Haydn: Symphonies Nos. 70, 73, 75

Heidelberger Sinfoniker, Thomas Fey | Format: MP3 Download

Product Details

• Performers: Thomas Fey, Franz Joseph Haydn
• Composers: Franz Joseph Haydn
• Conductors: Thomas Fey
• Original Release Date: November 11, 2008
• Label: haenssler CLASSIC
• Copyright: 2007 haenssler Verlag
• Genres: Classical/Symphonies
• ASIN: B001EE4PYI
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Haydn playing at its very best, March 28, 2010

By 

Ivor E. Zetler (Sydney Australia) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Haydn: Complete Symphonies No. 70, No. 73, No. 75 (Audio CD)

It is possible that, like myself, you might bypass this issue due to the unfamiliarity of the conductor and orchestra. Think again. Thomas Fey and the Heidelberger Sinfoniker supply Haydn symphony performances that would be hard to beat by even the most illustrious competition. The chamber sized orchestra utilises modern strings and wind instruments but the horns, trumpets and tympani are period style. The playing is brisk, lively, witty and stylish. The recorded sound is exceptional in its clarity, warmth and balance. The wind and the brass are clearly heard; this adds to the listening pleasure. Don't be concerned that the three symphonies featured are not later works and more widely known. These compositions are out of the top drawer (even for Haydn!)and are ceaselessly uplifting and inventive. Haydn performances of the first order.

4.0 out of 5 stars Fast-paced Haydn - could use some mellowing, August 7, 2010

By 

R. Lane (Tracy, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Haydn: Complete Symphonies No. 70, No. 73, No. 75 (Audio CD)

I don't count this as one the best of Thomas Fey's Haydn Symphony disks. The tempos are somewhat on the fast side and the mellower, more thought-provoking and introspective Haydn seems submerged. While the pace does not invoke those of wild chase scenes in movies, the conceptualizations here could benefit greatly from a more considered approach. For the famous #73 "La Chase", only the last movment comes off well. In the first movement, Fey is over a minute shorter than Dorati (Dorati - 10:30 , Fey - 8:55). Fey also chose not to observe some repeats throughout, sometimes to a heavy detriment.

Overall the disk is still enjoyable, but certainly not as overwhelmingly successful as some of the other issues in the Fey cycle. Like other disks in teh series, the recorded sound and presentation are excellent as far as standard CD quality goes. I continually though wish Hänssler would get into the SACD market. Perhaps BIS will do a Haydn cycle in multi-channel DSD SACD quality sound with Manfred Huss and the Haydn Sinfonietta. That would be a treat even better than Fey's mostly excellent series.

5.0 out of 5 stars Very fast, but extremely energetic, February 3, 2009

By 

Alonso del Arte "AL" (Detroit, MI United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Haydn: Complete Symphonies No. 70, No. 73, No. 75 (Audio CD)

The first time I listened to this recording, for the first few seconds of No. 70 I thought the tempo was ridiculously fast, even laughable. But I kept listening and I was hooked by the energy of the whole thing. Thomas Fey takes it fast not to show off how fast his orchestra can play, but because he genuinely has a lot of energy for this music and it's infectious. Other recordings now sound too slow to me, like Bela Drahos on Naxos. For No. 75, Fey's performance is also fast, but I also like the slower performance by Helmut Muller-Bruhl on Naxos. I haven't listened to No. 73 "La Chasse" as much, I tend to prefer Haydn's lesser known works. This disc is worth it for No. 70 alone. It is such a good performance it even inspired me to write a Symphony in D major.