Customer Reviews

Haydn: The London Symphonies, Vol. 2

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A great convergence of wonderful music, an inspired orchestra, a talented conductor, AND high quality recording. This set is one of those rarities. Haydn's London Symphonies demonstrate his genius and sense of humor. No composer neuroses to be found here. This music is masterful, balanced, and in many movements, fun. No. 94, the "Surprise" and 100, the Military, show Haydn's ability to compose richly but not take himself or his patrons too seriously. The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra plays with skill and charm (even that horn player who's a bit flat in the Allegretto of the 100th), and Davis directs well (though I think Bernstein's conducting of the 100th had more swagger). Last but by no means least, the quality of the Phillips recording is excellent; clean and well engineered, with no studio boominess shading everything. With so many classical recording being mediocre, I hope your system can reveal all the detail here. This 2-disk set is a bargain.

One never ceases to be amazed at the inexhaustible invention and creativity displayed by the great Haydn in these marvellous works. As I mentioned in my review of Vol. 1 (q.v.) these symphonies, in which the mature genius was working at full stretch, are brimming with vitality, wit, excitement and the warm humanity that is Haydn's trademark. These performances, with the Concertgebouw magisterially conducted by Sir Colin Davis, are fully worthy of Haydn's inspiration. This set contains some of the finest moments: a desert-island version of the most famous of the twelve "London" Symphonies, the "Surprise" Symphony; an urbane and stylish version of "The Clock"; a performance of the "Military" Symphony with its great slow movement that is second to none; and, beginning the set, one of the lesser known masterpieces, the wonderful no. 93 in D Major, one of the perfect expressions of purely musical humor and wit: the minuet is a rollicking parody, with giddy, lumbering rhythms and hilarious contrasts of timbre and dynamics-- a masterpiece of musical humor (it's as if Haydn were lampooning the very form); the wonderful finale with its famous upbeat joke in the recapitulation. Indeed, each of the symphonies has its own delights. All told, this set is a magnificent bargain, the finest version available at any price, and with its companion volume 1 should be in the collection of every lover of truly great music.

Sir Colin Davis earned his reputation as a fine interpreter of Haydn, partly due to splendid recordings such as these. Both the Penguin Guide and the Grammophone Guide Classical CDs rate these as the finest recordings of Haydn's "London" symphonies. They are magnificient performances played with much enthusiasm and warmth by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Although there are a number of fine digital recordings of these symphonies around, none seem as elegantly played as Davis' splendid readings. The sound quality is superb, due to Philips' state-of-the-art digital remastering. Along with the two CDs in Volume One, these definitive recordings should be a part of any classical music lover's CD collection.

I have been listening to many of Haydn's earlier symphonies on the ongoing cycle of the complete series on Naxos. But for the final set of twelve, Haydn's masterpieces in the form, I wanted Sir Colin Davis conducting the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Davis has recorded the twelve London symphonies on two mid-priced Phillips "duo" CDs. The performances are outstanding and filled with ebullience. They will make a good introduction to Haydn for those new to his music and will delight long-term lovers of Haydn.

Beginning when he was about 25, Haydn composed for the wealthy and music-loving Esterhazy family. His fame gradually spread throughout Europe and, with the "Paris" symphonies, Haydn began to write works for a public broader than his aristocratic patron. With the death of Nicholas Esterhazy in 1790, Haydn received an invitation to visit London. He visited twice, in 1791-1792 and again from 1794-1795. His twelve "London" symphonies are the result. These are full-scaled symphonic creations showing the consummate mastery Haydn had acquired over the years. The works are joyous and lively and were immediately welcomed by Haydn's London audiences. They are also highly sophisticated and endlessly creative works of art which will reward careful listening and study. For those listeners wanting a more detailed, yet non-technical overview of the twelve London symphonies than that found on liner notes, I suggest consulting their treatment in Michael Steinberg's valuable work, "The Symphony: A Listener's Guide."

