C. Robbins Landon � Haydn guru � and the Sinfonia Concertante, sometimes referred to as �No.105�. Having made his choice of �Finale� for No.53, Fischer does not offer the other three alternatives, nor the different final movement for �103�, nor alternate versions of symphonies 22 and 63. A shame. And while I�m listing the disappointments, I�m amazed that Fischer doesn�t opt for antiphonal violins � the music was designed for such exchanges of dialogue, and the loss of this important feature is a real pity. Leonard Slatkin on his underrated Philharmonia Orchestra recordings of the �London� symphonies (RCA) has the strings so disposed; he is therefore more factual than Fischer in this regard.

The first movement exposition of No.98 is a good place to compare, and reports that string interaction is more acute from the American. Also the recorded sound in 101 and 103 for Fischer is diabolical � distant and monochrome, almost an echo of a performance from Haydn�s own time! Fortunately this isn�t typical of the sound in general, which is good overall. Indeed the most recent recordings are excellent � present and detailed with warmth, space and detail judiciously balanced. More explicitness between the string desks would have been an advantage though. Nor do I hear many if any edits. Each movement sounds like a complete take. This enhances the renditions� spontaneity although there are few dropped stitches and some ensemble imprecision along the way, which I don�t think is particularly important given the musicians� focus. Strictures out of the way, I can only have praise for Fischer and his Orchestra. Haydn�s invention flies off the page and it�s incredible to think that combined with his �day job� chez Esterházy, Haydn produced so much great, developmental and influential music. These vital performances suggest the ink is barely dry on the manuscripts.

Fischer�s orchestra relishes the music�s bravura � with plenty of solo opportunities � and is equally sympathetic to gracefulness, exuberance and timbral variegation. Instrumental clarity is as excellent as the acoustic allows, Fischer skilfully clarifying inner parts and decoration, not least timpani, which are too much like cannon shots at times if exemplary in revealing rhythmic patterns. Dynamic contrasts are vivid, and solo work is full of character. The horn playing is often astonishing � what virtuosos Haydn must have had given that valves were a device of the future. The 33 CDs present the symphonies in number, if not chronological order. Accepting No.1 at face value, it�s not a bad start to Haydn�s symphonic career! A startling crescendo to carousing horns announces Haydn to the world � fresh, vigorous and talented. A harpsichord is present, as for all the early works � three- and four-movement affairs � and will feature again in such �serious� works as �La Passione� (No.49), a zest of colour for the cloistered (slow) opening movement.

What though of No.98, where the harpsichord has a solo near the end? Fischer opts not to have it playing elsewhere � thus it emerges as a blast from Haydn�s past. Unpredictability is a key word when describing Haydn�s music. Whether it is how he develops an idea, introduces particular coloration, stretches or concentrates form � each symphony has something unexpected; utterly captivating. Symphony No.3, in four movements, is music of import and searching, while Symphony No.5 begins with a slow movement. Symphonies 6-8 each have descriptive titles � �Le Matin�, �Le Midi� and �Le Soir� � and here Haydn finds his true voice while suggesting varied moods and providing principal players with opportunities to shine. This is a good place to mention Minuets given the stern one in No.8. Dance-like of course, not all Haydn�s examples suggest chandeliers and ball-gowns, and certainly not given Fischer�s spanking tempos, although he can suggest something grand when he is minded to.

Trios are varied too � rustic, sweetly lyrical, shadowy � you name it, you�ve got a 1 in 105 chance of finding it (the Sinfonia Concertante and Symphony �A� are Minuet-less)! Fischer�s hesitations and emphases, just teasing the dance, is welcome and characterful embellishment. Similar chutzpah can be found elsewhere. The �Finale� of No.89 a good place to try. Fischer doesn�t follow authenticity by playing Minuet da capos twice through again. Indeed, he�s inconsistent with repeats � slow movements sometimes have both halves repeated, sometimes not (where marked to be so of course) but all first-time repeats are in place. And how often the word �cantabile� features as a marking in those slow movements. This lyric quality is at the heart of Haydn�s expression, and there�s no lack of support from Fischer in this respect. Try the opening �Adagio cantabile� of No.11, just gorgeous, or the slow-fast-slow beginning to No.15, the �slow� absolutely delightful in its siciliano-like flotation. Cards on the table.

