Haydn: Symphonies Nos. 101 & 104 (CD, Oct-1992, Telarc Distribution)

Haydn: SYMPHONIES NOS. 101 & 104

Orchestra of St. Luke’s/SIR CHARLES MACKERRAS (Telarc)

In the continuing argument over which way is better to perform the symphonies of the Viennese classical era--on period instruments, or on modern ones--Sir Charles Mackerras has been quite successful at striking a balance between the two camps, particularly with the symphonies of Haydn, by conducting them with the modern-instrument Orchestra of St. Luke's while utilizing authentic performance practices in terms of tempo. He and the O.S.L. did this quite well on their recording of Haydn's 100th and 103rd symphonies; and they repeat the feat here with the composer's 101st and 104th symphonies.

SYMPHONY NO. 101 IN D MAJOR (CLOCK)
Adagio—Presto
Andante
Menuet: Allegro + Trio
Finale: Vivace

SYMPHONY NO. 104 IN D MAJOR (LONDON)
Adagio--Allegro
Andante
Menuet: Allegro + Trio
Finale: Spiritoso

These two symphonies are among the final twelve that Haydn had composed in a period between 1791 and 1795, all for the impresario Johann Peter Solomon, who had managed to get Haydn to come to London (hence their collective name as the “London” symphonies, though only the last one is known specifically by that name). The symphonies follow the basic template of the symphony that Haydn, and later on Mozart, basically created. In so many of Haydn’s symphonies, however, he would add some audio-musical effect that would give an individual symphony a nickname. In the case of No. 101, it is the tick-tock sounds of the strings in the second movement (the Andante) that earned the symphony the nickname “Clock.” Meanwhile, the symphony that is specifically known as the “London”, No. 104, has a fairly imposing slow introduction into a first movement, followed by a solemn Andante, and then a Menuet which presages the symphonic minuets and scherzos yet to be from Beethoven and Schubert. The introduction to the finale, with a droning introduction in the basses, meanwhile, has been likened to the droning sound of a bagpipe, giving the 104th a further English touch to it.

These recordings, made in 1992, helped to ensure that Haydn's name would remain as immortal in the musical sphere as that of his younger contemporary Mozart, whose influence on these works is evident. As with their previous recording of Haydn's 100th and 103rd symphonies, Mackerras and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s have delivered the goods. And while Mackerras does hold to certain period-instrument performance practices, he doesn’t conduct these works at an unduly fast pace (as if he were rushing off to a fire sale). The tempos of the outer movements and the Menuet sections are fairly fast, but not so fast that the subtlety is lost, while the Andante movements are full of typical Haydn “moments”, some slightly jarring, even by today’s standards.

Even if you have other recordings of these two symphonies, they fact that they are combined onto one CD here, and featuring superb performances by one of America’s great chamber orchestras under a solid conductor like Mackerras, who passed away in July 2010, makes this well worth your while to add to your collection.

Recommend this product? Yes

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