Post by erik on Jun 11, 2022 18:00:19 GMT -5
Haydn's 89th Symphony is in this week's Classical Works Spotlight, the 700th in this ongoing series.
Haydn: SYMPHONY NO. 89 IN F MAJOR
In-between the two sets of symphonies that would define him as one of the great composers of all times—the Paris symphonies (82-87), and the London symphonies (93-104), Franz Joseph Haydn went back to his duties at the court of Esterhazy in Hungary. His powers as a composer in the symphonic form had not been diminished either by his copious symphonic composition or by his many travels, though he knew he had support, rather than competition, of his much younger colleague Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. His 89th Symphony, unofficially (and oddly) known as “The Letter ‘W’”, in reference to an older method of cataloguing his output in the symphony, was a work of the year 1787. A certain amount of freshness pervades the 89th Symphony, with both the second and fourth movements being in the form of a Siciliano, and the third movement Menuet where wind instruments have the most predominant role (only the Harmony Mass [#14], of all of the composer’s major works, ever provided this much latitude to the wind players). It is also unusually small in size, with no trumpets or timpani involved, and only a single flute being used, hence making it a favorite of many chamber orchestras around the world.
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra/SIR SIMON RATTLE (EMI/Warner Classics)
Included (2 CD Set):
SYMPHONY NO. 88 IN G MAJOR
SYMPHONY NO. 90 IN C MAJOR
SYMPHONY NO. 91 IN E FLAT MAJOR
SYMPHONY NO. 92 IN G MAJOR (OXFORD)
SINFONIA-CONCERTANTE IN B FLAT MAJOR
Haydn: SYMPHONY NO. 89 IN F MAJOR
In-between the two sets of symphonies that would define him as one of the great composers of all times—the Paris symphonies (82-87), and the London symphonies (93-104), Franz Joseph Haydn went back to his duties at the court of Esterhazy in Hungary. His powers as a composer in the symphonic form had not been diminished either by his copious symphonic composition or by his many travels, though he knew he had support, rather than competition, of his much younger colleague Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. His 89th Symphony, unofficially (and oddly) known as “The Letter ‘W’”, in reference to an older method of cataloguing his output in the symphony, was a work of the year 1787. A certain amount of freshness pervades the 89th Symphony, with both the second and fourth movements being in the form of a Siciliano, and the third movement Menuet where wind instruments have the most predominant role (only the Harmony Mass [#14], of all of the composer’s major works, ever provided this much latitude to the wind players). It is also unusually small in size, with no trumpets or timpani involved, and only a single flute being used, hence making it a favorite of many chamber orchestras around the world.
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra/SIR SIMON RATTLE (EMI/Warner Classics)
Included (2 CD Set):
SYMPHONY NO. 88 IN G MAJOR
SYMPHONY NO. 90 IN C MAJOR
SYMPHONY NO. 91 IN E FLAT MAJOR
SYMPHONY NO. 92 IN G MAJOR (OXFORD)
SINFONIA-CONCERTANTE IN B FLAT MAJOR