Haydn is one of the supreme composers. Each and every one of these symphonies has something to offer. The sheer variety is incredible. And this is real music; entertaining in terms of the music�s surface and ideas. This is also music for the connoisseur, the person who is alive to incident and musical daring and to how a composer can find something new to say with each movement undertaken. I suggest everything Haydn penned is new-sounding � yet No.69 opens with reminiscence to the beginning of No.48. Conscious or not, that�s a strange moment! Otherwise, the freshness of invention is mind-boggling and so memorable. All the symphonies require focused and concentrated listening � blink and you�ll miss something. Surprisingly the festive No.48, �Maria Theresia�, is included in the �Stürm und Drang� (Storm and Stress) series, nineteen symphonies from Nos.26 and 65 dated between 1766-1773.

Intimating to but not wholly aligned to the contemporary German literary movement of the same name, these symphonies, including the wonderful No.44 (�Mourning�), are dramatic, and display greater emotional intensity. Indeed, No.44 is a study in naked emotion, its anguish intensified here by the heart-stabbing oboe timbre; the melancholy �Minuet� and the indelible melody of the slow movement encased by driving fast movements � riveting. No.45 is the famous �Farewell� � in the �Finale� the textures are gradually diminished until only the lead-violinist remains. Haydn�s orchestra needed a holiday. This was his way of telling their employer, who took the hint! Then there are the symphonies that seem more consciously experimental � the opening �Allegro� of No.16 for example, staccato, trill and refrain fashioned into sonata form. High horns, blazing thrillingly at the top of the stave, militaristic timpani, droll woodwind commentaries � these are all part of Haydn�s ingredients that Fischer loves presenting, his musicians in cohorts.

A pair of cors anglais grace the opening �Adagio� of No.22, �The Philosopher�, and I�m opened-mouthed at the music�s expressive dimension that seems to look forward to Wagner�s Parsifal. I recall an astonishing account I heard of this from Paul Sacher, which reminds of me of a memorable No.28 under Gennadi Rozhdestvensky and No.75 from Sir Charles Groves. Diverse conductors and a prompting that Haydn is for everybody � with ears and intelligence that is � not just for closet authenticists. With all the symphonies now listened to � and some were new to even this Haydn devotee � one can now anticipate slow movements with solo lines of rare beauty � for horn, flute and cello � and appreciate that movements are sometimes for cognoscenti, form and content indivisible, and that an intentional popular cut with a folksong or a pastoral lilt widens the appeal. There is something onomatopoeic too, hence those nicknames (�The Hen�, �The Bear�), and various moods and effects that have been taken as extra-musical.

Strange how in No.55 (�The Schoolmaster�) one does indeed visualise a pedagogue � gown and mortar board the garb. I think it�s to do with wisdom distilled through music. In contrast there�s Haydn�s purely musical ability as to how an idea, initially integral to a bigger one, is given a life of its own and allowed its own space. Have I mentioned yet the harmonic richness, exceptionally lovely modulations and Haydn�s ability to make conventional cadences interesting? The �Adagio� of No.61 � a wondrous symphony � the Morse-code opening to No.70, the unison beginning of No.71 where Beethovenian force is calmed by graceful figures, the use of pizzicato in No.57�s slow movement, or the echo effects in No.38�s �Andante molto� � the symphony known as �Echo�! These are just some of the features.

And while Haydn had immense musical intellect, and today might be described as a �nice guy�, he clearly had real soul � the anguished No.44 may not be wholly typical of him, yet there is much that touches the heart throughout and there�s no lack of passionate outbursts � the �Finale� of No.87 for example, the last of the �Paris� symphonies. The �Paris� sextet are absolute pinnacles and among Haydn�s greatest achievements. Brüggen to Sanderling offer recorded diversity, Karajan and Bernstein another contrast; Ansermet�s set is listed in Decca�s catalogue but has to be imported � well worth it though. Fischer�s are among the best � insouciant, ceremonial, regal, jolly, serene, deft and lofty: just like the music! Symphonies 88-92 tend to be overlooked, although the bookend ones are more popular � being known respectively as �Letter V� and �Oxford� perhaps helps � but 89-91 are staggering pieces, brimful of sumptuous invention � and a good joke too with the false ending of No.90.

