Time did not permit me to complete this review before our December giveaway ran out (this set was featured), but I still think it important to cover such a huge effort as this. As is always the problems on these kinds of collections, the quality is variable, and much of what you get you have to wonder if you would ever attempt to acquire it separately. I will be bold and suggest that the answer to that question is probably “no”, but then another arises: is it worth the extra baggage to get the entire set? That will depend on your preferences. Let me try and sort out some of the confusion, though I am sure I might miss something. I will not dwell too long on any one item, and try to highlight the things really worth having.
Now that the Dorati set of complete symphonies is either drying up or too expensive (and it is highly variable in nature) the re-release of a few years back of the Nimbus recordings with Adam Fischer and the Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra are about the only thing going that is complete in and of itself. Thomas Fey has a series underway that is getting good reviews, though whether he is allowed to complete it is anyone’s guess. The person at Decca that pulled the stops on Hogwood’s Academy of Ancient Music set a few years back should have been imprisoned. That set was shaping up nicely, and ran aground right before the “Paris” symphonies were to begin. This Fischer set is very, very good—the sound is typically reverberant, just like Nimbus in general [not if you use ProLogic II or Ambisonic decoding…Ed], and the orchestra plays well. The interpretations are solidly conceived and well executed, middle of the road and very acceptable, but make no mistake—these are not readings on par with Bernstein, Beecham, Jochum, or Colin Davis. They are more chamber-like, and many will like that, but lack the last degree of interpretative finesse that set them apart from the greatest recordings. Of course, pre-“Paris” this is not as much of an issue, but even here I tend to think that Hogwood was more stylish and on par with a real Haydn spirit. Nonetheless, these readings are spunky and a lot of fun. Fischer is a more than competent conductor, with the added ambiance of a recording taking place in Haydn’s own territory a real plus. This is the real reason to get this set, but keep in mind they are available separately from Brilliant in a symphony collection.
The Piano Concertos are given on a fortepiano, and for me this does not complete with the readings on RCA by Ax, for instance, but seem nicely done. Likewise the Violin Concertos, also period instruments and newly recorded, though the sound is somewhat close up and tight. I liked the Organ Concertos, also newly-recorded but with a different ensemble, and very fine. The Trumpet and Horn Concertos are classic in readings by the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields with Alan Stringer and Hermann Baumann, as are the Cello Concertos with the same ensemble and Christine Walevska. These are not the best out there, but very fine indeed. The Lira is a variant of the hurdy-gurdy, and Haydn wrote some wonderful music for it, not often heard. These are from older Vex recordings (dates not given) but sound wonderful.
We are given a smattering of the masses, certainly something crucial to any Haydn overview, including the Mass in the Time of War, St. Nicholas, Harmoniemesse, Mariazeller Mass, Mass of St. Cecelia, and the Great Organ Mass. You can see what is missing if you are a Haydn choral fan. These again are from old Vox issues, and have held up surprisingly well, though the style might be too old for some. Likewise The Seasons and The Creation both on Vox under Wolfgang Gonnenwein and featuring the always-wonderful Helen Donath. The operas and oratorio listed are more recent recordings and each is splendid in its own way, though it is easy to imagine certain vocal parts done a little better, but this is a small caveat. The Seven Last Words on the Cross is given in three of the normal four versions, and this is nice to have, relatively recent recordings all.
The Scottish and Welsh Folks Songs are given complete, these works being scored for a piano trio and for single or multiple voices. I was not that familiar with most of these, and they proved an interesting surprise, though I have to ask myself whether I need or want 18 discs of this stuff. The same can be said of the 20 discs of Prince Esterhazy’s favorite instrument, the baryton (a viola-cello like instrument of some complexity with limited emotional range—his is still on display in Vienna). These trios are fine to hear, limited in technical scope, and obviously designed for an amateur musician. Whether you (or I) will even get through all these discs—or feel a need to—is another question that you have to take into consideration before purchasing this set. These are, however, brand new recordings and expertly done. I must put a big plug in for the three discs of songs—these are the recordings by the wonderful Elly Ameling with Jorg Demus, and well worth the investment.
We run into serious issues with the String Quartets. These are of course part of the absolutely essential listening of this composer, a core collection, and it is given incomplete. The Op. 76 are missing the last three, the Op. 50 the same, and all of the Op. 55 are gone. The ensemble, the Buchberger Quartet, is a modern instrument group that attempts to play with period style in an acoustic that is up close and a little harsh—I can in no way recommend these recordings. The Kodaly on Naxos is far better. The Piano Trios are played on period instruments, and many will prefer this, though they don’t compare the Beaux Arts set.
The Lute works are superbly realized by Jakob Lindberg (licensed from BIS), and the so-called Violin Sonatas (actually duos for violin and cello without keyboard) are fine Hungaroton recordings from the early 1990s. Finally, the Piano Sonatas are expertly done in fine style, albeit on a fortepiano. This is a plus for some and a minus for others. I could not live with the sonatas only on a period instrument, but many will find a lot to enjoy here (as I do), and Bart van Oort is a terrific performer in these 2000 recordings.
So here you have it. I find it difficult to make a recommendation based on the number of variables involved. Suffice it to say that I give it a qualified thumbs-up if you can find a good price for it and enjoy period instruments. If not, you might want to invest in one of the subsets like the symphonies, piano sonatas, or even sample some of the Folk Songs. But you might find that very quickly the price tag has reached the size of this very comprehensive set, and that it is worth going ahead and springing for the whole thing—your call.
— Steven Ritter
