Haydn Symphonies Nos 22,78 and 82
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Composer or Director: Joseph Haydn
Label: Sony Classical
Magazine Review Date: 9/1991
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 58
Mastering:
DDD
Catalogue Number: CD45972
Tracks:
| Composition | Artist Credit |
|---|---|
| Symphony No. 82, 'The Bear' |
Joseph Haydn, Composer
Esa-Pekka Salonen, Conductor Joseph Haydn, Composer Stockholm Chamber Orchestra |
| Symphony No. 78 |
Joseph Haydn, Composer
Esa-Pekka Salonen, Conductor Joseph Haydn, Composer Stockholm Chamber Orchestra |
| Symphony No. 22, 'Philosopher' |
Joseph Haydn, Composer
Esa-Pekka Salonen, Conductor Joseph Haydn, Composer Stockholm Chamber Orchestra |
Author: Richard Wigmore
Three strikingly contrasted symphonies here, with the C minor, No. 78, forming a tonal pivot between the C major L'ours (placed first on the disc) and the early E flat Philosopher. But for all the plaudits he's won in later repertoire, I don't think Esa-Pekka Salonen is a natural in Haydn. He draws some alert, vivacious playing from the Stockholm orchestra, even if the violins can be a touch raw-toned. But his tempos are often so frenetic that the symphonic stature of the music is undermined. Take the opening Vivace of No. 82, which he whips through in 6'57'', the fastest-ever in my experience. Comparison with two other conductors, neither of them exactly slouches in this music, is revealing: Dorati (in his complete Decca cycle, 6/91) takes 8'01'', Kuijken (on Virgin Classics, using period instruments, 2/90) 8'26''. Salonen compounds the effect of his hectic tempo by his intermittent tendency to rush (several rests are slightly clipped) and some fussy, mannered phrasing—two examples are the tapering off at the climax of the opening paragraph (0'22'') and the unmarked crescendos and diminuendos in the striding transition theme (0'45''). Nor are the brass and timpani anything like assertive enough in this brazenly aggressive movement. The Alle- gretto second movement is again very rapid, and is apt to sound over-frisky, even trite (Salonen's timing is 6'30'', against 7'30'' from Dorati and 8'57'' from Kuijken). Conversely, the Minuet is distinctly sluggish, with the Landler trio suffering especially from the slow tempo and lack of rhythmic lift.
The opening Vivace of No. 78, like that of No. 82, is seriously wanting in breadth and weight, with Salonen seeing the movement off in 4'28'' against Dorati's already quite brisk 5'37''. At this tempo the intricate counterpoint in the development and the recapitulation cannot hope to make its full effect; and on top of this, Salonen's obsession with unmarked crescendo-diminuendo effects and his tendency to shy away from a climax make this potentially vehement, dramatic music sound breathless and febrile. The finale, again, is rushed, its central contrapuntal development almost garbled; and there are interpretative oddities in the slow movement (such as the ungainly ritardando at 1'28'') and the Minuet (notably the arch-sounding hiatus in the trio at 1'37'') which I would find increasingly irritating on repeated hearings.
As for The Philosopher, with its unique scoring for cors anglais, horns and strings, the first movement alone puts it out of court for me. Salonen takes this processional Adagio at a busy Andante, robbing the music of much of its glorious solemn spaciousness. Timings, again, are illuminating: his 5'34'' (a record?) is a world away from Dorati's 7'40''—a superb, concentrated performance, this. Moreover, the bass line in Salonen's reading is often too loud and lumbering, and the horns and cors anglais are insufficiently incisive, quite lacking the grave, hieratic force Dorati's players bring to their chorale statements. Almost predictably by now, Salonen rattles through the following Presto in no time, and though the sturdy Minuet and the finale are better, by then it is too late. Provisos about the brass and timpani in No. 82 apart, the recording is excellent. But unless you're an unwavering Salonen devotee or like your Haydn despatched with maximum alacrity, though not necessarily the minimum of fuss, I suggest you look elsewhere (and you won't do better than Dorati) for these particular symphonies.'
The opening Vivace of No. 78, like that of No. 82, is seriously wanting in breadth and weight, with Salonen seeing the movement off in 4'28'' against Dorati's already quite brisk 5'37''. At this tempo the intricate counterpoint in the development and the recapitulation cannot hope to make its full effect; and on top of this, Salonen's obsession with unmarked crescendo-diminuendo effects and his tendency to shy away from a climax make this potentially vehement, dramatic music sound breathless and febrile. The finale, again, is rushed, its central contrapuntal development almost garbled; and there are interpretative oddities in the slow movement (such as the ungainly ritardando at 1'28'') and the Minuet (notably the arch-sounding hiatus in the trio at 1'37'') which I would find increasingly irritating on repeated hearings.
As for The Philosopher, with its unique scoring for cors anglais, horns and strings, the first movement alone puts it out of court for me. Salonen takes this processional Adagio at a busy Andante, robbing the music of much of its glorious solemn spaciousness. Timings, again, are illuminating: his 5'34'' (a record?) is a world away from Dorati's 7'40''—a superb, concentrated performance, this. Moreover, the bass line in Salonen's reading is often too loud and lumbering, and the horns and cors anglais are insufficiently incisive, quite lacking the grave, hieratic force Dorati's players bring to their chorale statements. Almost predictably by now, Salonen rattles through the following Presto in no time, and though the sturdy Minuet and the finale are better, by then it is too late. Provisos about the brass and timpani in No. 82 apart, the recording is excellent. But unless you're an unwavering Salonen devotee or like your Haydn despatched with maximum alacrity, though not necessarily the minimum of fuss, I suggest you look elsewhere (and you won't do better than Dorati) for these particular symphonies.'
Haydn Symphonies Nos 22,78 and 82
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