Fischer opts for not playing the second half twice, thus not repeating Haydn�s prank. Probably right. Reaching No.91 reminds me that sometimes there are other recorded performances that hold sway. Colin Davis in this symphony is wonderful (Philips), Celibidache in 92 (his slow movement is sublime, EMI), and there�s also a scorching account of 92 newly re-issued in Japan under Willem van Otterloo (Philips). I wouldn�t want to be without the selection that Klemperer recorded either for EMI. Fischer�s is a package, all or nothing, and the �all�, as I explained earlier, has been among my prime musical targets. So to the twelve symphonies for London, only No.104 called �London�. Again the titled ones overshadow those only with numbers and keys.

No.99 (1793, Haydn had turned 60), its opening E flat chord reminding of Mozart 39 (Mozart dead at 35 two years previously) and the �Emperor� (Beethoven aged 22, the fifth concerto fifteen years away), is one of the grandest and greatest in Haydn�s symphonic canon, the slow movement heavenly. While this group of symphonies is perhaps more sober, more classical than their �Paris� counterparts, the charm of 93 � with its �rude� bassoon note at the end of the slow movement � and the �Turkish� percussion in the �Military� (No.100) continue to display Haydn�s relish of the new. Nor does Haydn overlook rusticity or country bumpkins with his move to �the smoke� At the beginning of No.103 (�Drum Roll�) Fischer surprisingly has crescendo-diminuendo for the timpani introduction, the �old� way of doing it, and rather tame too.

Mackerras opts for forte-diminuendo, a more arresting opening, and more convincing than Harnoncourt�s separate-note tattoo that seems more whimsy than anything Haydn actually intended. But then editions of Haydn�s symphonies do reveal differences � mentioning no names, I recall being at a recording session where the conductor and producer were working from different publications of the same symphony, which was quite amusing at times! And don�t be caught out by the slow movement of No.98 � whether Haydn meant the allusion to our National Anthem I know not, but there is a compulsion to stand at this point! A more subtle �surprise� than the crashing chord in No.94�s �Andante�, here given due impact. The final movement of No.104, a glorious culmination to Haydn�s symphonic career � he went on to write The Creation, The Seasons and six Mass settings! � is just a tad too quick from Fischer.

The music needs to be more emphatic in terms of arrival, and the �lift� that introduces the final bars isn�t quite as telling here as Hans Rosbaud�s Berlin Phil recording currently residing on DG 457 720-2 or Michael Gielen�s Baden-Baden account on Intercord. Fischer though is imposing enough to suggest one door closing and another opening � the new star�s name on the dressing-room door is that of Ludwig van Beethoven. Five years would pass until he produced his symphonic debut in 1800. So nothing routine or stuck in a groove where Haydn is concerned � as true of the performances as the music itself � music and musicians made for each other, reservations aside. Speaking as someone who loves music for what it is and what it is intrinsically capable of, not necessarily what it may or may not be about, Haydn�s scores seem so relevant, so engaging � timeless. Haydn didn�t seem to start anything he couldn�t finish. Wit, imagination and dexterity get him to the end in an enticingly unpredictable way, from pathos to hilarity.

For the latter try the �square dance� violin tuning in the �Finale� of the six-movement No.60. Ultimately, I just bow my head to Joseph Haydn�s genius and thank the current performers for putting so much energy and perception into this life-enhancing project. Colin Anderson Symphony No. 94 (Haydn) - iSnare Free Encyclopedia Symphony No. 94 (Haydn) The Symphony No. 94 in G major ( H. 1/94) is the second of the twelve London symphonies written by Joseph Haydn . It is popularly known as the Surprise Symphony. Contents 9 External links Date of composition Haydn wrote the symphony in 1791 in London for a concert series he gave during the first of his visits to England (1791–1792). The premiere took place at the Hanover Square Rooms in London on March 23, 1792, with Haydn leading the orchestra seated at a fortepiano .

