Leading the Wiener Philharmoniker in a traditional subscription concert for the very first time, conductor Ivan Fischer presents Haydn’s rarely heard Sturm und Drang symphony “with great sensitivity, encouraging the Philharmonic to play with transparency and delicacy” (Die Presse), before delving into Mahler’s Lied von der Erde with renowned soloists Tanja Ariane Baumgartner and Daniel Behle. PROGRAM Haydn: Symphony No. 52: Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde
Paavo Järvi conducts Haydn
The charming, elegant music of Joseph Haydn’s London symphonies is repeatedly punctuated by flashes of tragedy. But no sooner has the listener adjusted to a change of mood than it is over again. It’s these rapid changes of colour that are characteristic of Haydn, a composer of great versatility, depth of thought and wit. The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen under the direction of its chief conductor Paavo Järvi makes all this audible and tangible. In the second part of their concert series on the London Symphonies at the Vienna Konzerthaus, they perform three more of Haydn’s London Symphonies, the Symphonies No. 93, No. 97 and No. 101 “The Clock”. For the recording of two of the London symphonies, Symphonies Nos. 101 and 103, the orchestra was honoured with the “Orchestra of the year 2023” award from the British classical music
magazine “Grammophone”, one of the most important awards in classical music.
“Haydn, the Shakespeare of Music” – Paavo Jäarvi & Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen
Haydn was composer in residence in London twice: in the 1791/92 season and in the 1794/95 season. At that time, the city was in the throes of music fever, to which Haydn had contributed significantly. Today, one of his London symphonies often merely stands at the beginning of a concert in which a musical heavyweight by another – later – composer follows. The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, on the other hand, devotes itself entirely to the “Shakespeare of Music”, as Haydn was called by the press. The program includes an overture by his London composer friend William Shield and three of his London symphonies, for which Haydn reached into his great compositional bag of tricks.
“Haydn in particular has to be played as vividly as possible, and deliberately sometimes quite unconventionally, so that the hidden wit of his symphonies comes to the fore. And Paavo Järvi, Artistic Director of the Kammerphilharmonie Bremen for almost two decades, and his orchestra are true masters at this.” (Hamburger Abendblatt)
Rossini, Stabat Mater
Four superb soloists – Anna Netrebko, Marianna Pizzolato, Matthew Polenzani and Ildebrando d’Arcangelo – transform Rossini’s ‘Stabat mater’ into a feast of ‘italianità’, uniting their voices in a warm, mellow whole. After several successful performances of this rarely played sacred work in various cities, the Chorus and Orchestra of the Accademia di Santa Cecilia of Rome wind up their Rossini project with a performance at the Salzburg Festival, their first-ever guest appearance there. Anna Netrebko, whose aria ‘Inflammatus’ was for many the concert’s ‘unspoken high point’ (Die Presse), succeeded in ‘blending her voice beautifully into the soloist ensemble – one voice among equals in an excellent, well-balanced quartet’ (Salzburger Nachrichten).
The Seasons
With The Seasons, the aged Joseph Haydn composed a great secular oratorio about man’s integration into the cycle of nature. This inspired choreographer Martin Schläpfer to create his first full-length dance piece for the Wiener Staatsballett, in which 80 dancers are joined by three singers of the Wiener Staatsoper’s ensemble and the Arnold Schoenberg Chor. Scenes from real life are juxtaposed with gripping musical depictions of nature, grand oratorio scenes with popular singspiel full of wit and crude humour. “The State Opera Orchestra flourishes under the baton of Adam Fischer, who is very familiar with Haydn and his music. […] It is a constantly mood-changing flow of life […] brilliantly realised in dance.” (Die Welt) “What a stunner: the entire ballet ensemble with a large orchestra and choir! It’s an evening for all the senses.” (Die Presse)
Salzburg Festival 2013: Nikolaus Harnoncourt & Wiener Philharmoniker, Joseph Haydn: “The Seasons”
The great conductor Nikolaus Harnoncourt takes the podium to lead the Vienna Philharmonic and cast of high-class singers joined by the Concert Association of the Vienna State Opera Chorus in Haydn’s oratorio Die Jahreszeiten (The Seasons).
Il Mondo della luna
It was an ideal constellation for an extraordinary musical event: the coincidence of the Haydn anniversary year with the 80th birthday of Nikolaus Harnoncourt. The universally acclaimed specialist of the Viennese Classical era chose a work by Haydn for his birthday tribute, ‘Il Mondo della Luna’. The dramma giocoso of 1777 is a delicious mixture of satire, comedy and science fiction based on an immensely popular comedy by 18th-century dramatist Carlo Goldoni.
The Creation (Die Schöpfung)
The Nederlands Kamerkoor, under the direction of Klaas Stok and in cooperation with the Concerto D’Amsterdam, performs Haydn’s breath-taking oratorio ‘Die Schöpfung’ live from the world renowned Amsterdam Concertgebouw.
Rattle conducts Haydn and Mozart
At this summer’s Lucerne Festival, Sir Simon Rattle and the Berliner Philharmoniker presented a new Haydn symphony that never existed before: Rattle gathered together ten of the most original and avant-garde-like instrumental movements by Joseph Haydn to fashion a “Symphonie imaginaire,” a new Haydn symphony that never existed before. In addition to this astonishing Haydn Pasticcio, Rattle conducted Mozart’s Sinfonia concertante for violin, viola and orchestra, soloists were Daishin Kashimoto (violin) and Amihai Grosz (viola).
LSO: Rattle conducts Haydn “The Seasons”
The London Symphony Chorus celebrate its 50th anniversary with Haydn’s ‘nature’ oratorio The Seasons, a stellar cast of international singers and Sir Simon Rattle. The Seasons is divided in to four sections: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter charting a musical year with rousing choruses, a riotous wine tasting with dancing peasants, a loud thunderstorm, even the croaking of frogs. In his old age Haydn achieved fame and fortune in London following visits here in the 1790s. ‘Papa Haydn’ was encouraged to write The Seasons by the great success of his previous oratorio The Creation, which was performed all over Europe.