The re-released CD edition of this great Nimbus project on Brilliant
Classics has been
reviewed
more than
once
on these
pages.
I will go into a few of its admirable qualities later on.
The
most important immediate fact to deal with is that this is an
entirely MP3-file based release. Adrian Farmer, the director
of Nimbus Records, says the following: “The Haydn set is something
of an experiment, prompted by the anniversary year. Although
MP3 has been used primarily for downloading, MP3 files can
also be put on CD. Because it is a compressed format you
can squeeze much more than 80 minutes playing time onto a CD.
The degree of compression can vary from extreme to moderate,
which, as you would expect, affects the sound quality of
the end result. For this project we chose a compression rate
that produces the highest quality allowed within the MP3 rules.
To most ears it should be indistinguishable from a normal CD,
but the 35 original CDs of the Haydn Symphony project can now
be delivered to a consumer on 8 CDs.”
In terms of shelf-space compactness this certainly
wins over the 33 disc box in which the Brilliant Classics
version of these recordings appeared. Packed in individual
jewel cases, the low price of this and other similar sets
meant you could build a small house with the things for relatively
little outlay. The 8 discs of this new MP3 edition are cased
in two double-width conventional jewel cases, so are comparable
with the boxes we more normally see these days, where multiple
discs are less extravagantly housed in card or paper envelopes.
The main consideration for most people will however be playback.
While stored on CDs, MP3 encoded music will not play on conventional
CD playing equipment. You might however be surprised at how
many machines will play MP3 as a matter of course. Virtually
all computers will play these kinds of files, and at home
I’ve been playing them over headphones and through an ancient
but serviceable set of active speakers plugged into the headphone
socket output of a laptop computer. Sending this signal through
a line link onto a conventional amplifier – I use the analogue
input of a DAT recorder – should be no problem, so you can
run these onto your expensive hi-fi with a little extra effort.
Your DVD player may also take this format in its stride, which
means if you are set up for hi-fi film viewing you will probably
also be Haydn-ready. I have been enjoying these discs on long
drives to obscure gigs on my car CD player, on which these
recordings would sound more wonderful had the previous owner
of the vehicle not blown one of the built in speakers, no
doubt with music other than Haydn. You can of course load
these files onto iPod or other portable MP3 players, the only
limit being size of the memory chip on your machine. Each
disc contains about 500 to 650 mb or the equivalent of about
3.5 conventional CD discs in terms of playing time. Yes, 35
or 33 into 8 is more like 4 CDs per MP3 disc, but don’t forget
the low compression rate, and that Nimbus are also throwing
in the concertos as well as a 19,000 word article on the Symphonies
and a 6,000 word essay on the recording project added as a
'pdf' file that can be read on screen or printed out for perusal
at leisure.
But what do I hear you cry? “No, we don’t want
compression – yuk!” Almost by chance, but also related to
the increasing trend for downloaded purchasing of music, a
number of us here at MusicWeb International put ourselves
through a ‘compression test’ set by the indefatigable Kirk
McElhearn. This didn’t involve deep-sea diving, but did drive
some of us almost around the bends trying to figure out which
were the most and least compressed of a number of classical
music recordings of a wide variety of genres. I know at my
age (44) my hearing has not only deteriorated due to the inevitable
effects of age, but also from being bashed around in orchestras
and the like. Playing flute for 35 years is one thing, but
piccolo is the worst, and in a soundproofed room I can hear
more hiss in my right ear than the left as a result. Even
accepting such shortcomings, it was a big surprise to find
how difficult it was to pick out even heavily compressed music
files on a blind test. In short, with the high-grade 320kps
files on this new MP3 edition of the complete Haydn Symphonies,
you needn’t have any real fear of any trade-off in sound quality.
What, you still don’t believe me? Well, I did
my own little private test, comparing sound from one of the
Brilliant Classics discs and the MP3 file of the same recording.
Downloading both onto a mixing programme gives a fair comparison,
with the originals saved as lossless tracks on the mixer until
saved either as a wav, MP3 or other file sort for CD reproduction.