Scoring The Surprise Symphony is scored for a Classical -era orchestra consisting of two each of flutes , oboes , bassoons , horns , trumpets , plus timpani , and the usual string section consisting of violins (first and second), violas , cellos , and double basses . A typical performance of the Surprise Symphony lasts about 23 minutes. Nickname (the Surprise) Measures 1 to 16 of the first violin part in the second movement. The "surprise" arrives in measure 16, when the rest of the orchestra joins the first violins in a fortissimo G-major chord. Haydn's music contains many jokes, and the Surprise Symphony includes probably the most famous of all: a sudden fortissimo chord at the end of the otherwise piano opening theme in the variation-form second movement. The music then returns to its original quiet dynamic , as if nothing had happened, and the ensuing variations do not repeat the joke. (In German it is commonly referred to as the Symphony "mit dem Paukenschlag"—"with the kettledrum stroke").

In Haydn's old age, his biographer George August Griesinger asked him whether he wrote this "surprise" to awaken the audience. Haydn replied: No, but I was interested in surprising the public with something new, and in making a brilliant debut, so that my student Pleyel , who was at that time engaged by an orchestra in London (in 1792) and whose concerts had opened a week before mine, should not outdo me. The first Allegro of my symphony had already met with countless Bravos, but the enthusiasm reached its highest peak at the Andante with the Drum Stroke. Encore! Encore! sounded in every throat, and Pleyel himself complimented me on my idea. [1] The work was popular at its premiere. The Woodfall's Register critic wrote: "The third piece of HAYDN was a new Overture [i.e. symphony], of very extraordinary merit. It was simple, profound, and sublime. The andante movement was particularly admired." [2] The Morning Herald critic wrote: The Room was crowded last night.... A new composition from such a man as HAYDN is a great event in the history of music.

— His novelty of last night was a grand Overture, the subject of which was remarkably simple, but extended to vast complication, exquisitly [ sic ] modulated and striking in effect. Critical applause was fervid and abundant." [3] The symphony is still popular today, and is frequently performed and recorded. Movements The first movement has a lyrical 3 4 introduction preceding a highly rhythmic main section in 6 8 time. The second, "surprise", movement, is an andante theme and variations in 2 4 time in the subdominant key of C major . The theme is in two eight-bar sections, each repeated. The repeat at the end of the first section is pianissimo with pizzicato in the lower strings to set up the surprise. Four variations of the theme follow, starting with embellishment in sixteenth notes by the first violins, moving to a stormy variation in C minor with trumpets and timpani, followed by solos for the first oboist and flautist , and concluding with a sweeping and lyrical forte repeat in triplets.

In the coda section, the opening notes are stated once more, this time reharmonized with gently dissonant diminished seventh chords over a tonic pedal . The third movement is a minuet and trio , in ternary form in the tonic key ( G major ). The tempo, allegro molto (very quickly), is of note since it marks the historical shift away from the old minuet (which was played at a slower, danceable, tempo) toward the scherzo ; by his last quartets Haydn had started marking his minuets presto . The fourth movement is a characteristically rhythmic, energetic and propulsive Haydn finale. The movement is written in sonata rondo form with the opening bars appearing both at the beginning and in the middle of the development section. The stirring coda emphasizes the timpani . Later uses Toward the end of his active career Haydn wove the theme of the second movement into an aria of his oratorio The Seasons (1801), in which the bass soloist depicts a plowman whistling Haydn's tune as he works. The same theme is also frequently adapted for the purpose of teaching musical beginners; see Papa Haydn .

