Haydn Symphony No. 24 | Kammerorchester Basel | Giovanni Antonini (Haydn2032, Vol. 11)

[@robertspruijtenburg3625]

Symphony n°24 of 1764 is unquestionably one of Haydn's early symphonic masterpieces, together with n°30, 31, 29 and 28 of 1765 (most probable chronological order according to the "forensic" study of Sonja Gerlach, 1996) - a vintage period of Haydn's symphonic output. The first and last movements of n°24 are performed by Giovanni Antonini with a tremendous energy and drive: highly dramatic! The development section of the first movement is downright ferocious: "Sturm und Drang" avant la lettre. Antonini has a liking for holding fermatas as long as ever possible, as at the end of the first movement's development (bar 60), which enhances the dramatic effect of the recapitulation beginning unexpectedly in the minor mode and piano instead of forte (bar 61). In the last movement Antonini nicely brings out the dissonant basses in bars 21-25 (exposition) and 69-73 (recapitulation). A small comment on the first movement. No composer in his right mind would repeat himself four times in a row without a good reason. So if Haydn does exactly that in bars 23-26 (and in the parallel place bars 75-78) the performers have to shape this passage in some creative way, otherwise it sounds as if the stylus got stuck in a LP groove. At that time there were very little dynamics written in the score (and the autograph of n°24 has come down to us) because the performers were familiar with the style and hadn't to be told how to shape the music. One obvious solution could be a crescendo over the four bars, i.e. an intensification, but one can imagine several other ways of creating some variety in this sequence, including embellishments - just doing nothing at all because nothing is specified in the score is against the style of the period. However, in none of all the recordings I know, including Antonini's, there is anything else than pure repetition - amazing. According to H.C. Robbins Landon the second movement could have originated from Haydn's lost flute concerto in D. At the end of the movement there is a fermata for the whole orchestra (bar 53), after which the solo flutist correctly plays a cadenza (not written by Haydn), as was expected in the style of the period. On the CD recording the horn players add embellishments in the repeats of the minuet's trio: it's hilarious! Like coming home drunk after a hunting party! Unfortunately, however, this idea (apart from a few little trills) obviously hadn't occurred to them at the time of the concert - a good motivation for buying the CD! By the way, H.C. Robbins Landon observes that “in this Finale Haydn wrote a kind of farewell music which significantly turns up in the same key, and as a real “farewell” music, in the last act of “Le Pescatrici” (first performed at Eszterháza in 1770; composed the previous year). The orchestration is even the same, with the daring strings in semiquavers and the sustained oboes. 'Andiamo, partiamo', sings Mastricco in the opera. So there is something final in this music, also in Haydn's subconscious.” (“Haydn. Chronicle and Works - Haydn: the Early Years, 1732-1765”, Vol. 1, p. 568). Symphony n°24 was composed in 1764.

[@juanmontecalvo6050]

Haydn at his best. glorious piece of music

[@marikomariko3992]

I love Adagio. Cantabile , the sound of the traditional flute. Beautiful! 💗

[@_zumaro]

Life affirming music, superbly played. Thanks for this marvelous Haydn series.

[@ИринаИванова-ч6ц]

Музыкальное великолепие, прекрасные исполнители , душевно!

[@duncanmckeown1292]

Bravo! Antonini has dusted off the cobwebs of stale, older performances and given us Haydn as it was surely meant to be heard! Quite a revelation...and I've heard many Haydn performances in my time! He's the best.

[@ЕвгенийАндреев-л3ю]

Браво ! Спасибо !

[@Michàel-k2o2n]

Superb as Always!!!😮❤😢🎉

[@DressedForDrowning]

Another masterpiece ... well played, well composed.

[@antonioaguilar7108]

Adagio y la flauta son hermosos. gracias.

[@Discovery_and_Change]

1st movement 2nd movement 5:43 begins 3rd movement 10:47 begins 4th movement 13:53 begins

[@Adair9800]

Have always enjoyed this one. Thank you for the beautiful performance.

[@OttoKuus]

Incredible

[@claudio8313]

Finalmente per la prima volta si vede una grande esecuzione dal vivo di questa dimenticata ma bella sinfonia ma che rimane tra le mie preferite! In particolare Haydn nel primo movimento, come non mai, riesce a passare da un clima giocoso tipo filastrocca ad uno impetuoso, drammatico; due momenti umorali in antitesi, ma tutto si fonde in maniera perfetta e inebriante!

