# Haydn for Beginners



## SalieriIsInnocent (Feb 28, 2008)

Looking through my collection of "classical" music, I see a lot of names you don't get in your regular Reader's Digest collection. Pieces I enjoy quite well, but one name is missing from the lot. A name well known, and well loved. 

I've no Haydn, and do not know where to start. I started with Mozart with the Amadeus soundtrack 20 some years ago. Beethoven with the basic piano favorites and popular symphonies, then eventually branched out from those. 

What's a reasonable handful of definitive Haydn works somebody such as myself could start with. Meaning, I don't want to rush out and buy every Symphony the man ever wrote, I know there are over 100. 

I want a decent 2 hours worth of music you consider his finest. Even if it's only 1 movement of a 4 movement piece. That's how I was introduced to Mozart. I want a good mixture of Haydn's talents. Certainly you can't just show Bach's organ works without showing his other talents.


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

Two symphonies you'll want to start with: No. 94 in G major known as "The Surprise" and No. 101 in D major known as "The Clock". These are two of his last twelve symphonies, known collectively as "The London Symphonies", all of which rank among Haydn's greatest work. If you can find yourself a box set of the "London Symphonies" for a reasonable price, you'll get the two above and ten other stunning works -- which is about as good an introduction to the mastery of the composer as you'll find. If you pick up the wonderful Dorati interpretation of these works, you'll also get the fine Symphony No. 100, "The Military". This will prove a great collection.


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## SalieriIsInnocent (Feb 28, 2008)

I believe I have heard "The Clock" before, and liked it. I'll have to give it a try. Dorati is a good conductor, so that should be quite an introduction.


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## Dustin (Mar 30, 2012)

The Op. 76 string quartets are probably his finest quartets so just pick one of the 6. The 1st is a favorite of mine.

For a brilliant piano trio, listen to his "Gypsy" trio, XV/25. He has many more but this is one of the best. 

For a really great piano sonata, listen to the Piano Sonata in E Flat, H.XVI No. 52.


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## SalieriIsInnocent (Feb 28, 2008)

Thanks for the advice.


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## brotagonist (Jul 11, 2013)

I don't want to be accused of pushing my albums  but I think you couldn't do badly to start with these:









Symphonies 68, 93-104 (London Symphonies)
Harnoncourt/Concertgebouw

For extra credit, you could add the Paris Symphonies:









Symphonies 82-87
Marriner/St Martin-in-the-Fields

I would also recommend some String Quartets:









Opus 76
Takács Quartet

If you want a few more:









Opus 51, 54, 55, 64, 71, 74
Amadeus Quartet

Add something a bit off the beaten path:









Piano Trios 42-45

Some more? Haydn wrote many Piano Sonatas and 2 Cello Concertos.


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## SalieriIsInnocent (Feb 28, 2008)

Thank God for Spotify!! Thanks for the recommendations. I'll have something fresh to listen to thanks to all you fine folks.


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## Mesenkomaha (Jun 24, 2014)

I'm enjoying reading through all of the Haydn related posts today. As a beginner myself, even though I've collected a good number of Haydn material (digital and vinyls), I struggle to put his stuff on when I could listen to Beethoven or Mozart instead. This has to be a trap that many people have fallen in to.


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## brianvds (May 1, 2013)

SalieriIsInnocent said:


> I started with Mozart with the Amadeus soundtrack 20 some years ago.


Now there's the problem with Haydn: his life was too long and not nearly tragic enough, and he inspired not nearly enough jealousy, for anyone to make a biopic titled "Joseph", so you'll have to collect together your own soundtrack. 

As others have mentioned, his last dozen or so symphonies are all of a very high standard. The piano sonatas are also very listenable. Personally, I have never been able quite enjoy Classical era string quartets; they almost all sound "dry" to me (for lack of a better word), so I can't help much with that.

I have not heard Haydn's great oratorios "The Creation" and "The Seasons" either, but I am told they're pretty great.

I suggest you go look around on YouTube. There's plenty of Haydn on there and you may well get good clues there as to what you like and want to add to your permanent collection.