The composer Charles Ives wrote a parody of the second movement in 1909, penning the words "Nice little easy sugar-plum sounds" under the opening notes. Ives was unhappy with concert audiences who unadventurously resisted difficult modern music—as is shown by other words in his parody: "Nice sweety silk bonnet melodies ... nice pretty perfumed sounds for the dress circle cushion chai[r] ears." [4] Since the opening notes of Haydn's second movement are very simple, they were a suitable choice for Ives's purpose. Donald Swann created a version of the Surprise Symphony 'with extra surprises' for the humorous Hoffnung Music Festival . [5] See also Franz Joseph Haydn- Bio, Albums, Pictures – Naxos Classical Music. Classical Music Home > Franz Joseph Haydn FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN (1732 - 1809) Various musical paternity charges have been levelled at the composer Franz Joseph Haydn. His career coincided with the development of Classical style and forms (the symphony, sonata, string quartet and other instrumental forms), in the moulding of which he played an important part.

Born in Rohrau in 1732, the son of a wheelwright, he was trained as a chorister at St Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna, where he made his early living before his appointment to the small musical establishment of Count Morzin in 1759. In 1760 he entered the service of the Esterházy Princes, and he succeeded to the position of Kapellmeister on the death of his predecessor and immediate superior Gregor Werner in 1766. Much of Haydn’s life now centred on the magnificent palace and estate at Eszterháza, where his employer Prince Nikolaus Esterházy had moved his entourage for most of the year. The death of the Prince in 1790 released Haydn and allowed travel to London. There followed further service to the successors of Prince Nikolaus, now at the former residence at Eisenstadt, until his retirement in Vienna, where he died in 1809, as the soldiers of Napoleon again entered the city. Church Music Haydn’s duties as Kapellmeister to the Esterházy family involved the provision of church music, as well as music for entertainment.

The Mass settings composed for the younger Prince Nikolaus include the well-known ‘Nelson’ Mass (Missa in angustiis), written at the time of Nelson’s victory over Napoleon’s fleet at Aboukir Bay in 1798 and perhaps heard by Nelson and Lady Hamilton during their visit to Eisenstadt in 1800. Between 1796 and 1802 Haydn wrote five other Mass settings, known by their nicknames: ‘Heiligmesse’, ‘Paukenmesse’, ‘Theresienmesse’, ‘Schöpfungsmesse’ and ‘Harmoniemesse’. Oratorios Haydn’s visits to London suggested to him the musical possibilities of oratorio, in the form perpetuated after Handel’s death by commemorative festival performances. The result was Die Schöpfung (‘The Creation’), with a text by Baron van Swieten based on English sources, first performed in Vienna in 1798. Die Jahreszeiten (‘The Seasons’), with a text by Baron van Swieten based on James Thomson, was first performed in 1801.

Haydn’s earlier oratorios include Il ritorno di Tobia (‘The Return of Tobias’), completed in 1775. Stage Works Haydn’s two dozen operas have received rather less attention than many of his other works. Most of these were written for performance at Eszterháza, either in the principal theatre or in the marionette theatre. They include Il mondo della luna (‘The World of the Moon’), with a libretto by Goldoni, the same writer’s Lo speziale (‘The Apothecary’), and a setting of Metastasio’s L’isola disabitata (‘The Uninhabited Island’). Vocal Music Haydn wrote a number of songs, providing nearly 400 British folksong arrangements for the Edinburgh publisher Thomson, in addition to songs and cantatas in German and English. The two sets of canzonettas written in England in 1794 and 1795 include settings of verses by the wife of Haydn’s London surgeon, Hunter.

Orchestral Music Symphonies Haydn’s 108 symphonies, written between 1759 and 1795, range from works written for the relatively modest local court orchestra of two oboes, two horns and strings, to the greater complexity of his larger scale ‘London’ Symphonies (the 12 written for performance in London under the direction of the German-born violinist and impresario Salomon during the composer’s two London visits). The ‘London’ Symphonies include a number of works with nicknames: No. 94, ‘The Surprise’; No. 96, ‘The Miracle’; No. 100, ‘Military’; No. 101, ‘The Clock’; No. 103, “Drumroll”; and No. 104, ‘London’ or ‘Salomon’. Other named symphonies that remain in regular concert repertoire include No. 92, ‘Oxford’, and Nos. 82, ‘The Bear’; 83, ‘The Hen’; and 84, ‘The Queen’ (of France). Earlier named symphonies include the interesting Symphony No.