This two-CD set includes six of the London symphonies: nos. 93, 94, 97, 99, 100, and 101. Let me mention a few features of each.

Haydn's most famous symphony is probably the 94th in G major, the "Surprise". The theme of the second movement, with the large "bang" at the end of the repetition of the opening phrase is one of the best-known moments of music, familiar to children. This remains an excellent work to introduce young people to music. The "surprise" movement proceeds with a lovely set of variations, and there is much to get to know, including more surprises, in the remaining three movements as well.

Symphony no. 100 is also in G major and is known as the "Military" for the martial tone of the second movement, replete with drums, cymbals, and triangle. In addition to the "Military" movement, this symphony features a vicacious finale replete with timpani, a contrapuntal section, and some soft moments of reflection hidden within the lively theme.

The "Clock" symphony, no 101 in D major is named for the tick-tock accompaniment figure in the second movement which is forever endearing. This movement gradually rises to a moment of passion as it develops. The work also features a lively opening movement, a lengthy minuet, and an outstanding finale that works from an inocuous opening to complex counterpoint.

The symphonies with nicknames are the easiest way to introduce the London set, but the symphonies without these names are on the same high plane. The first of the London set is symphony no. 93, also in D major. A memorable moment of this work is the opening of the second movement, which Haydn scores for a string quartet. The movement becomes rather introspective as it proceeds, but Haydn brings it back to earth with a toot on the bassoon at the close. The symphony opens with a slow. detailed introduction followed by an opening movement that develops two lively and lyrical themes.

The 97th symphony is the last of twenty Haydn symphonies in C major, a key he used for regal, ceremonial effect. The work opens with a surprisingly quiet slow introduction followed by an opening movement that develops broadly from many repetitions of the basic chord of C major.

The 99th symphony in E-flat major is the first in which Haydn used clarinets and, from the opening chord, clarinets play a major role in the texture of this work. This is one of the more complex symphonies of the London set, with a harmonically adventurous slow introduction followed by a movement that emphasizes the second of its two major themes. The slow movement is deeply intense and also stresses the second of the two primary themes on which it is based. After a lyrical, restrained opening, the movement turns to the minor key in a dramatic section before returning to the opening material, substantially embellished. The minuet combines elements of both courtliness and earthiness while the finale is rapid and culminates in a fugal passage. The 99th is one of the finest symphonies of an outstanding series.

This set, and its companion recording of the remaining six London symphonies, make a wonderful introduction to a great composer.

Robin Friedman

In the review for volume 1 of this collection I gave a general appreciation. Here I would like to give a couple of comments on this most excellent performance. The 12 London Symphonies are not generally appreciated as a whole, and I suspect for a very simple reason: some got a nickname, and some times for a very silly reason. In our oversimplifying world, well, people tend to pay attention to the nickname. That is too bad for those not curious enough to dig further. In this collection we have one opportunity to fairly compare all of these works, recorded in the space of 6 years, a period which one would presume gave the director a chance to maintain the feel for the work. Here you will find, of course, a brilliant "Military" played for its music and not for its pseudo effects as it is found elsewhere. The "London" interpretation has nothing to envy to any other I have ever heard. But for me the most rewarding experiences were in the non-nicknamed opus. For example the adagio from the E-flat Hob I:99 is a revelation under Mr. Davis baton, an almost unbearable poignancy (this particular volume). And the exquisite and almost pensive at times two B flat opus (98 and 102) makes you wonder what it is with the "flat" keys that so inspired Haydn.

Excellent recordings in general, as pointed out by others.

But Davis' groaning is very audible and ANNOYING in places. He does the same on most of his more recent LSO recordings.

Why do conductors groan/grunt away and spoil their recordings so often?

Jochum/DG is another great set of the London symphonies, and doesn't have conductor noises!

