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I don't believe the Colin Davis set on Philips can be beat. db Sent from my iPhone > On May 9, 2014, at 12:03 AM, Roger Kulp <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > My favorite Haydn recordings are mostly from the 40s-70s Josef Krips,Hermann Scherchen,Serge Kossevitzky,Eugen Jochum,George Szell,and all those old guys,but as a whole Paavo Jarvi is my favorite modern conductor.Here he is in the Haydn #84 > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUhvKbbJ0OM > >> Date: Thu, 8 May 2014 22:27:00 -0400 >> From: [log in to unmask] >> Subject: [ARSCLIST] Haydn >> To: [log in to unmask] >> >> Thanks Alex. I don't listen to enough Classical period music to know what I >> like necessarily, but I know I don't like portentous. That's what came to >> mind from LB's #88 on DG, until the finale, which seems more engaged than >> the rest of the performance. On the flipside, #92 fairs better, but not >> anything to treasure, IMO. Inner movements don't go anywhere; they're played >> the same at the end as at the beginning. I first encountered his Haydn >> records in the mid-80s and thought: great, hopefully they play him like they >> play Gershwin. But I was disappointed. Three are in a give-away pile, along >> with the DG. >> >> LB wasn't generally a stickler for textual fidelity and he wasn't always >> well prepared. Orchestra's know this when they see it. According to one >> biographer, he could be quite casual about some of his recordings. Sessions >> for short, war-horse pieces were sometimes noted on his calendar as "shit." >> They were said to be quick, barely-rehearsed sessions. When it worked, the >> spontaneity could be delightful. When it didn't, ... >> >> They shouldn't have had any technical problems with Haydn, but the NYP could >> also be rather inconsistent. [<-Understatement.] >> >> Who would you say does nail FJH in recent years? >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List >> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Alex McGehee >> Sent: Thursday, May 08, 2014 7:37 AM >> To: [log in to unmask] >> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Mitrop[olous was Dora Labbette, Soprano with string >> quartette: >> >> Sorry for the delay, was working on deadline for another project. The >> Bernstein performances have been widely praised, held up as models, etc., >> but I can't board that train. The string playing is sloppy, intonation >> questionable at times, especially in the "Paris" cycle. Now please don't ask >> me for specifics because I gave my sets away years ago. Unable to make the >> connection many others have made with the late Haydn symphonies conducted by >> Bernstein, I jotted down a few notes and was glad to have the empty shelf >> space open up. Sections in the outer movements were on occasion especially >> egregious for poor ensemble. >> >> My favorite Bernstein/Haydn performance is on YouTube (don't have the link >> but it's easy to find) where Bernstein uses only his facial gestures to >> conduct the VPO in the final movement of no. 88 in G major. It's a "look Ma >> no hands" moment of priceless peacock-ary, and of course the orchestra can >> play the piece superbly even with blindfolds on. Bernstein was truly a great >> man and he would have been the first to tell you so. I apologize in advance >> to his many fans for being a little harsh here, and on checking see that I >> still have his DG performances of 88 and 92. >> >>> On May 6, 2014, at 5:33 PM, Carl Pultz <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >>> >>> Alex, I'm curious how you feel about Bernstein's Haydn performances. >>> >>> -----Original Message----- >>> From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List >>> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Alex McGehee >>> Sent: Tuesday, May 06, 2014 9:45 AM >>> To: [log in to unmask] >>> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Mitrop[olous was Dora Labbette, Soprano with >>> string >>> quartette: >>> >>> Hi guys, >>> >>> The Haydn literature is replete with spurious timpani parts and over >>> the years they've gained a large group of devotees, never mind that >>> Haydn never wrote them and had the resources available to do so. Maybe >>> Haydn played the drums and that would cool off this simmering musical >>> brew of yes-he-did, no-he-didn't continuo crowd led by James Webster of >> Cornell. >>> >>> The German authorities (who must be obeyed): at the Joseph Haydn >>> Institute in Köln, responsible for the complete edition of Haydn's >>> work that got underway in the late 1950's. Why it's taken so long I >>> can't go into detail here, but it's almost done, give or take another >>> seven years. A scholar there has laid down a serious argument for >>> several symphonies that don't really have high alt horns. I kind of >>> like the symphonies that way and so did H. C. Robbins Landon (he had a >> passion about them). >>> >>> The credo (within reason) must alway aim at the composer's original >>> intentions which do include later revisions and authorized >>> arrangements (like the flute and string instruments Johann Peter >>> Solomon wrote out from Haydn's symphony scores). I enjoy the playing >>> of the BPO with Karajan at times, but it's not Haydn. (And Landon >>> thought it the gold standard)The wind and string parts are all out of >>> balance and the timpani part (so important to Haydn when he actually >>> wrote one) has trouble getting through. I'm not a cat gut wing-nut, >>> just someone who likes these works served up with true balance and not >>> overly controlled with spot mics. And don't get me started on Harnoncourt. >> Yikes! >>> >>> Alex McGehee >