22, ‘The Philosopher’, which includes two cor anglais or English horns (tenor oboes in place of the normal higher-pitched instrument), which was written in 1764, three years after ‘Le Matin’, ‘Le Midi’ and ‘Le Soir’ (Nos. 6, 7 and 8). The ‘Farewell’ Symphony, No. 45, allows players, impatient for a return from Eszterháza to their families at home, to leave the platform one by one. Its immediate predecessor is the ‘Trauersinfonie’ (‘Mourning Symphony’), while No. 49, ‘La Passione’, reflects elements of Sturm und Drang (‘Storm and Stress’)—the movement in German literature and art of the period. Concertos Of Haydn’s concertos, the work written in 1796 for the newly developed and soon to be obsolete keyed trumpet, is the best known, closely rivalled by the two surviving cello concertos, in D and in C. Three genuine violin concertos remain, in G, C and A, and one horn concerto.

The keyboard concertos have recently entered popular repertoire, in particular the Concerto in D major. These were originally designed either for organ or harpsichord and were written in the earlier part of Haydn’s career, before his employment by the Esterházys. Chamber Music Haydn was a prolific composer of chamber music, and he wrote a considerable number of compositions for his principal patron, Prince Nikolaus Esterházy, who played the baryton. This was a bowed string instrument resembling a viola da gamba, with sympathetic strings that could also be plucked. The English scholar Dr Burney suggested it as only useful on a desert island, where a player could accompany a bowed melody with plucked accompaniment, without other assistance. For the more conventional string quartet Haydn wrote some 67 works, described originally as divertimenti but later dignified by the more serious title by which they are generally known. Once again nicknames reflect the continued popularity of many of these works. Sets of named quartets include the ‘Sun’ Quartets, Op. 20 of 1772, the ‘Russian’ Quartets, Op.

33 of 1781 (which include ‘The Joke’ and ‘The Bird’), and the ‘Prussian’ Quartets, Op. 50 of 1787, much influenced by Mozart and including ‘The Frog’. There are three sets of ‘Tost’ Quartets, Opp. 54, 55 and 64, bearing the name of the Eszterháza violinist-turned-businessman Johann Tost. The ‘Tost’ Quartets include ‘The Razor’ and ‘The Lark’. Further sets of quartets were issued in 1793 and 1797—the ‘Apponyi’, Opp. 71 and 74 (including ‘The Rider’), and the ‘Erdödy’, Op. 76 (including the ‘Fifths’, ‘Emperor’ and ‘Sunrise’)—both groups bearing the names of aristocratic patrons. The Opus 1 Quartets were seemingly written between 1757 and 1761.

The Seven Last Words of Christ on the Cross, written for performance in Cádiz on Good Friday 1787, was arranged in string quartet form from the original work for full orchestra (itself later amplified with the addition of choral parts). In addition to a number of works for two violins and cello and 126 baryton trios, Haydn wrote a number of attractive piano trios between 1784 and 1797. The best-known of these is the G major Trio with its so-called ‘Gypsy’ rondo. Keyboard Music Haydn composed nearly 50 keyboard sonatas, the earlier intended for harpsichord and the last for the newly developed hammer-action fortepiano. The final works in this form include the so-called ‘English’ Sonata in C major, written in 1795 during Haydn’s second visit to London. Haydn 200th Anniversary Box Sets To commemorate the 200th anniversary of Haydn’s death in 1809, Naxos issued special box sets of his complete piano sonatas, string quartets, symphonies, and concertos.

These special box sets bring together acclaimed performances and have been critically praised: “Without the slightest hesitation, I can state that never in the history of recorded music has there been an offering of such value and artistic and technical excellence as is this Haydn bicentennial celebration series. Other labels have had their Bach, Mozart and Beethoven commemorative series, but at premium prices and not nearly as elegantly nor conveniently packaged as are these treasures from Naxos, which is now the uncontested world leader in affordable classical music recordings.” – Giv Cornfield, PhD, The New Recordings Box Set Release

Question: Which composer wrote the symphonies with the nicknames 'The Schoolmaster', 'The Farewell' and 'The Miracle'?
Answer: HAYDN