I'd be surprised to hear that Haydn wrote any symphony that could be called anything other than "best." But then, I haven't heard all hundred and four, either. But of the ones I have heard, I like no. 102 the best. That second movement... Wow.
Hi!
With my nickname it's a duty for me to answer here...
In my opinion, both London cycles (93-98 and 99-104) end with their best symphony respectively. No. 104 is IMO the best of all.
This 12-set is on a high niveau, but the symphony No. 95 seems to me the most unimportant/uninteresting (it's a pity, because there aren't much minor-symphonies of the late Haydn, but luckily there are No. 80 and above all No. 83), followed by No. 93.
I can't comprehend why the symphonies Nos. 100,101,102 often are prefered ones.
I prefer Nos. 94,96,103 to these.
So, Handel, you see, we differ much in detail, but I'm sure we agree that Haydns London symphonies are a summit of orchestral music.
Regards,
AVH.
That's what I love about this forum. Necroposting is okay and the old threads are still interesting.
I would rate the No. 100 "Military" very highly if only because it is full of humor and Beethovenisms -- which turned out to be Haydnisms after all. Of course that could be said of all the later symphonies. Like the others, I have not heard them all.
The last 2 are amazing. But the most underrated has to be 97 (echoes of Mozart gone and Beethoven to come), I guess it must have had some weak recordings.
I have no doubt that all the greats would've loved subsequent innovations. Mozart and Mahler were two especially keen on orchestral expansion. :tiphat:
The problem with Haydn is that he wrote so many symphonies that it's difficult to know which is which. It's like having a huge library of books and ending up reading none of them because you don't know where to start!
1st movement
Flutes playing theme 1 in the key of theme 2 just to toy with us
Silence before the development begins in a distant key
False recapitulation leads to further development
2nd movement
Turkish percussion and bugle calls
3rd movement
The "dancing elephants" in the trio
4th movement
Oh Haydn you tease.......give us the theme already.
Timpani explosion
Turkish Percussion in the Coda!
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