Search - Franz Joseph Haydn, Barry Wordsworth, Capella Istropolitana :: Haydn: Symphonies Nos. 83, 94, 101

Unsophisticated but educative ... Haydn for Beginners

Leslie Richford | Selsingen, Lower Saxony | 09/27/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"As with his recording of Mozart symphonies, also made in 1988, Barry Wordsworth has managed to produce a more-than-acceptable sound with modern instruments and a middle-of-the-road performance that starkly sets off the characteristics of Haydn's symphonies without becoming mannered. The three symphonies on this CD were obviously chosen because of their popular nicknames, and in each case there is no difficulty whatsoever in ascertaining how the nicknames originated: there is a clearly clucking hen in Symphony No. 83, some ear-shattering crescendos in the 'Surprise' (No. 94), and a rather lovely tick-tock effect in the 'Clock'. Of course, there is no subtlety about this, and my impression of the whole is that Wordsworth wants to present a simple, pleasant, 'straight' Haydn to listeners who, until now, have not been familiar with his music. If you like, this is an educative recording.



Personally, I would have preferred something with more nuances. But for that I would have to turn to period instrument performances. I have the 'Hen' on the budget Haydn re-issue by the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment directed by Sigiswald Kuijken (Virgin Classics), and I have always found this performance much more captivating than Wordsworth's; and I also enjoy the 'Surprise' in Salomon's re-working for solo instruments on a recording by the Academy of Ancient Music directed by Christopher Hogwood (who is also recording all of Haydn's symphonies on period instruments). The recording quality of these discs is superior to the Naxos, which captures the music in a very direct, rather undifferentiated way.



If you are new to Haydn, the Wordsworth will be a fine introduction to his symphonic work. If you are a Haydn fan, you should go for something a little more sophisticated"

Winning

David Saemann | 12/13/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Barry Wordsworth is one of our most underrrated conductors. In Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, and English music, he simply is one of the very best. This CD is no exception. The best interpretation on the CD is of the Clock. The slow movement is one of Haydn's greatest inspirations, filled with gorgeous orchestra textures and high drama. Wordsworth exploits all these to the fullest. It is the closest experience of the piece I've had to the great Hermann Scherchen monaural recording. The Surprise has loads of charm, akin in its way to the Beecham recording. Rhythms in the 1st movement are delightfully sprung, and the surprise in the slow movement is beautifully integrated into the reading as a whole. In The Hen, Wordsworth has the orchestra clucking most persuasively in the first movement. Throughout, the Capella Istropolitana plays beautifully, without the slightest sense that its tone may be too small for these works. Add to that warm, well balanced sound engineering, and you have a winner of a Haydn disc."