Die Tageszeiten as the Accent CD titles them,
The Day Trilogy, are the most attractive and often performed
of Haydn’s earliest symphonies. Having the titles
Morning,
Noon and
Evening helps but it’s difficult to find a
specific programme for these works other than the depiction of daybreak
at the opening of Symphony 6 and the storm in the finale of Symphony
8. What makes them popular is their vivacity, their sheer variety and
wealth of engaging instrumental solos. However, recordings on period
instruments aren’t that common so it’s good that here are
two more.
Symphony 6 is Haydn’s Pastoral Symphony. Not only are cheerful
feelings awakened here but the world wakes succinctly in the introduction
(tr. 1) as dawn breaks and a
crescendo fills out the environment.
Then comes an
Allegro of total vivacity as the strings scurry
around. Jerky rhythms seem to represent creatures shaking themselves
awake. There are semiquaver bird calls from flute, oboes and bassoon.
Just what sort of a bird the bassoon is I shudder to think: maybe a
dodo. Still Haydn has a surprise up his sleeve as he begins the recapitulation
(3:29) on solo horn. This is the first time I’ve heard Poland’s
only period instrument orchestra, the National Forum of Music Wroclaw
Baroque Orchestra. What a terrific performance it gives in the Accord
recording, a wonderful celebration of the joy of being alive. This culminates
in getting bolder in the second half repeat so that the final bassoon
bird-call is more like cocking a snook. Based in Belgium, La Petite
Bande in the Accent recording is much better known and living up to
its name has a smaller string section with only 2 first and 2 second
violins. The Wroclaw Baroque Orchestra have 3 of each. Both orchestras
then complete the strings with one each viola, cello and double bass.
Perhaps because of this La Petite Bande’s strings are more vehement
in their articulation and dynamic contrasts. The latter is particularly
finely realized, bringing out the teeming vivacity of the piece and
leaving the woodwind to provide lyricism rather as a relief. This all
makes for streamlined precision virtuoso display but it’s not
as enjoyable as the Wroclaw Baroque Orchestra’s emphasis on the
joy of the music and music-making.
In his 1976 book on Haydn symphonies Anthony Hodgson reckons the slow
movement is a music lesson. Well, the first violin demonstrates mastery,
but what about the cello which soon joins in and leads in the second
part of the
Andante which follows the
Adagio introduction?
A star pupil? The way the rest, the strings, tiptoe about, or if you
like introduce a basic framework, at the beginning of the
Andante
sections and yet occasionally make echoing and other forays of their
own is entertaining too. The proceedings end with a lovely
Adagio,
a close of lesson benediction perhaps. What’s clear in Thiel’s
account is that the soloists enjoy their flights of fancy: the first
violin embellishes the cadence ending the first part of the
Andante,
the cello that ending the second part. The others manage to contribute
as well without any hint of disrespect. Kuijken’s take on this
movement offers more contrast. There’s more character to the introduction,
a more commanding presence at the outset but thereafter more winsome
lyricism. The tempo change to
Andante is more marked so the strings’
proposition is more jocular and the solo violin’s response merrier.
As if that’s enough high jinks the cadences ending each part are
unadorned and the closing
Adagio is just formally reverent, less
magical than Thiel’s.
Thiel’s Minuet has a staid opening from which the flute escapes
and in its second strain oboes, then horns become expansive. These are
finally joined racily by the violins, a transformation Thiel relishes.
The Trio is even more exotic, featuring a dogged double bass solo backed
by
pizzicato cello and important input from bassoon and viola,
colourfully realized by Thiel. Kuijken brings more swing to the Minuet
at the outset, anticipating and allowing for a cheekier flute solo and
then skipping second strain. This is before he makes an effective contrast
by paying particular attention to the sudden cut-off, pause and calming
down of the final phrase. Kuijken’s Trio, smoother and more lightly
articulated than Thiel’s, has greater humour and has more in common
with the mood of the Minuet than that of Thiel. The finale from Thiel
is all youthful high spirits, dashing in both senses. It’s marked
Allegro. Thiel takes it closer to
Presto but this nicely
points up the charming points of temporary relaxation towards the end
of both its sections when the scoring thins out and the semiquavers
vanish. Kuijken takes the opposite approach in tempo: at a timing of
6:02 against Thiel’s 4:42 he’s just about
Allegretto
which makes the relaxation a bit drawling. True, you get more inner
detail and finely nuanced violin solo from Kuijken but it’s at
the expense of dynamism.
