# Your favorite recording of Haydn symphony no. 92, the "Oxford"



## Mister Meow (10 mo ago)

I'm looking for a great recording and would like to get your input. I would characterize my ideal performance and recording as being "crisp and clear", if that helps.


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

Jacobs/harmonia mundi (with 91 and a vocal piece) or, if you do historic recordings Rosbaud/DG (late 1950s mono rec +104 and a Mozart violin concerto). 
I'd have to check for a modern recording on modern instruments; Dorati from the early 1970s is good but only in a box. Maybe Rattle/Berlin, I generally liked that twofer but mainly remember #90 and the sinfonia concertante. Wolff/Frankfurt is also "crisp" but I liked his disc with 88, 89+91 better than the one with 92,96,97 that seemed often a bit too much on the crisp but small scale side.


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## SearsPoncho (Sep 23, 2020)

Szell/Cleveland Orchestra. If you want crisp, clear accuracy, Szell is your man. There was a single disc with 92, 94 and 96 on Sony, formerly Columbia. Great stuff.


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## Josquin13 (Nov 7, 2017)

I would strongly recommend Sir Colin Davis and the Concertgebouw Orchestra in Symphony No. 92--entitled the "Oxford". Davis never muddles up Haydn, nor does his Haydn ever sound too stiff & humorless (as is often the case with Szell's Haydn in Cleveland). Davis also doesn't make the mistake of conducting Haydn as if it were Brahms (as with Böhm). Clearly, this isn't music of the late Romantic period, and therefore Haydn shouldn't sound like Brahms, a composer whose symphonies he wouldn't have remotely recognized as his own.

Granted, Davis doesn't take an overtly HIP approach to Haydn, considering that he was at odds with the period movement. But he does, nevertheless, have a more lucid & flexible understanding of the style of the classical period, & especially in relation to Mozart & Haydn, than most of the conductors of his generation (including Marriner), as well as those that came before him (such as Karajan, Szell, Böhm, etc.). 

Bernstein would be the one exception here--among the older conductors, considering that his Haydn recordings for Columbia are first rate. However, Bernstein didn't record the "Oxford" until much later in his career, during his more controversial DG period, & by that time, in comparison, Bernstein's conducting had become less taut and incisive (& could even occasionally be sloppy, such as on his live Haydn masses for Philips). With the result being that I find his DG Haydn is less dynamic and exciting when compared to his 1960s recordings. (Nevertheless, critic David Hurwitz especially likes Bernstein's late Haydn disc on DG--as it's one of his benchmark recordings, so you might wish to sample it.) While, in contrast, I've long felt that Davis's "Oxford" was one of the better symphonies in his Haydn series. In addition, I should mention that Davis made a later live recording of the "Oxford" with the London Symphony Orchestra, as well, on the LSO Live label, but I don't know that one.

However, if Davis's "Oxford" isn't incisive & quick enough for you (& again, it's hardly HIP, even if Davis doesn't overly romanticize Haydn), I'd also strongly recommend Sigiswald Kuijken and the period ensemble, La Petite Bande. For me, Kuijken's recordings of Haydn Symphonies are among the best he's done in his career, & I especially enjoyed his "Oxford". In addition, I could say the same thing about Frans Bruggen, who makes another excellent period choice in Haydn, & in the "Oxford", with the Orchestra of the 18th Century on Philips. 

I like Rene Jacobs recording of No. 92, too, but you should know that it divided the critics when it first came out. Granted, the playing of the Freiburger Barockorchester is fantastic, but Jacobs' interpretation has proven more controversial than either Kuijken or Bruggen's, so you should probably sample it first.

I've not heard the "Oxford" in Giovanni Antonini's present ongoing Haydn cycle for Alpha, which has received glowing reviews from a number of critics. So, if Antonini has done No. 92 yet?, the recording is likely worth sampling, too.


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## RobertJTh (Sep 19, 2021)

Probably my favorite Haydn symphony.
Adam Fisher (part of his complete cycle) does the piece justice, I think.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

There's a new box Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Sir Neville Marriner 
However the discs are also as streaming to buy, good choice this.


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## wkasimer (Jun 5, 2017)

Kreisler jr said:


> Jacobs/harmonia mundi (with 91 and a vocal piece) or, if you do historic recordings Rosbaud/DG (late 1950s mono rec +104 and a Mozart violin concerto).
> I'd have to check for a modern recording on modern instruments; Dorati from the early 1970s is good but only in a box. Maybe Rattle/Berlin, I generally liked that twofer but mainly remember #90 and the sinfonia concertante. Wolff/Frankfurt is also "crisp" but I liked his disc with 88, 89+91 better than the one with 92,96,97 that seemed often a bit too much on the crisp but small scale side.


