Haydn's 12 London symphonies

For some reason, for many years, I never thought of Haydn as a great symphonist - a rather absurd thing to say given that he wrote so many of the things.

My first Haydn symphonies were largely incidentaly purchases: I got 82 and 83 (the bear and the hen) in a box set of Bernstein conducting various things. However, they did impress me and I went on to pick up the DG box of Bernstein's Haydn. However, the symphonies on that 88, 92 (Oxford) and 94 (Surprise) lack the excellence of the set's highlights such as a wonderful Creation.

However, last summer, a five disc set (the actual pressing I have does not appear on Amazon) of Bernstein conducting the London symphonies (the last twelve Haydn wrote, comissioned for performance in London, hence the name, all of which I'm sure people reading this will already know). I'm not sure (more fool me) I would have bought a set had it not been for Bernstein. I think he brings a remarkable sense of joyfulness that makes his Haydn very special, and actually, rather unBernsteinian. I was also glad to get the set as I'd been at a wonderful reading of 101 (military) from the Cleveland orchestra. By and large, Bernstein is quick, full of energy and, of course, joy. But, unlike with a lot of other works, I felt no immediate desire to investigate what other conductors had to offer (more fool me once more).

However, prompted by the several excellent recordings of his I had (and a penguin guide rosette), I ordered Jochum's 5 disc survey on DG. Four discs make up his cycle with the LPO (an orchestra with which he had a close working relationship and also made sucessful recordings of the Brahms symphonies and a combination that could easily make my 'greater than the sum of their parts' thread), the fifth being some earlier recordings with the BPO and the BRSO of 88, 91 and 98.

And what a contrast they made to Bernstein. Slower, more beautiful and with a certain grandeur. The notes to that set describe how integral the minuet form was to Haydn the symphonist but I had never really felt that from Bernstein and had never really been fully won over by his readings of those movements. With Jochum, however, the minuet is king and the works absolutely revolve around these superbly played movements. Indeed, what strikes about the set is how well, in general, he makes the less showy movements shine. But he can bring fire when needed and the reading of the 100th is as fine as they can come. BBC legends have just release a Proms performance from around that time.

However, prompted by Fredrik (and, to a much lesser extent, another penguin guide rosette) I decided to investigate Colin Davis and the Concertgebouw (available very cheaply in two two disc sets. Again I found another wonderful and distinct approach to these works. In terms of tempi he finds something of a middle ground between Jochum and Bernstein. He brings the same sort of orchestral colour (no doubt helped by having such a fine orchestra) that he brought to the Beethoven set I have been raving about recently.

Anyway, all this leaves me feeling very sill for not having realised how great these works were a good deal sooner. Still better late than never (next up, you knew I couldn't go any longer without a mention, I shall be investigating the two or three Mackerras/Orchestra of St Luke's discs avialable on Telarc).

regards, Tam