Michael Haydn: 20 Symphonies

Great CD, but has a minor flaw with digital titles

Michael is often overshadowed by his older brother Joseph, but he is quite arguably one of the best composers of his time. It is nice to have such a nice collection of his symphonic works in one place.

There is one minor flaw though. If you keep digital copies of your music on the computer, you will notice that CD #2 has the wrong digital titles. The musical compositions are all correct, but the digital titles are wrong. CD #2 has the same digital titles as CD #1 so your computer will be get confused if you rip the CDs. I returned one set for this reason, only to find my replacement has the same problem. November 19, 2007

Wonderful music

This CD set is a gem. The music is cheerful and charming in the early Mozart and early Franz Josef Haydn style, and it's performed beautifully here. I listened to the first CD on a chilly, overcast day, not in the best of moods. It didn't take long before I actually began to smile because the music was so agreeable. April 27, 2006

Excellent performance of Mike

I have also been a big fan of Michael Haydn and, of course, his big brother Josef. The performances on these CDs is top notch. Not many people know this: Michael Haydn lived in Salzburg for many years, and was a good friend of the Mozart family...and I am sure helped to influence young Wolfgang. If you like early Mozart, you will love the works on these CDs...and they certainly are a worthy addition to any classical music collection. March 2, 2003

Joseph Haydn's kid brother hits it bigtime

Joseph Haydn has been my favorite composer for 47 years, since I discovered his music in a college music-appreciation course. I used to eagerly await the appearance of his symphonies for first-time on long-playing records. Since Antal Dorati recorded all 106 of them in the 1970s that feeling of anticipation has been denied me, even as I've grown to appreciate this man's music more and more. I keep making discoveries of treasures new to me -- such as the slow movement of Symphony 68 (Harnoncourt recording).

Suddenly a year-and-a-half ago I discovered Warchal's recordings of his younger brother Michael's symphonies, and the excitement of anticipating the appearance of previously unrecorded symphonies has returned. His performances ring of authenticity (and as the owner of one of Israel's four fortepianos, I can say that authenticity matters to me). Moreover, the music itself is reminiscent of Joseph's, even if he rarely attains the level of inspiration and inventiveness of his older bro.

Here are some of my favorite movements from Michael Haydn's symphonies: the minuet of Symphony #2, wonderfully regal, with an exciting trio that starts with French horns and finishes with trumpets from heaven. Symphony #6, first movement, with a powerful forward drive from beginning to end. Symphony #8, in which the symphony turns into a bassoon concerto, and his writing for bassoon is amazing.

I'm awaiting Warchal's recording of Symphony #20 in D Minor, the only minor-key symphony Michael Haydn wrote. It has all the tension you want and expect from classical-era minor-key symphonies, and I want to hear what Warchal does with it.

To M. Haydn and B. Warchal -- as we say in Israel -- Kol hakavod! (All the glory [to you]!) September 10, 2000

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