Symphony 7 is very much a sinfonia concertante with significant
involvement of solo first and second violins, cello and a strong showing
also from a pair of oboes and horns. In the first movement this makes
(tr. 5) for a lively conversation of equals as its joyous
Allegro
gambols friskily along after an introduction which contrasts earthy
horns and bassoon with regal strings. There really isn’t a dull
moment but most surprising is the variety of mood of the first violin
solo, with a suddenly wistful passage (from 4:32 in Thiel) amid all
the whoopee. Thiel adopts a slightly faster tempo than Kuijken (7:53
against 7:33) with thereby more emphasis on adrenalin than savouring.
Kuijken is more laid back and refined, especially his own first violin
solos; throughout he gives us great vertical clarity. Thiel is more
exciting, in particular the contribution of the horns but also the way
he keeps everything tingling along. There’s more celebration here
of Haydn’s mastery of the blending of all the instruments.
The Accord CD puts the second and third movements together on one track.
This makes sense because the second movement is a dramatic and highly
varied Recitative, the third an
Adagio of serenity and exquisite
refinement. The matching is a little problematic in that the Recitative
is more troubled. Zbigniew Pilch, Thiel’s violin soloist who carries
it, stands out in particularly high relief against warm and smooth oboes
and strings at the opening. Thiel takes it in a more measured fashion
than Kuijken (2:50 against 2:32) which results in less urgency but more
individuality to the soloist’s statements. The third movement
Adagio then can be heard from Thiel as a contented Aria, as it were.
This sweeps away the earlier clouds in which the violin soloist now
has the cello as like minded partner. Two flutes provide a heavenly
obbligato backdrop. All this is rather more fastidiously presented and
sweetly distilled by Kuijken at a slightly faster tempo (6:02 against
6:24) but in comparison with Thiel’s living in the moment it seems
a little distanced.
To the fourth movement Minuet (tr. 7) Thiel brings an engaging swagger.
I like the way he softens the violins’ highest rising phrase in
the opening section to anticipate the soft quavers which follow. It’s
full of tricks like the first violins’ syncopation against the
seconds (0:42), here presented tongue in cheek while the Trio unusually
spotlights the cello. Kuijken’s Minuet is a bit more weighty but
less lilting while in the Trio his cellist is more lyrical yet has less
presence than Thiel who is cellist here as well as conductor. In the
finale (tr. 8) all the instruments come together and there’s a
party atmosphere. Thiel attacks with relish, the flute now chirpy and
enjoys a phrase that ends in mid air (first heard at 0:33). Kuijken
has equal fizz but his touch more measure (4:44 against 4:13), while
providing more instrumental detail and rhythmic bite, makes the festivity
a little more courtly.
Symphony 8 begins quietly beaming but soon opens
out. Thiel scurries around with great verve, grinning and sprightly
but offset by flute and oboes’ calming passages. The dynamic contrasts
which are an important feature throughout are clearly put across. Thiel’s
horns really let rip in the second section repeat. Kuijken is surprisingly
more high powered, intense in contrast of dynamics and steely in rigour
but with less sense of respite. The slow movement features a pair of
violins plus cello and bassoon soloists. It’s the most reflective
in all the symphonies here, sweet, sunny and exquisitely realized by
Thiel. It is luxuriantly warm and relaxed, but at a tempo which is more
Adagietto than the marked
Andante. The outcome is that
you begin to lose a sense of momentum and wonder when the movement will
end. Kuijken, who takes 8:03 rather than Thiel’s 8:40, displays
more flow which for me enhances the movement’s intimacy and hence
sensitivity. At the same time it’s always clear it’s going
somewhere. The Minuet is cheery, rather conventional but bolstered by
Thiel’s horn contributions. It’s Thiel’s Trio that’s
more distinctive in its benign jollity with double bass solo and a lovely
little cadenza added at the fermata in the second half repeat. Kuijken’s
Minuet is a touch slower and more formal, yet by contrast his Trio is
warmer and more rustic. In the finale we come full circle back to Beethoven’s
Pastoral Symphony with Haydn’s
Storm. Lots of spruce
demisemiquaver thrashing around to enjoy from Thiel here. It’s
very much more stimulating than scary however, even if the flute solos
could be a bird showing some signs of alarm. Kuijken is again slower
but rather more biting with waves of sudden attack. Even so, his more
lightly articulated flute is pretty contented, definitely not a bird,
possibly pattering raindrops?
Thiel provides the notes in his CD’s booklet. Like his performances,
they’re brimming with enthusiasm. The notes in the Accent CD booklet,
by Bernhard Blattmann, like Kuijken’s playing, display their learning
and a more objective consideration. In fact both CDs are satisfying
in different ways but if I had to make a choice my preference would
be for Thiel’s freshness and directness over Kuijken’s neatness
and sophistication.
Michael Greenhalgh
Masterwork Index:
Haydn
symphonies