[@shin-i-chikozima]

You rock Colossal Drop a like‼️ I felt like I'm over the moon🎑

[@SilvioNobre]

😍😍😍

[@jeanpierreallano4563]

I don' t listen to Mozart anymore, but i can't do without Haydn, is it serious?

[@marikomariko3992]

Pourquoi n'écoutez-vous plus Mozart ? Je suis curieux.

[@jeanpierreallano4563]

Bonne question, que je me suis aussi posée mais je n' ai pas encore trouvé de réponse satisfaisante. Mozart a été certainement le musicien qui m' a ouvert les portes du monde classique; je l' ai beaucoup écouté, beaucoup et longtemps , jusqu' a ce que je m' aperçoive, assez récemment que sa musique (j'ai honte de le dire) ne me touchait plus. Est - ce l' âge, l' évolution du goût, en fait je suis le premier surpris, un musicien de cette classe devrait être une nourriture pour une vie entière. J' ai mis Haydn et Mozart en parallèle parce qu' ils parlent la même langue mais ne disent pas du tout les mêmes choses, ce que j' aime chez Haydn c'est l' énergie, l' humour, la fantaisie, la bizarrerie quelquefois mais surtout sa manière très moderne de composer. Ah au fait ne plus écouter Mozart ne signifie pas ne plus l' aimer et j' espère que mon coeur battra pour lui à nouveau.......@@marikomariko3992

[@marikomariko3992]

@@jeanpierreallano4563 ( I write this in English because the content is beyond my French..😅 ). The evolution of taste is really interesting, because I am experiencing almost the other way around of yours. Beethoven is my God , which I assume will never change, but now I've been fascinated by Mozart's notes. His counterpoints sometimes give me goosebumps. Haydn is always a great pleasure to listen to, because of its characters you mentioned. I think one's evolution of taste is an integral part of his/her musical journey.

[@antoniolorenzoni4617]

Irresistibile

[@markantolik3487]

Me too!

[@muslit]

I prefer Haydn performed on modern instruments - and not standing up.

[@pierpaderniastory6181]

de gustibus nn disputandum ... times changes ...

[@elaineblackhurst1509]

Then check out a modern instrument performance, it really is not difficult and not really necessary to come on here to say you don’t like period perfomances. Try the Leon Gurvitch performance as an alternative - to which I have also appended a positive comment; simply coming on a site to express prejudices against a certain approach with no reasoning is not helpful.

[@muslit]

@@elaineblackhurst1509 I check out all performances of Haydn, new or old approach. That said, it doesn't mean I don't like an original approach to all music. For instance, the group L'arte del'Arco does spectacular things with Vivaldi. I think a re-thinking of Baroque music was definitely warranted and appropriate, because it does sound better to me. But Mozart, Haydn and beyond, no. Both of those composers were delighted when they heard their music performed by large forces. In the end, it's how musical a performance is. Recreating a certain sound and stylistic approach is hardly enough. For instance, the slow movement here, really a movement for solo flute, does not register musically for me, and it isn't the music. It is the performance. The whole original instrument and stylistic recreation movement is full of contradictions. Ever hear a performance of a Mozart violin concerto, where the orchestra plays in a recreated style while the soloist performs on a modern instrument and strings with a vibrato appropriate for the 18th century in the 20th or 21st century? I have, and it does not work. And of course, a Mozart violin concerto sounds better if the soloist is using a modern instrument, vibrating, with modern strings. And then there is hardly agreement among original instrument groups as to exactly how the music was presented musically way back when. Some do this, other do that. For a professional musician like myself, it's safer performing in the here and now, because we know how the music goes and is going. Recreating a style, especially when one group or conductor do it differently, is iffy at best. But as far as the actual sound is concerned, we know that at certain times in history gut strings were used for strings, and the bow was shaped differently, and base bars were cut differently. Flutes, horns and trumpets were made differently also. So there's more accuracy in the actual sound of an orchestra from the 18th century. As far as how the music went, however, that's another story. And filtering 21st century emotions into a 200 year old concert style makes me think of the word artificial, because we have to fake that aspect of performance dealing with inherent emotions appropriate for a certain time. We don't know what musicians felt when performing music 200 years ago.. There are no recordings to go by.