Below you can see my screenshot of an extract from the Symphony
No. 100 “Military”, the opening of Finale, Presto.
The upper track is the CD, the lower track the MP3 edition.
This in fact only really shows that A. I made
the effort and am not telling fibs, and B. that the output
signal is at the same level. As far as sound quality goes,
all I could do was mute one or other of the versions and listen
for differences in a basic A/B comparison. To be entirely
honest, I couldn’t really spot any advantages or disadvantages
in either in terms of absolute quality, and remembering the
blind test, know I would have no more than a 50/50 chance:
pot luck, in other words – of picking out one from the other.
I’m afraid I didn’t have a copy of the original Nimbus releases
for further comparison, but suspect it wouldn’t show anything
surprising. At least these attractive yellow boxes revive
the classic design of the original releases.
Only your own circumstances will be able to
tell you if having these works in MP3 format on CD discs is
a practical proposition. True, you can easily turn a normal
CD track into an MP3 file, and there would seem to be little
clear advantage in going the other way around, although I
can see how burning a compilation of favourite symphonies
for a conventional player might become part of the exercise.
You might be asking yourself why Nimbus doesn’t just offer
these recordings as online downloads, but such a huge complete
set would take days of irritating and no doubt costly toil
to save onto your computer, and I think the neat way in which
this whole set has been conceived and presented is something
of a stroke of genius. With a budget release of the CDs already
easily obtainable there was little point investing in another
re-release of this kind, and as previously mentioned this
new MP3 edition creates both a desirable package, including
a full listings booklet and basic notes and production details,
as well as having something of a novelty value no longer to
be found with conventional CDs. Like the kind of SACD discs
which labels like BIS produce, presenting extended-play stereo
signal on a disc only playable on a SACD player, Nimbus has
cracked the compactness problem and provided a good deal more
versatility at the same time.
As for the actual music, I am largely in agreement
with the general critical appraisal of these recordings. Played
on modern instruments, the performances have more of an ‘authentic’
feel even than some noted early music specialist conductors,
including the more opulent Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra recordings
with Nikolaus Harnoncourt on Teldec. I am sure that the Esterházy
Palace acoustic has something to do with this. It is only
when you put Adam Fischer back to back with someone like Sigiswald
Kuijken with La Petite Bande, with their different colours
of traverso flutes, classical oboes and clarinets and natural
horns that you really hear what such performances can offer
by way of an alternative. Adam Fischer makes his argument
clear for the choices made in the present recordings, and
I am in complete agreement with his opinion that “a concert
should be exciting and convincing” rather than boring, no
matter how historically correct. Besides this, the Viennese
oboes and small tympani used in some of the recordings certainly
have plenty of authentic colour and atmosphere. The Pdf text
file on disc 8 contains an excellent and detailed survey of
the symphonies by David Threasher and Geraint Lewis. Dominic
Fyfe was the producer of the last 61 of the symphonies to
be recorded, and his essay on the recordings covers the sometimes
rocky history which meant the completion of such a huge task
was for a time something less than a certainty. The telling
note that “Haydn – incomprehensibly – doesn’t sell” stands
as testament to the commitment of all concerned in their approach
to this project, but it would count for little if the performances
were below par. This they most emphatically are not. While
there are almost inevitably one or two minor grungy moments
of string exposure where intonation and ensemble meets an
off-day, these are remarkable few and far between. There are
so many excellent performances it is a sticky job picking
out highlights. Favourites such as the remarkable opening
movement of the Symphony No.39 and many of the other
Sturm und Drang works are something for which all concerned
clearly have a very close affinity, and the music is attacked
with dramatic intensity, imagination and delicacy of touch.
