# Haydn London symphonies



## Arsakes

They're the masterpieces of classic symphony and are hardly preferable to each other. So which one is currently your most favorite?

No.96 for me, then 94, 100, 103, 104 and 102.

Note: I like to add Symphony No.92 'Oxford' but wikipedia says it is part of Paris symphonies and Haydn rename it for the honorary doctorate by Oxford University...


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

Definitely 103


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## TrazomGangflow

I am a big fan of 94. I also enjoy the story that goes along with it about Haydn adding the "surprise" to wake his sleepy Listeners. (whether it is true or not)


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## mmsbls

I picked 104, but 94 and 101 are very close.


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## Sid James

How about 'all of them' as an option? 

I chose *#104*, such an evocative picture of the city of London. The final movement begins with the seemingly most banal tune - thought to be taken from a Croatian folk tune, Haydn grew up near the Austrian border with Croatia - and continues with everything from bassoons imitating bagpipe drones to the sounding of bells. Love all the twists and turns. Mahler's wasn't the only music to contain _the whole world_, or bits of it at least. Haydn's music is nothing if not a picture of 18th century life, and I've never heard anything by him which I haven't liked, incl. all these symphonies.


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## HarpsichordConcerto

I'm with Sid James on this one. I'll take "the lot".

There are also interesting chamber versions of some of these symphonies arranged by the impresario Johann Peter Saloman, a contemporary of Haydn, who brought Haydn to England, often scored for say, flute, piano and string quartet that deserve a hearing.


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## Vesteralen

The so-called "Miracle" symphony (and we all know it's misnamed), has, for me, the most engaging music in *all four movements *of any Haydn symphony.


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## Olias

The Military (#100). Love the flutes in the first movement, the silent joke going into the development, the Turkish percussion in the 2nd and 4th movements, the trio of the minuet, the bugle call, the playful rondo. Lots of fun.


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## Ukko

Olias said:


> The Military (#100). Love the flutes in the first movement, the silent joke going into the development, the Turkish percussion in the 2nd and 4th movements, the trio of the minuet, the bugle call, the playful rondo. Lots of fun.


Me too, for all the reasons you name.

I enjoy all of these symphonies. What I find surprising is that I enjoy them both in HIP performances and in 'loaded up modern' performances from the '70s, like Jochum's.


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## Sid James

HarpsichordConcerto said:


> ...
> There are also interesting *chamber versions of some of these symphonies arranged by the impresario* *Johann Peter Saloman*, a contemporary of Haydn, who brought Haydn to England, often scored for say, flute, piano and string quartet that *deserve a hearing.*...


They certainly do, Salomon's arrangements are pretty good. I have a couple of them played by piano trio on ABC Classics label, the Ensemble of the Classic Era headed on fortepiano by Geoffrey Lancaster. Of course, it was not easy or cheap to assemble an orchestra to play the symphonies back in 18th century, so these arrangements would have allowed for more exposure of these works & more cheap/easy to perform with the smaller forces. Much as say Liszt's transcriptions of Beethoven's symphonies that came later.


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## Olias

Hilltroll72 said:


> Me too, for all the reasons you name.
> 
> I enjoy all of these symphonies. What I find surprising is that I enjoy them both in HIP performances and in 'loaded up modern' performances from the '70s, like Jochum's.


Yes. I wish Sir Charles Mackerras had done a full cycle of the 12. He did four of them (100, 101, 103, 104) on the Telarc label and they still remain my absolute favorite versions. Try them if you haven't already.

http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=8505

http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=5050


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## Pizzicato

104. It's always been my favourite of all of Haydn's Symphonies.


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## Ramako

How have I missed this one?

99. I also like 104, and 93 to an extent. But 99 has a great first movement, and probably my favourite slow movement of any symphony ever written. The other two are fine as well. With a couple of really exceptional movements, when listening to the whole symphony, the other movements usually turn out to be pretty entertaining as well.

In general it seems the second 6 are preferred to the first.


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## Carpenoctem

104, It's my favorite Haydn symphony, 102 and 100 are also very good.


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## Morgante

The Clock is the nicest!


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## Manxfeeder

Another clock-lover. I don't like choosing between them; I like them all. But the Clock was what first grabbed my attention to this composer when I was studying music, so I have a soft spot for it. I think it was Beacham's version. And because of my history, this is one symphony I prefer non-HIP.


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