Customer Reviews

Hadyn: Symphonies Nos. 92 " Oxford ", 94 " Surprise ", & 96 "Miracle"

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The 1960s was a great decade for everyone interested in the orchestral masterpieces of the classical style, as Herbert von Karajan and Karl Boehm struggled to maintain a sort of German hegemony against stiff American competition led in particular by George Szell. His recordings of Mozart and Haydn symphonies with the Cleveland Orchestra, and his partnerships with Robert Casadesus, Rudolf Serkin and Leon Fleischer in the great piano concerti of the same composers, may not have the gloss of some of the contemporary European recordings (to say nothing of the artificial brightness of many more recent digital productions), but digital remastering has added to the clarity and definiteness of the original issues on LP. With all respect to the old-instrument movement, it is stirring to hear a modern orchestra that is completely unashamed of being modern, but articulating and shaping each phrase with exemplary care and sensitivity. Severance Hall in Cleveland was and remains one of the great recording venues. The three Haydn symphonies on this cd are unsurpassed. This recording takes its place alongside the Mozart symphonies played by the same team. Why wait?

Yet another example of Sony putting out some of the best music in it's catalog at a bargain basement price. As with the Beethoven/Szell set, this is also one of the best interpretations of these symphonies you are ever likely to find, actually worth far more than the list price. Grab this, especially if you like Haydn!

George Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra's recordings of these Haydn symphonies may not be as enveloping and all-encompassing as say, Leonard Bernstein's, but they are nonetheless outstanding. The Szell versions instead are lean and mean; poignant, powerful and to the point; refreshingly crisp and direct. If that doesn't s(z)ell you on this recording, then the value should. Here you get three symphonies, more than 70 minutes of music, all for eight bucks. Even the Colin Davis "London" two-fers on Phillips aren't a better value. There should be no doubts about this one!

Hadyn certainly impresses as one who understands what has gone before him in composition and wishes at the same time to add his own creativity and style.

Known as one who began the classical period, here we have three magnificent examples of such creativity. Like the new four movement style that he helped introduce, especially the dance (minuet) movement.

The Oxford Symphony is elegant, with its serenading winds and moving strings. Here he combines high class and peasant motifs so wonderful, which continue in the remaining two works on this CD.

The Surprise Symphony is certainly entertaining, as he utilizes childish tunes, here Austrian nursery song "Go up and down the lane, there are black cherries a hanging" and then abruptly, startingly brings in the timp explosion. This is such a fun piece, which doesn't drawl or stall out as some other symphonic writers, but with Hadyn it's always movement. He certainly shows that exquisite music can also be light and exuberant. The Finale certainly is all of this!

In the third "The Miracle" he plays with the listener, subtituting clever subsidiary themes and pausing and chaning to keep even the most insensitive hearer offguard. I love the baroque andante with its hovering wind background coupled with tightly knitted strings. The oboe and violin style concerti grossi contribute for a grand finale.

This is well performed and recorded work at this price, or any price and is a delightful addition to one's collection, worthy for many replays.

This was my first Haydn disk ever. Never before had I had a complete recording of just Haydn, so I bought this one. I was instantly hooked on Haydn. BTY, cuz of this CD I now own many Haydn recordings. Franz Joseph Haydn can basically be credited for inventing classical music in the form we now know it to be. He was the other great classical composer, the other being Mozart, and in his time he was the famous of the two. His influence was immense, impacting the styles of Mozart, Beethoven, and their followers. Onto the recording. These three symphonies are masterpieces, and are performed masterfully by George Szell and his amazing CSO. This record served as my intro to Haydn and as a result got me hooked. The performances are just amazing. The sound quality, however, could be better, but with such strong performances anything less than 5 stars would be an insult. Add this to any CD collection and you won't be sorry.

Of the many Haydn recordings that I own, this is probably my favorite. The conducting and sound are terrific. If you're not adverse to hearing this music on modern instruments, you can't go wrong with this recording.

What you think of Szell's Haydn might depend on how much comparative listening you've done. His way with Haydn is cyrstal clear, precise, nad prefectly balanced. A lot of 18th-century music can be successfully performed in such a chaste style, and it helps that the Clevelanders play so beautifully and with chamber-music transparency. But there's more to Haydn's world, as you discover in Beecham's wit, Bernstein's joyful exuberance, and Furtwangler's humanity.

It ccan't be denied that Szell was catching the wave of the future, however. In our day Haydn has been taken over by period performance style, which is drier and more trivialized than anything Szell dreamed of. So I can't grouse tooo much. I've known these readings of Sym. #92, 94, and 96 for years and admire them, too. But as time goes by, they sound rather constrained to me, and so I rarely relisten. My hand is more likely to reach for Giulini, Fricsay, Klemperer, and the three great Haydn conductors mentioned earlier.

For what it's worth, David Hurwitz's review contains its share of blather. To say that "most Mozarteans" come late to Haydn is nonsense. So is the statement that central European conductors hold back on Haydn's wind and brass writing -- a silly, unfounded generality. Personally, I also think it's inaccurate to say that Szell captures Haydn's wit and drama. He seems quite the opposite kind of interpreter, emphasizing correctness and purity.

P.S. - Here's a curious note from the Gramophone's review of Sym. 92, the "oxford": A further tiny misfortune occurs towards the end of the slow movement, where the second oboe has a non-functional middle B natural, due probably to hydraulic difficulties ; he misses four in succession, of which the last, unfortunately, is--or should be--dead solo.

There is simply no excuse for not owning Szell's recordings of Haydn. Szell is in complete sympathy with the classicism of Haydn and Mozart, there is no overbearing sentimentality to be found. These performances are full of charm, grace, perfect sophistication and the absolute right sense of drama. The playing of the Cleveland Orchestra is exemplary as always, the sound is great too. Haydn fans, you have no reason to be without these practically perfect records.

A very good recording of these famous symphonies of Haydn. And quite cheap. I can strong recomend this recording.

The Cleveland Orchestra under the direction of Georg Szell was one of the finest orchestras ever assembled. These recordings of Haydn symphonies are superb: precisely executed and definitely not out of tune. Szell would never have allowed that!