The more famous numbers such as the ‘London’ symphonies are
never short of being entirely involving, and are often far
more. Like Mozart’s early string quartets, the lower numbered
symphonies reveal precocity and genuine inventive and expressive
strength in surprise after pleasant surprise. The concertos
are all played with elegant refinement, and the whole thing
ends up with brace of overtures and a march which are all
great fun. One can take lucky dips into this set and be held
enthralled, literally for days at a time, with only breaks
for meals, school runs, sleep and other trivia. There are
some differences between the recording phases, with the later
releases having a more intimate and detailed sound than some
of the earlier ones. These allow the acoustic to affect the
overall picture more, losing some of the dynamic punch in
the process, but all approaches still having an attractive
and spacious quality. I noted one online moan from a commentator
remarking about sections played on single strings, but these
moments are reserved for the trio sections which go alongside
minuets and are legitimate interpretative practice. Either
way, I appreciate the moments of contrast these little sections
give, which over span of 104 symphonies are often delicious
patches of chamber-music arising from within all that orchestral
texture.
I am not in a position to make direct comparisons
to some of the other complete sets available, such as that
on Decca with Antal Dorati. These I remember sampling many
years ago on LP, but was probably too young to appreciate
them properly: even as students at the R.A.M. we tended to
think of more or less enforced listening to hours of Haydn
as the equivalent of watching paint dry. An extra 20+ years
of life experience has, thank goodness, granted me a greater
sensitivity and perspective on the stunning range of qualities
in this music. I have had a listen to some
bits of the Naxos set, and on this admittedly somewhat
meagre evidence would tend to come down in favour of Fischer.
The wonderful thing about being able to rummage through the
entire canon of Haydn’s symphonies is that you can discover
how much truly marvellous music you’ve been missing by neglecting
the less well-known works, and get a real feel for
his personality. By the end I felt I’d almost met the man
and had interesting discussions on sundry subjects, from the
desperate state of society to the latest bawdy salon jokes.
All of this can now be yours for the price of about one and
a half full price discs, so I say, give it a go!
Dominy Clements
Full Track-List
CD1
Symphony No. 1 in D major, Hob.I:1 (1759) [13:19]
Symphony No. 2 in C major, Hob.I:2 (1764) [9:27]
Symphony No. 3 in G major, Hob.I:3 (1762) [17:32]
Symphony No. 4 in D major, Hob.I:4 (1762) [17:29]
Symphony No. 5 in A major, Hob.I:5 (1762) [18:29]
Symphony No. 6 in D major ‘Le Matin’, Hob.I:6 (1761) [22:36]
Symphony No. 7 in D major ‘Le Midi’, Hob.I:7 (1761) [25:19]
Symphony No. 8 in G major ‘Le Soir’, Hob.I:8 (1761) [21:48]
Symphony No. 9 in C major, Hob.I:9 (1762) [12:12]
