# About Harnoncourt



## APL

As I noticed many music fan like or don't like Harnoncourt. This disgreement is much more typical of him than the other conductors. I've heared about him like this: "Harnoncourt is doing things another way again." Or "Harnoncourt kill music of Beethoven" or "He is great at historical interpretation" 
How do you see him?


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## joen_cph

Lots of fine stuff from him, lots of less interesting things too.
Some I like are:
- Zelenka: orchestral and ensemble works/teldec
- Bach: Motets/teldec
- Mozart: Idomeneo
- Mozart: Entfuhrung
- Mozart: Posthorn Serenade
- Mozart: Mid- and Late Symphonies /Concertgebouw
- Mozart: Early Symphonies/Concentus Musicus
- Schubert: Symphonies

so they must be said to be mainly belonging to the early repertoire.


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## Kjetil Heggelund

I think he is awesome and inspiring.


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## APL

Kjetil Heggelund said:


> I think he is awesome and inspiring.


Yes, I have seen that video. I like his Mozart symphonies but don't like his Beethoven ones.
There is a video about Beethoven first symphony rehearsal too.


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## bharbeke

His Mozart sacred music is top notch.


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## Guest

I adore the Bach, Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Schumann. In later repertoire he can be hit or miss, for me, but I like that he would always rethink things and produce something interesting.


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## Mandryka

APL said:


> Yes, I have seen that video. I like his Mozart symphonies but don't like his Beethoven ones.
> There is a video about Beethoven first symphony rehearsal too.


Maybe see what you think of the Beethoven piano concertos with Aimard, where he experiments with some bold ideas.


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## Merl

As with any conductors, Harnoncourt made a range of recordings that I have my own opinions of. Off the top of my head.....

*Very good*: Dvorak 9, Dvorak Tone Poems, Schubert Symphonies, Schumann Symphonies. 
*Good: *Dvorak 7&8, most of his Bruckner symphonies, Mendelssohn Symphonies 3&4, Dvorak Slavonic Dances, Mozart symphonies 
*Average: *Beethoven and Brahms Symphonies, Bach Brandenburg Concertos. 
*Crap*: Smetana Ma Vlast

I'll add others when I think of them


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## regnaDkciN

Merl said:


> As with any conductors, Harnoncourt made a range of recordings that I have my own opinions of. Off the top of my head.....
> 
> *Very good*: Dvorak 9, Dvorak Tone Poems, Schubert Symphonies, Schumann Symphonies.
> *Good: *Dvorak 7&8, most of his Bruckner symphonies, Mendelssohn Symphonies 3&4, Dvorak Slavonic Dances, Mozart symphonies
> *Average: *Beethoven and Brahms Symphonies, Bach Brandenburg Concertos.
> *Crap*: Smetana Ma Vlast
> 
> I'll add others when I think of them


Interesting that the only item you list from the Baroque era was his Brandenburgs (and that you only rated as fair), since Harnoncourt began as a Baroque expert.

That Brandenburg set, incidentally, has some historic interest: it was one of the very earliest HIP recordings. (There was one before it, also by Harnoncourt's forces, but that was of some relatively obscure Baroque repertoire, so that Brandenburg set was really the first time most classical music fans had ever heard of the "original instrument" movement.)


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## Ras

*Good with period. Period!*

The *Harnoncourt recordings I like are the Mozart and Haydn recordings he made with his period ensemble CONCENTUS MUSICUS WIEN * - starting with a number of *pre-london-and-paris Haydn symphonies recorded for Teldec/Warner *in the 80's and 90's. I have them in a box with 5 cds from Warner which appears to be out of print.

And also *Haydn's Paris Symphonies on DHM recorded in 2001-02.*

*Mozart: Symphonies, 35, 39, 40 41.*

*Mozart: Piano concertos 23, 25 with Rudolf Buchbinder on fortepiano. (all on Sony). *

Several of these boxes/cds/albums include what I consider the best recordings ever made in the repertoire:

-the recording of Mozart's Haffner symphony and 25th piano concerto qualify here.

- and as a cycle Haydn's Paris Symphonies is also the best - although Harnoncourt's pupil *Thomas Fey also made a terrific recording of these symphonies.

*I haven't been very impressed with Harnoncourt's recordings with orchestras playing on modern instruments like the Chamber Orchestra of Europe or the RCO. 
But I know I should try to take the time to hear his Schubert recordings…

(I can post links and pictures on request)


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