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## Alypius (Jan 23, 2013)

Dustin said:


> The Op. 76 string quartets are probably his finest quartets so just pick one of the 6. The 1st is a favorite of mine.
> 
> For a brilliant piano trio, listen to his "Gypsy" trio, XV/25. He has many more but this is one of the best.
> 
> For a really great piano sonata, listen to the Piano Sonata in E Flat, H.XVI No. 52.


Let me second Dustin's recommendations. I would argue that the Op. 20 string quartets are as good. Try this performance of one from the Quatuor Mosaiques:






I generally prefer Haydn's string quartets played on original instruments. The Quatuor Mosaiques performances were recently reissued and boxed by Naive Records. While they don't do the entirety of Haydn's vast corpus of quartets, they do the essentials (op. 20, 33, 64, 76, 77).










As for the piano sonatas, there are many fine ones. The one Dustin recommended and a few of my favorites (Sonata in C, H.XVI no. 50, Sonata in B minor, H.XVI no.32) are available in a fine performance by Marc-Andre Hamelin:


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## Declined (Apr 8, 2014)

Probably his London Symphonies, 93-104.

http://www.amazon.com/Haydn-London-...r=1-2&keywords=haydn+london+symphonies+jochum


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## Vesteralen (Jul 14, 2011)

Szell/Cleveland Orch Sym 88, 93-98 and 104 Sony

You've probably got enough recommendations for now, but if you can find the above set it would be worth your while. Szell conducted before the HIP craze, so you get a conventional small orchestra not playing period instruments, but he had a very lean conducting style that suits Haydn to a tee. And the wonder of it is, as humorless a guy as he apparently was in real life, he somehow manages to capture the humor in Haydn better than most.

I cut my Haydn teeth on these recordings 40 years ago, and I found them the perfect introduction to his world.


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## HaydnBearstheClock (Jul 6, 2013)

Don't forget Haydn's great oratorios, the Creation and the Seasons:
The Creation:







The Seasons: I personally have two versions - one is by Wolfgang Sawallisch; unfortunately, it was missing an important aria; so I bought an additional Version - John Eliot Gardiner:








There are many great interpretations of these works, just listen to some samples and see which orchestral/soloist sound you prefer .

Also don't forget about Haydn's late masses - the Nelson Mass, Mass in Time of War, Creation Mass, Harmony Mass, The Theresienmesse and the Heiligmesse. Also, his Missa Cellensis (1766) is very good. You can't go wrong with the masses.

Finally, the Seven Last Words - a set of 7 slow movements (meditations) about the death of Christ. There is an orchestral, oratorio, string quartet and piano version; all are worthy of attention. I would recommend:







and the oratorio version by Nikolaus Harnoncourt or Vladimir Jurowski.


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## DrMuller (May 26, 2014)

Symphonies 94, 101 and 104. Trumpet Concerto, his Cello Concertos and String Quartets Op. 74 and 76


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## Bruce (Jan 2, 2013)

Mesenkomaha said:


> I'm enjoying reading through all of the Haydn related posts today. As a beginner myself, even though I've collected a good number of Haydn material (digital and vinyls), I struggle to put his stuff on when I could listen to Beethoven or Mozart instead. This has to be a trap that many people have fallen in to.


Though I haven't quite "fallen into the trap," as you say, I do have to be in the mood for Haydn. I've become accustomed to more dramatic works, and Mozart and Beethoven certainly fit that bill. But for me, Haydn does have a certain elegance to his music, which is not quite as prominent in the works of later composers of the classical era.

In addition to some of the other recommendations mentioned here, I'd also put in a vote for his lieder, in which he employs some of his most beautiful melodies. His masses, mentioned elsewhere, are also well worth the time spent with them. Though his operas are not quite as well known, I'd also recommend trying a few of them out, if you can find them. My own favorite of his is La fedeltà premiata.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Try the Haydn Symphony, #94, "Surprise". It's one of the first classical pieces I heard as a kid and it got me loving classical music. Maybe it will work for you.


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## DrMuller (May 26, 2014)

I'm surprised nobody is recommending his famous Trumpet Concerto. It's amazing.


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