These are all great suggestions. I would also add Frans Brüggen's recording, which may be tough to find now,


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

A great work, although it is helped by having a nickname, unlike the wonderful No.88 from a year or so earlier. Also my "local" symphony.....!

Antonini hasn't done this one yet. The latest CD - the twelfth of the series is three symphonies in the '60s, and good fun stuff it is too. ......

I can't say I have a clear favourite recording. Marriner, in his finally-released box of named symphonies is great, so is Colin Davis, and of course Dorati and Adam Fischer. But it was the Karl Bohm/Vienna PO recording on DGG that introduced me to this work, and that has remained a good one to go for. It should be "crisp and clear" enough for you, personally I think this work is better in "big band" style, rather than any sort of HIP approach.....


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

Duplicate, oops!


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## Ludwig Schon (10 mo ago)

Bruggen and the 18th C is your only man…


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

Plenty of decent ones here but I think Harnoncourt is very impressive here. The strings have a vibrant quality, the brass has a bit of umph and the woodwinds are really well-balanced. Tempi are, surprisingly, fairly traditional for Harnoncourt but it's a really good account. We'll worth a listen.

Edit: hey Ludwig, you're back!


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

Merl said:


> Plenty of decent ones here but I think Harnoncourt is very impressive here. The strings have a vibrant quality, the brass has a bit of umph and the woodwinds are really well-balanced. Tempi are, surprisingly, fairly traditional for Harnoncourt but it's a really good account. We'll worth a listen.


But this is DVD only, isn't it? and one might have to search for Bartoli because she is involved. Or did it appear in another form.


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

Kreisler jr said:


> But this is DVD only, isn't it? and one might have to search for Bartoli because she is involved. Or did it appear in another form.


Oops, you're right Kreisler. 😖 My bad for not reading the post properly. I thought it said op.93. I was doing something else at the same time. Silly me. Didn't actually know that Harnoncourt had done op.92. Off to look.


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## wkasimer (Jun 5, 2017)

If you want a "big band" version, don't forget about Klemperer.


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

As I wrote, there is a live #92 "Oxford with Harnoncourt on a BBC Opus Art DVD. It's findable with "Bartoli Haydn" and DVD at Amazon. 
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01GUP4JOQ 

I even own this but I have either never heard it or only a long time ago because I am just not used to DVDs although the computer drive does not care, I think and takes also DVDs...


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## RobertJTh (Sep 19, 2021)

wkasimer said:


> If you want a "big band" version, don't forget about Klemperer.


Or Bernstein, many people (me not included) swear by his Haydn.


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

Unfortunately, it seems the only #92 with Bernstein is a late Vienna recording. It's been a long time I heard it but I was not really impressed by any of 92, 94, 88. Late Bernstein (DG) was by no means always as excessive as in some Mahler or other late romantic music but often he seems rather average, good, "philharmonic", far from the fire of his best 1960s NYPhil recordings. (Heretically, I also don't find the Szell #92 that impressive, it's not among his best Haydn and even his best Haydn is not quite as good as its reputation, I think.)


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## Brahmsian Colors (Sep 16, 2016)

Szell/Cleveland Orchestra


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Brahmsian Colors said:


> Szell/Cleveland Orchestra


Same here....


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## Mister Meow (10 mo ago)

Thank you all for your replies. I am just now getting around to finding one or two recordings. I did see Frans Brüggen on hoopla. For some reason, the "album" cover has Haydn's head sliced into several pieces, which is kind of disconcerting, but I will try to ignore that for now and focus on the music.


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## Simon23 (Dec 8, 2020)

I really like the recording by Karl Bohm, as well as the already mentioned Davis and Szell.


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## RobertJTh (Sep 19, 2021)

Mister Meow said:


> For some reason, the "album" cover has Haydn's head sliced into several pieces, which is kind of disconcerting, but I will try to ignore that for now and focus on the music.


The _real_ story of Haydn's head is even more disconcerting...


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## Mister Meow (10 mo ago)

I checked out this one today:










I still don't understand why his head is sliced into pieces. Anyway, I'm going to continue my search and try another recording or two.


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## Mister Meow (10 mo ago)

Josquin13 said:


> I'd also strongly recommend Sigiswald Kuijken and the period ensemble, La Petite Bande. For me, Kuijken's recordings of Haydn Symphonies are among the best he's done in his career, & I especially enjoyed his "Oxford". In addition, I could say the same thing about Frans Bruggen, who makes another excellent period choice in Haydn, & in the "Oxford", with the Orchestra of the 18th Century on Philips.


I found Sigiswald Kuijken on hoopla and I like this recording better, especially the second movement when it switches from adagio/major to allegro/minor. This performance also seems a little bit brighter, if that makes sense.


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