Haydn: Complete Symphonies (33 CD Box Set)

A bargain - All of Haydn's Symphonies in a box!

I truly enjoy classical music. The variety of music in relation to history both as a form of entertainment and art is fascinating. I am still learning and trying different composers and varying forms of music within the classical realm-Baroque, classicism, romanticism, impressionism. Then the various ways the work is presented-string quartets, quintets, chamber music, orchestra. What fun!

Which brings me to this 33 cd set by Brilliant Classics and Adam FIscher and The Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra-I have not listened to all the cds in the set, but what I have heard, I've liked...a lot! The performances are beautiful, engaging, spirited, involving, and a pleasure.

It took 14 years to complete this package-we, the listener and consumer, reap the rewards of this monsterous project. I have ALL of Haydn's symphonies for just a touch over one hundred dollars...amazing bargain!
This package is simply too good for anyone who enjoys classical music to pass up.

I will admit that I am a huge Haydn fan-I simply feel he is the most overlooked of the classical composers. Bach was a phenominal composer! Mozart was an extraordinary genius and prodigy! Beethoven a unique and gifted composer whose works exude passion. For myself, I choose Haydn-all of these descriptives and something else-his work never fails to move me. It never fails to amaze me.

This 33 cd package is a must for all classical music fans! A worthy addition to any music lover's collection. March 23, 2008

Different aqusition sets

This set of recordings is part of the larger box called "The Complete Symphonies-Symphonic cycles of the great composers". It was originally eight different Nimbus box sets. February 21, 2008

Like them a lot

I'm no Haydn expert as others who have written reviews obviously are. Nonetheless, the recordings are brilliantly clear, and I'm thoroughly enjoying the set (it will take awhile to go through all of them!) June 27, 2007

"The story of the symphony" by Joesph Haydn

In the 21st century, the symphony has now become an even more extravagant and important part of the orchestral repertoire. Such that it has expanded to cover as many different emotions and feelings possible and include an large force of performers to do such a task. Nearly three centuries ago, the symphony was merely an overture acting as a musical hors d'ouevres to the "main event of the evening." One man stood in between these two times to distinctly and radically change the importance of the classical symphony and start it in its direction for IT to become "the main event." That man was one Joseph Haydn. He was a contemporary of Mozart, and was a huge influence on the likes of Mozart as well as Beethoven, who would later take the symphony on a giant step forward. Yes, Beethoven made musical history with his Choral symphony, but who do you think helped get him there from the start?

Within the depth of this monumental set is a true lifetime labor of love. It took Haydn nearly 40 years to compose more than 100 symphonies, and the listener can find it evident how Haydn bridged the gap between Baroque and Romantic through the symphony in what we know as the "Classical style." The first few symphonies reflect a lot of Baroque elements and towards the end, a fully developed Classical style with futuristic hints laced within.

These are all 106 symphonies that Haydn composed during his long stay in the service of Prince Nikolaus Esterhazy, as well as the products of Paris and London, which are, to this day, the most praiseworthy. 104 of these symphonies are numbered and two from Haydn's earlier years, which somehow got lost in the shuffle or were discovered later, were given letters ("A" and "B"). There is also one "Sinfonia Concertante" for violin, cello, oboe and bassoon from the London years. All these performances are quite exquisite and tasteful. Adam Fischer and the Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra made this a 14 year project from 1987-2001 with so much individual and global history happening during that time period. Fischer himself recalls in the booklet what took place in his life around the time of the recording of certain symphonies. There are even included photos of Fischer before and after the project. After the project, he's balder and older but happier-looking.

Like Antal Dorati, the first conductor to do a complete Haydn symphony project back in the early '70s, Adam Fischer did not record these symphonies in order. These were all issued individually in separate packages over the course of the years. Now Brilliant Classics, with license from Nimbus, includes all of them in this complete package. Though it is 33 discs, one would think it's an enormous box. It's only about 6" by 6" with a depth of about 3". The CD's are enclosed in space-saving envelopes which display disc information on the back, and artistic portrayals of 18th century life on the front. A different painting (in B&W) is on every envelope; some correspond to certain symphonies with nicknames.

