Haydn: 6 London Symphonies

Advantages: A new way to hear Beethoven
Disadvantages: Surpassed by some later period cycles

...INTRODUCTION Beethoven's nine symphonies cover one of the major cornerstones of symphonic literature along with the likes of Haydn, Brahms and Sibelius. Beethoven was born in turbulent times when the common people's dissatisfaction toward the ruling monarchs in Europe was reaching new heights which finally culminated in the French Revolution in 1789. Against this came Beethoven, who was born into a family of musicians in Bonn in 1770. His father wanted to coin in on the child prodigy market created by Mozart whose father had exploited his genius in a similar way. But Beethoven was no Mozart. He wasn't born a child progidy and his performing skills were nowhere near as natural as they were with Mozart. Still he made rapid progress as a piano virtuoso and an amateur composer. He was even supposed to take some lessons with Mozart in Wien... Read review

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Advantages: Outstanding music on period instruments
Disadvantages: Swaping C.D'S in music player.

...fortunate to have attended one of the original performances. The works would have been played in a mixed programme of both vocal and instrumental works. This allowed for a rich cross pollination of ideas from theatre. Beethoven is using what he was provided with from his predecessors and making each symphony a drama. The London Classical Players have been in many performances both here and abroad of music in period form. They have performed works by Handel, Bach, Mozart, Haydn and Schubert. This has been well received by the public. The Schutz Choir of London started life in 1962, and carried out 10 years research into choral works. They became professional in 1973 and broke new ground in Baroque music. With Sir Roger they have performed works by Monteverdi, Bach, Handel, and Mozart. Haydn and Schubert. The choir has toured... Read review

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Advantages: Exciting and moving performance, fine singers, orchestra and conductor
Disadvantages: None really

...in the symphonic form (he had, after all written 104 symphonies) so with an eye to the huge popularity of Handel's oratorios, he decided that was the way forward for his next major work. Haydn chose a libretto (words for the music) he'd been given in London which was based on words from the Old Testament relating to the Creation as well as parts of Milton's "Paradise Lost" - it was translated to German by Gottfried von Swieten for Haydn, who lost no time in composing the three part work - which covers the creation ot the Earth through to that of Adam and Eve. Haydn was a canny old chap when it came to money - unlike his financially feckless friend Mozart - and so the first performances of the work were private concerts, for those aristocrats who had underwritten the composition and performance costs. Haydn earned something like £10000 in total... Read review

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