Sir Colin Davis's versions of Haydn's London Symphonies are among the best. Indeed, as a complete set they have no rivals; at budget price, no one should hesitate to buy them. There are, however, some better versions of individual symphonies. For example, the masterful versions of Symphonies 93-97 recorded in the 1960s by George Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra are still available. Szell's "big band" Haydn surpasses even Davis's. Both avoid to a great extent the romantic excesses of some popular conductors, but Szell, with generally faster tempi, is not only more exciting, but also gets closer to what Haydn intended (perhaps that amounts to the same thing). Szell's two discs are also budget-priced, and include the 'Oxford' Symphony. Then there are Sir Charles Mackerras's two discs with the Orchestra of St. Luke's which, at full-price and with only two symphonies per disc, come a bit dearer. Mackerras uses modern instruments but period performing style. The results are magnificent. His 'London' (no. 104) and 'Clock' (no. 101) Symphonies - far superior to Davis and the rest of the competition - are worth every penny of their heftier price-tag. Yet, in spite of these and other fine recordings of particular symphonies, Davis's set remains an easy and inexpensive way to acquire all twelve London Symphonies in reliable versions.

This set is good of course, but if you are looking for great performances for EACH of Haydn's 12 London symphony, you may want to buy individual discs. Here is my collection of the 12 'London' Masterpieces.
Symphony 93: Goodman/Hanover Band (Hyperion 66532)
Symphony 94: Monteux/Vienna Phil (Decca 452893-2)
Symphony 95: Britten/ECO (BBC 8008)
Symphony 96: Harnoncourt/Concg. Orchestra (Teldec/Warner 21337-2)
Symphony 97: Szell/Cleveland (Sony 67175)
Symphony 98: Jochum/LPO (DG 437 201-2)
Symphony 99: Davis/Concg. Orchestra (Phillips 442 614-2)
Symphony 100: Walter/Columbia (Sony 64485)
Symphony 101: Mackerras/St. Luke's (Telarc)
Symphony 102: Dorati/Philharmonia Hungarica (Decca 452 259-2)
Symphony 103: Kuijken/La Petite Bande (DHM 77362)
Symphony 104: Hickox/Collegium Musicum 90 (Chandos 0655)

Culmination of a marvelous life in composition are these London Symphonies.

Here, in one of the highest rated collections Sir Colin Davis leads the Royalo Concertgebouw Orchestra in over 150 minutes of some of the premier symphonic sounds of all times. There is style and substance in their treatment and the crisp, clean recording is marvelous at any price, but even better at this mid-range bargain.

I especially have fond of No. 93 and of course, No. 102 with its melodic richness and inventive harmony. His element of surpirse is always robust and mysterious, as here the third note spells departure.

How good can one set at this price be? Supremely good and satisfying Hadyn!

Jochum and London Phil deliver the highest level of Haydn playing just like Colin Davis and Concertgebow do. I own both and tried to compare between two.

Jochum adds plenty of personal touches that decidedly grab your attention. You hear poignant romanticism or Beethoven-like roar in many places. Colin Davis, by comparison, lets the music flow naturally and makes it sound more balanced. Colin Davis sure gets a lot of help from the gorgeous Concertgebow band - silky but vivacious strings, show-stopping woodwinds, bright brass section, etc. In his set, you hear more of the orchestra than Colin Davis. I think it's the other way around in Jochum set. Concergebow's sound is more transparent and charmingly light-footed while London Phil sounds fuller and creamier without losing crispness. You get more agility and refinement from Davis set. You get more expressiveness and warmth from Jochum's.

Let me emphasize that all of the good qualities I attributed to either of the sets actually exist in both (they are inherently in Haydn's writing). It's just that some qualities are more apparent in one than the other.

As to the recording, Colin Davis set has more sparkle and vividness. It sounds more modern. Jochum's has a typical old-fashioned analogue sound in a very good way. It has plenty of natural ambience but doesn't sound muddy.

I recommend you buy both of these delightful and affordable sets. I never regretted doing so :-)