The nicknamed symphonies would be the ones I recommend to check out first if you feel it would be too much to go through this whole set in however much time it would take (definitely not nonstop). Just to talk about those would be way too time consuming. You really have to check it out for yourself.

The orchestra performs with lots of gusto and vibrant energy that feature a melodic violin section, clucking woodwinds, razor-sharp brass, deep basses and an agressive timpanist. They truly know the Austro-Hungarian way of performing with the free use of dynamics and rubatos. All are performed on modern instruments which would be the only choice since this orchestra was hand-picked from some of the finest modern orchestras from that part of Europe. Of course if you've heard other orchestras perform some of these works before, and these tempos among other things, are slightly different, only remember that this type of classical music is subject to many different and distinct interpretations. They serve rather well for a complete project. Dorati is the only other individual complete comparison to this. The Naxos label also recently completed a Haydn symphony cycle, but not all with the same orchestra. This would be the choice hands-down as the Dorati set is very hard to get now and is more costly, and so would the individual Naxos recordings be.

Haydn's music is very enjoyable and even fun at times to listen to with his light and humorous-sounding melodies as well as some of the funny-sounding things he demanded from the orchestra like violins going up and down the scales with the basses doing the same in a counterpart, bassoons jumping up and down in octaves, or wind instruments making animal-like sounds such as in #83 (The Hen). Haydn depicted sunrises (#6 "Morning"), an echo effect done by two groups of violins (#38 "Echo"), the orchestra disappearing one by one (#45 "Farewell"), violins who forgot to tune when they should have (#60 "Il Distratto"), an unexpected surprise (#94), the tick-tock of a grandfather clock, (#101), an ominous and intense drumroll (#103) as well as so many other mixtures of emotions from happy and light to dark and dramatic, playful to passionate, reflective to serene. Those interested and those who are studying music theory and the form of the classical style will no doubt have a ball in analyzing these works and listening for the musical choices that Haydn makes in order to make the music flow evenly.

Often being regarded as being too predictable, Haydn was very inventive and unique in the development of the classical symphony. The earliest ones would be the ones that sound too similar, but every one is distinct in its own respect. To those studying this kind of music and have even the slightest interest in Haydn's remarkable symphonic output, this is an essential purchase. Sure it's more than 100 bucks, but music is something you keep forever if it something you are really into. That being said, one could spend $100 on something or many things and in as little as two weeks or as much as five years, it or they would be gone. So this is a lifetime investment. All of us musicians should know.

In conclusion, Haydn still kicks butt in the 21st century! June 5, 2007

Every Home Should Have One!

Over the years I have collected, and loved, a vast amount of different music, in many genres. Gradually, I've become convinced that for me, the pinnacle of all music - the very best music ever composed, is that of the Symphonic works of one Joseph Haydn. There are 104+ symphonic works on these wonderful discs, (104 Symphonies and some posthumous and miscellaneous works) and not one of them is without an exquisite melody, beautiful and original orchestration - and that thing oh so rare in most music: wit and boundless creativity. (Only Zappa (One Size Fits All) and McCartney (Paul, not Jesse, in his 1970s self-produced releases) and early Mozart (I mean up to about puberty) have reached the heights of Haydn). Conductor Adam Fischer and his hand-picked Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra are artists that obviously love this music. I generally prefer 'authentic' orchestras, but these performances contain many, many moments of completely original readings which do not sound forced and unnatural- they just sound RIGHT. All in all, even though it's not a perfect set - (some overbearing string-section on the slow movements of early works, and some cavernous recording of some late works) I must recommend it highly - especially considering the price and the amount of excellent music you get for it. Mostly wonderful performances of wonderful works. March 17, 2007

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