Nicholas Kenyon 

Haydn: 12 London Symphonies Nos 93-104

Marc Minkowski and his players take Haydn's London symphonies for a spin – with exciting results, says Nicholas Kenyon
  
  


When Haydn put a "Surprise" into his Symphony No 94, I doubt he imagined the football-crowd whoop provided here by Marc Minkowski's orchestra. But this bit of fun, and innovations like the greater use of solo players, turn the set into a really fresh look at Haydn's masterpieces. Minkowski highlights the innocence of Haydn's beginnings, which then blossom into melodic flower (as in No 99's adagio), or erupt into contrapuntal passion (in the incandescent finale of No 95). He goes for extremes in the very slow, sinister opening of No 104, and in some over-fast allegros which lack clarity, but there is an overwhelming sense of excitement.

 

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