Customer Reviews

Haydn: Paris Symphonies 82-87

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Haydn’s “Paris Symphonies” (1785-1786) were something of a new departure: after all the years of work in Esterhaza with a comparatively small ensemble, Haydn was asked to write symphonies for Europe’s largest orchestras in Paris. He responded with works full of brilliant wit and superb play on orchestra coloring, making grand use of the wind sections. Several of the set have catchy, memorable themes (thus the nicknames “Bear”, “Hen” and “La Reine”), but they also “live” on the contrast between the forte “tutti” passages and the piano of individual instrumental groups. The “Bear”, for example, highlights not only the powerful bass strings in the bear-dance theme, but also the trumpets and horns, whose contribution to the forte passages contrasts ideally with the flutes and oboes in the softer sections. In the “Hen”, the clucking theme is combined with some delightful string playing with forte attack, while in No. 84 it is again the horns which add that touch of excitement which contrasts with the strings and woodwind. The slow movement of “La Reine” re-works a popular French folk melody, and here again it is the strings and the horns which produce an alternation of gentle sounds and more explosive tutti with occasional comments from a very feminine sounding flute. In the “Allegro spiritoso” first movement of No. 86 it is again the trumpets and horns which add their particular color to the energetic drive of the music, emphasized even more by Sigiswald Kuijken’s relentlessly rapid (but no doubt accurate) tempi. And the last movement is really spectacular, hear it for yourself. In many ways, Symphony No. 87 is the climax of the whole set, less popular in tone but brilliant in its orchestration, this time it is the oboes which get centerstage treatment; the menuet and trio is absolutely delightful.

The two CDs in this set were recorded in 1989 and 1990 by EMI at London’s prestigious Abbey Road studios and manage to capture every nuance of the music in a most convincing manner. But in the end it is the superb playing of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment under the able leadership of period performance specialist and violinist Sigiswald Kuijken which makes the set more than merely interesting: this is one of the highlights of the Virgin Veritas series and can be warmly recommended to all fans of Haydn’s symphonies and of the music of the late 18th century. This is the kind of music which demonstrates why Haydn is often mentioned in one breath with Mozart.

One of the rare 'Rosette' winners in the Penguin Guide, Kuijken and the OAE raise the bar for the Paris symphonies, and have set it very high for subsequent interpreters. A perfect disk to convert those who have been wary of period instruments. The OAE proves that the days of shrill-sounding period pieces are gone. These pieces bloom with pace and wit, without losing the right balance between warmth and detail. If you like this recording, also check out Kuijken's set of the 'Channel' symphonies with La Petite Bande (very good, but not quite as good as the OAE) and Kuijken's CD of the 26, 52, and 53 Haydn symphonies with the OAE. An absolute steal at this price.

Once again, Kuijken gives a fabulous performance at an unbelievably low price. I'm not sure what I can say about these symphonies: they're solidly interpreted, with very accurate tempi and a wealth of skill from the players. The Orchestra of Enlightenment does a good job of adding the little flourishes to Haydn's music that made him so famous; the music sounds like it's communicating as opposed to just being played. There's a real sense of refinement to these CDs; the elegance of the orchestra's style makes it easy to imagine these symphonies being played (and appreciated) in Paris. As with other Kuijken recordings, the orchestra has that "gutsy" tone I like so well; they sound a lot like the Academy of Ancient Music, if that helps any. Overall, the energy and clarity of sound found on these CDs would be hard to beat at any rate.

Haydn is perhaps the most difficult of the great Classical composers to play "right". His music is self-restrained, does not aspire to flashiness, does not aim at describing us all the emotions that fill our species. No, he was a court composer who strove to write elegant music with enough character to be interesting. No Mozartian bravado here. Nor Beethoven borderline vulgarity in his grandiloquence. Unfortunately, the tendency among our directors is to make Haydn music say more than what it really was meant to say. Well, Mr. Kuijken as the right touch for Haydn. A discreet interpretation, focusing on original sound and accurate performance reveals us the inner beauties of Haydn much better than a grand performance would do. This is particularly true for the Paris Symphonies, at Haydn's life turning point. Those symphonies were the apogee of the court style that he used until now, and show us the first glimpses of the great works to come: the splendors of the London Symphonies and Masses. Under Mr. Kuijken baton, the Paris symphonies are a revelation.

There are commendable period instrument sets of the 'Paris' symphonies available - Bruggen(Phillips) with the Orchestra of the 18th Century who has the most romantic view of the works, Roy Goodman(individual discs from his complete set on the budget Hyperion Helios)with the Hannover Band and Kurt Weil. Kuijken's, without doubt, is the one to have. Superb sound, plenty of panache and drama. He has spent many years as a Hadyn interpretor and this is in evidence throughout all 6 symphonies. Smart tempos and clean cut phrasing is effectively coupled with poignant delicacy in the slow movements. The hapsicord is never obtrusive and all departments of his fine orchestra excell themselves.

The symphonies, written in 1785-6 for the renowned Concert del la Loge Olympique, are a triumph of the classical symphony. So are these performances!

A beautiful set at a cheap price of Haydn's Paris Symphonies! Symphonies 84 and 87 particularly sparkle and the comic effects are fully exploited in 82 (The Bear) and 83 (The Hen). I compared this set to the Karajan and legendary Bernstein. This new set is fresh and lively, also because of period instruments. Bravo!!!

These are the finest recordings I have heard of Haydn's "Paris" symphonies. Kuijken and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment give vibrant, polished performances which Haydn himself would have rejoiced over. All of these symphonies sound wonderful, replete with warmth and brilliance. Thankfully they lack the lush, excessively warm sound I have heard in critically acclaimed recordings conducted by Bernstein and Karajan. Kuijken's conducting of Haydn is straightforward, without exuberance. The sound quality is absolutely first rate. If you are looking for the finest set of Haydn's "Paris" symphonies, available at an attractive price, then you'll surely won't go wrong here.

Haydn's symphonies are refreshingly clean, natural, unpretentious and in general a welcome palate cleanser for the concertgoer despite the preference for the dramatic or the grand or the edgy contemporary fare. Such is certainly the case for the so-called Paris symphonies (Nos. 82 - 87), models of elegance and refinement.

Case in point: at a recent concert with Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the opening work was the Haydn Symphony No 82 - at first a seemingly odd choice for a program that was to include the local premiere of a commissioned Viola Concerto by Brett Dean and a celebration of Mussorgsky's 'Pictures at an Exhibition'. But hearing Haydn in this context provided that reminder that Papa Haydn started it all!

This CD with Sigiswald Kuijken conducting the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment traverses all of the Paris symphonies with aplomb. The quality of interpretation is immaculate, the sound of the recording is superb, and in general this is one of the finest 'sets' of these symphonies available today. It is an utter joy to listen to all of the works in one sitting, or to place them as aperitifs through the listening day. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, October 06

This is an excellent value for the money. Fine original instruments recording of these wonderful symphonies. Of special note: Sym: no. 85 "La Reine" for the expressive playing and tart, earthy sound of the orchestra. This is one of Papa Haydn's finest. I'm not sure if I like the harpsicord continuo, at times little more than a tingling in the background, However that is a minor reservation in these fine performances.

My daughter purchased this for my birthday last year. Knowing that I admire Haydn, she searched Amazon and took confidence in the all positive reviews. Well, I thank my daughter and the other reviewers -- this is truly a collection to own.