Haydn composed most, if not all, of the six ''Paris'' Symphonies specifically for the famed Concert de la Loge Olympique, which boasted some 40 violins and ten double-basses. Goodman and Kuijken, in the rival period-instrument recordings, both opt for a string band of between 20 and 25 players, corresponding to Haydn's own Esterhazy forces in the 1780s. On this new disc Koopman opts for a string section of just 12 (4.3.2.2.1), and in so doing misses something of the grandeur and sonorous richness that informs these most consciously public of Haydn's symphonies to date. The lack of power and weight in the opening Allegro spiritoso of No. 83, and the shallow, etiolated string sonorities in the ample, cantabile slow introduction of No. 84 are two salient cases in point. With a tiny string band you might expect Haydn's brilliant, often exquisite wind writing to stand out that much more prominently: but in the resonant, slightly distant church acoustic the woodwind and horns are if anything less clearly etched than with Kuijken (Virgin Classics), and considerably less so than with Goodman (Hyperion), whose pointing of wind detail is one of the most attractive features of his recording.
Interpretatively, Koopman tends to be the most interventionist of the three conductors, with mixed results. I like the care with which he shapes the lower string parts in the Allegretto second movement of No. 85 (which Kuijken surely takes too slowly) and the Andante of No. 83, where the dissonances in the opening theme register more pungently than usual. But at times he can sound self-conscious, as in his treatment of the clucking 'hen' theme in No. 83's first movement, where in any case his tempo is impatient, sometimes rushed. Indeed, Koopman tends to press too hard in several movements here, at the expense of wit, poise and elegance—examples include the opening Allegro of No. 84, with its clipped phrasing and lack of firm rhythmic underpinning, and the minuet of No. 85, which is brusque and peremptory even in the idealized rusticity of the trio. More successful are the three finales, which if a touch lacking in sheer brio are taut and sharp-witted. But many listeners will raise an eyebrow at the trills and turns that Koopman adds arbitrarily (and with no historical justification) in almost every movement, often (as in the minuet of No. 83) with distinctly enervating effect.
Despite some good things in Koopman's readings I'd recommend both Goodman (who has not yet recorded No. 85) and Kuijken in preference, partly because of their aptly larger, more sonorous string sections (and, I should add, the sweeter timbre and tuning of their oboes). Both seem to me to convey more naturally and more consistently the grace, grandeur, wit and drama of these symphonies, with Kuijken generally broader and more considered in approach, Goodman a shade less polished but excitingly urgent and immediate, with colourful wind sonorities. Two final points, which may or may not influence your choice: Koopman is less generous with repeats than either of his rivals (Goodman is the most scrupulous in this respect); and he eschews a harpsichord continuo, discreetly recessed in the Kuijken performances, definitely centre stage in the Goodman readings.'