Symphony No. 10 in D major, Hob.I:10 (1766) [16:23]
Symphony No. 11 in E flat major, Hob.I:11 (1769) [22:34]
Symphony No. 12 in E major, Hob.I:12 (1763) [18:38]
Symphony No. 13 in D major, Hob.I:13 (1763) [18:06]
Symphony No. 14 in A major, Hob.I:14 (1764) [14:53]
Symphony No. 15 in A major, Hob.I:15 (1764) [19:43]
Symphony No. 16 in B flat major, Hob.I:16 (1766) [12:10]
CD2
Symphony No. 17 in D major, Hob.I:17 (1765) [14:44]
Symphony No. 18 in G major, Hob.I:18 (1766) [13:47]
Symphony No. 19 in D major, Hob.I:19 (1766) [10:38]
Symphony No. 20 in C major, Hob.I:20 (1766) [14:27]
Symphony No. 21 in A major, Hob.I:21 (1764) [15:53]
Symphony No. 22 in E flat major ‘The Philosopher’, Hob.I:22
(1764) [16:50]
Symphony No. 23 in G major, Hob.I:23 (1764) [16:34]
Symphony No. 24 in D major, Hob.I:24 (1764) [19:03]
Symphony No. 25 in C major, Hob.I:25 (1766) [13:34]
Symphony No. 26 in D minor ‘Lamentatione’, Hob.I:26 (1770)
[13:06]
Symphony No. 27 in G major, Hob.I:27 (1766) [13:40]
Symphony No. 28 in A major, Hob.I:28 (1765) [17:45]
Symphony No. 29 in E major, Hob.I:29 (1765) [17:30]
Symphony No. 30 in C major ‘Alleluja’, Hob.I:30 (1765) [13:21]
Symphony No. 31 in D major ‘Hornsignal’, Hob.I:31 (1765) [25:08]
Symphony No. 32 in C major, Hob.I:32 (1766) [15:05]
Symphony No. 33 in C major, Hob.I:33 (1767) [15:35]
Symphony No. 34 in D major, Hob.I:34 (1767) [17:00]
Symphony No. 35 in B flat major, Hob.I:35 (1767) [15:26]
CD 3
Symphony No. 36 in E flat major, Hob.I:36 (1769) [16:14]
Symphony No. 37 in C major, Hob.I:37 (1758) [13:07]
Symphony No. 38 in C major, Hob.I:38 (1769) [15:55]
Symphony No. 39 in G minor, Hob.I:39 (1770) [16:45]
Symphony No. 40 in F major, Hob.I:40 (1763) [17:17]
Symphony No. 41 in C major, Hob.I:41 (1770) [18:35]
Symphony No. 42 in D major, Hob.I:42 (1771) [26:04]
Symphony No. 43 in E flat major ‘Mercury’, Hob.I:43 (1772)
[23:37]
Symphony No. 44 in E minor ‘Trauersymphonie’, Hob.I:44 (1772)
[22:56]
Symphony No. 45 in F sharp minor ‘Farewell’, Hob.I:45 (1772)
[26:18]
Symphony No. 46 in B major, Hob.I:46 (1772) [16:56]
Symphony No. 47 in G major, Hob.I:47 (1772) [20:17]
Symphony No. 48 in C major ‘Maria Theresia’, Hob.I:48 (1769)
[26:43]
Symphony No. 49 in F minor ‘La Passione’, Hob.I:49 (1768)
[21:56]
Symphony No. 50 in C major, Hob.I:50 (1773) [17:45]
CD 4
Symphony No. 51 in B flat major, Hob.I:51 (1774) [19:20]
Symphony No. 52 in C minor, Hob.I:52 (1774) [20:51]
Symphony No. 53 in D major ‘L’Impériale’, Hob.I:53 (1778/9)[22:23]
Symphony No. 54 in G major, Hob.I:54 (1774) [24:38]
Symphony No. 55 in E flat major ‘The Schoolmaster’, Hob.I:55
(1774) [20:30]
Symphony No. 56 in C major, Hob.I:56 (1774) [24:37]
Symphony No. 57 in D major, Hob.I:57 (1774) [22:55]
Symphony No. 58 in F major, Hob.I:58 (1775) [16:40]
Symphony No. 59 in A major ‘Fire’, Hob.I:59 (1769) [17:22]
Symphony No. 60 in C major ‘Il distratto’, Hob.I:60 (1774)
[24:43]
Symphony No. 61 in D major, Hob.I:61 (1776) [20:33]
Symphony No. 62 in D major, Hob.I:62 (1781) [20:10]
Symphony No. 63 in C major ‘La Roxelane’, Hob.I:63 (1781)
[19:42]
Symphony No. 64 in A major ‘Tempora Mutantur’, Hob.I:64 (1778)
