Search - Franz Joseph Haydn, Manfred Huss, Haydn Sinfonietta :: Haydn: Music for Prince Esterházy and the King of Naples

Three decades of Haydn

Asia Khuf | White Salmon, WA USA | 09/13/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"These six beautifully recorded discs cover three decades of Haydn's creative output. On the early end are six scherzandi that are remarkable for their concision and structural integrity. In these miniature symphonies, young Haydn was showing off the orchestra's talents as well as his own. The next two discs feature seven baryton octets and one quintet from 1775 in the Sturm und Drang period. These were written for Prince Nikolaus Esterhazy I, Haydn's illustrious patron who played the baryton, a string instrument that sounds something like a cello in its upper register. The six string players have a lot of beautiful music, but it's the two horn players that steal the show with lots of challenging virtuoso parts. The last three discs consist of concertos and notturnos that Haydn wrote for King Ferdinand of Naples, who loved playing the lira organizzata, a descendant of the hurdy-gurdy. The pieces originally featured two such liras, but Haydn mercifully rewrote those parts for flute and oboe, so we end up with 9- or 10-part string-wind pieces, some with horns and (unusually for Haydn) clarinets. They're lots of fun and have some melodies that were used in the late symphonies.



I'm not familiar with any other recordings of the Naples works, but the Scherzandi have been recorded with Payud by the Haydn-Ensemble Berlin, and the Brilliant Classics Haydn Edition includes the Octects and Quintet by the Esterhazy Ensemble and Piccolo Concerto Wien. Their version brings out the dance-like quality in the music and is quite enjoyable, but the sounds in the lower register are too close. In contrast, this version by Haydn Sinfonietta Wien has flawless sound quality, and though the tempos are much faster than the Brilliant Classic version, especially the adagios, there is never the feeling that anything is rushed. Manfred Huss directs intelligently and contributes equally intelligent liner notes.



Just one drawback: The back cover of the CD 6-pack boasts "6 CDs for the price of 3," but it's still pricey, especially when compared with the BC set, where you would get "40 CDs for the price of 3." Still, it's a superb set and a sensible investment for anyone who loves weird instrumental combinations orchestrated by an inexhaustible genius."