[18:22]
CD 5
Symphony No. 65 in C major, Hob.I:65 (1778) [17:02]
Symphony No. 66 in B flat major, Hob.I:66 (1779) [21:58]
Symphony No. 67 in F major, Hob.I:67 (1779) [28:06]
Symphony No. 68 in B flat major, Hob.I:68 (1779) [22:46]
Symphony No. 69 in C major ‘Laudon’, Hob.I:69 (1779) [20:23]
Symphony No. 70 in D major, Hob.I:70 (1779) [17:10]
Symphony No. 71 in B flat major, Hob.I:71 (1780) [22:30]
Symphony No. 72 in D major, Hob.I:72 (1781) [18:45]
Symphony No. 73 in D major ‘La Chasse’, Hob.I:73 (1782) [19:31]
Symphony No. 74 in E flat major, Hob.I:74 (1781) [19:14]
Symphony No. 75 in B flat major, Hob.I:75 (1781) [19:32]
Symphony No. 76 in E flat major, Hob.I:76 (1782) [20:42]
Symphony No. 77 in B flat major, Hob.I:77 (1782) [17:58]
Symphony No. 78 in C minor, Hob.I:78 (1782) [19:35]
CD 6
Symphony No. 79 in F major, Hob.I:79 (1784) [20:45]
Symphony No. 80 in D minor, Hob.I:80 (1784) [22:32]
Symphony No. 81 in G major, Hob.I:81 (1784) [22:08]
Symphony No. 82 in C major ‘L'Ours’, Hob.I:82 (1786) [25:23]
Symphony No. 83 in G minor ‘La Poule’, Hob.I:83 (1785) [25:21]
Symphony No. 84 in E flat major, Hob.I:84 (1786) [23:02]
Symphony No. 85 in B flat major ‘La Reine’, Hob.I:85 (1785)
[23:52]
Symphony No. 86 in D major, Hob.I:86 (1786) [26:45]
Symphony No. 87 in A major, Hob.I:87 (1785) [22:35]
Symphony No. 88 in G major, Hob.I:88 (1787) [21:45]
Symphony No. 89 in F major, Hob.I:89 (1787) [21:23]
Symphony No. 90 in C major, Hob.I:90 (1788) [26:23]
CD 7
Symphony No. 91 in E flat major, Hob.I:91 (1788) [25:52]
Symphony No. 92 in G major ‘Oxford’, Hob.I:92 (1789) [27:11]
Symphony No. 93 in D major, Hob.I:93 (1791) [24:12]
Symphony No. 94 in G major ‘Surprise’, Hob.I.94 (1791) [23:43]
Symphony No. 95 in C minor, Hob.I:95 (1791) [21:16]
Symphony No. 96 in D major, Hob.I:96 (1791) [23:32]
Symphony No. 97 in C major, Hob.I:97 (1792) [25:57]
Symphony No. 98 in B flat major, Hob.I:98 (1792) [29:40]
Symphony No. 99 in E flat major, Hob.I:99 (1793) [27:32]
Symphony No. 100 in D major ‘Military’, Hob.I:100 (1793/4)
[24:19]
CD 8
Symphony No. 101 in D major ‘Clock’, Hob.I:101 (1793/4) [29:34]
Symphony No. 102 in B flat major ‘Miracle’, Hob.I:102 (1794)
[26:14]
Symphony No. 103 in E flat major ‘Drumroll’, Hob.I:103 (1795)
[30:17]
Symphony No. 104 in D major ‘London’, Hob.I:104 (1795) [29:12]
Symphony 'A' in B flat major, Hob.I:107 (1762) [12:58]
Symphony 'B' in B flat major, Hob.I:108 (1765) [11:37]
Sinfonia Concertante in B-flat major, Hob.I:105 (1792) [21:38]
Violin Concerto in C major, Hob.VIIa:1 (1769)*[20:37]
Violin Concerto in G major, Hob.VIIa:4 (c.1774)*[18:41]
Overture: La Vera Costanza Hob.1a:15 [5:46]
Overture: La fideltà premiata [3:55]
March for the Royal Society of Musicians [4:08]
Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra/Adam Fischer
*Rainer Küchl (violin), Wolfgang Herzer (cello), Gerhard Turetschek
(oboe) and Michael Werba (bassoon)
rec.1989-2001 (Symphonies), Haydnsaal, Esterházy Palace, Eisenstadt,
Austria
NIMBUS NI 1722 (8 discs – approx.37 hours playing time)
Austro-Hungarian Haydn
Orchestra/Adam Fischer 
