BaL 2.03.24 - Haydn: Symphony no. 100 in G "Military"

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

10.30 am
Building a Library

Simon Heighes chooses his favourite recording of Haydn’s Symphony No 100 in G Major ‘Military’.

Haydn’s Military Symphony is the eighth of his twelve London symphonies and was completed in 1794. The nickname “Military” comes from the second movement (and the end of the finale), which features prominent trumpet fanfares with percussion effects. One contemporary wrote after the first performance that the second movement evoked the “hellish roar of war increasing to a climax of horrid sublimity!”

Available versions:-

Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Claudio Abbado
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Thomas Beecham *
Bläserensemble des Ferdinandeums,Alfredo Bernardini *
New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Leonard Bernstein *
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Eduard van Beinum
Orchestra of the 18th Century, Frans Brüggen
Vienna Symphony Orchestra, Fritz Busch
Handel and Haydn Society, Harry Christophers
Consort of London, Robert Clark *
Concertgebouw Orchestra, Sir Colin Davis
Stuttgarter Kammerorchester, Dennis Russell Davies *
London Symphony Orchestra, Antal Dorati
Philharmonia Hungarica, Antal Dorati
Heidelberger Sinfoniker, Thomas Fey
Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra, Adam Fischer
Hungarian State Orchestra, Ádám Fischer *
Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, Lawrence Foster *
RIAS Symphony Orchestra Berlin, Ferenc Fricsay
Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Nikolaus Harnoncourt *
Hida-Takayama Virtuoso Orchestra *
Academy of Ancient Music, Christopher Hogwood
French National Radio Orchestra, Jascha Horenstein *
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Mariss Jansons *
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Eugen Jochum *
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Eugen Jochum
Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan *
New Philharmonia Orchestra, Otto Klemperer
Berlin Symphony Orchestra, Hans Knappertsbusch
La Petite Bande, Sigiswald Kuijken
Bamberger Symphoniker, Ferdinand Leitner *
Orchestra Of St. Luke’s, Sir Charles Mackerras
Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Sir Neville Marriner
BBC Symphony Orchestra, Jean Martinon
Vienna Chamber Orchestra, Ernst Märzendorfer
Les Musiciens du Louvre-Grenoble, Marc Minkowski *
New York Philharmonic, Dimitri Mitropoulos
Boston Symphony Orchestra, Charles Munch
Wiener Philharmoniker, Karl Münchinger
New Orchestral Society of Boston *
Netherlands Chamber Orchestra,Gordan Nikolic (SACD)
London Classical Players, Roger Norrington
Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR, Roger Norrington
Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy *
London Festival Orchestra, Ross Pople *
Bamberger Symphoniker, Edouard Van Remoortel *
SWR Sinfonieorchester des Südwestrundfunks, Hans Rosbaud
Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra, Janos Sandor *
Wiener Symphoniker, Wolfgang Sawallisch *
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Hermann Scherchen *
Vienna Radio Orchestra, Hermann Scherchen *
South German Philharmony, Alfred Scholz *
Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra, Carl Schuricht *
Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Gerard Schwarz
Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana, Howard Shelley
Philharmonia Orchestra, Leonard Slatkin *
Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, Ignat Solzhenitsyn *
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Georg Solti
Academy of St Martin in the Fields Chamber Ensembl, Simon Standage *
Wiener Symphoniker, Hans Swarowsky
Vienna State Opera Orchestra, Hans Swarowsky *
Vienna Symphony Orchestra, George Szell *
English Chamber Orchestra, Jeffrey Tate *
Columbia Symphony Orchestra, Bruno Walter
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Bruno Walter
Cappella Coloniensis, Bruno Weil (SACD)
Camerata Cassovia, Johannes Wildner *
Capella Istropolitana, Barry Wordsworth

(* = download only)

[richardfinegold]

Scanning that gargantuan list, my initial impression is a relative paucity of HIPP versions.

[Pulcinella]

The BBC MM (non)contender, Volume 25, number 6, is with the BBCSSO under Nicholas McGegan, recorded live at City Halls, Glasgow, on 28 January 2016.

[Alison]

Scanning that gargantuan list, my initial impression is a relative paucity of HIPP versions.

I would still expect Heighesy to choose one of them

[CallMePaul]

Scanning that gargantuan list, my initial impression is a relative paucity of HIPP versions.

I am surprised that Harnoncourt chose to record this twice with modern instrument orchestras (I have the COE version) and not with Concensus Musicus.

[Sir Velo]

It might surprise Alison and others but the Moderns lead the Periods 9-4 in Haydn symphonies reviewed on BAL. Having said that, 'Heighesy' has definite previous as a HIPPster, having chosen not 1 but 2 period bands as his choice in "La Passione" in 2022. Incidentally, SH is also BAL's favourite reviewer over the last 30 years, with 40 appearances, ahead of such stalwarts as Richard Wigmore (33) and David Owen Norris (32).

Pace RFG modern instruments still dominate in available recordings of this work, along with all the London symohonies, due to the immense recorded legacy of symphony orchestras in this repertoire. However, like Alison, I expect a HIPP recording to prevail, partly because of Heighes' track record and partly due to the extra something which authentic instruments of the period bring to this music. My own current favourite is Harry Christophers with the Handel and Haydn Society,.due to the extra excitement their use of authentic Turkish (sic) percussion brings to the scenes of combat.

[MickyD]

I am surprised that Harnoncourt chose to record this twice with modern instrument orchestras (I have the COE version) and not with Concensus Musicus.

Yes, although he did quite a few Haydn symphonies with the VCM, he never went further than the middle period ones with them.

I have Hogwood and Kuijken. Hogwood was very happy with the four London symphonies he recorded in the 80s. But he also said in an interview before his Haydn cycle was cut short by Decca that he would probably do them again - sadly we'll never know what his second thoughts would have been.

[RobP]

It might surprise Alison and others but the Moderns lead the Periods 9-4 in Haydn symphonies reviewed on BAL. Having said that, 'Heighesy' has definite previous as a HIPPster, having chosen not 1 but 2 period bands as his choice in "La Passione" in 2022. Incidentally, SH is also BAL's favourite reviewer over the last 30 years, with 40 appearances, ahead of such stalwarts as Richard Wigmore (33) and David Owen Norris (32).

Pace RFG modern instruments still dominate in available recordings of this work, along with all the London symohonies, due to the immense recorded legacy of symphony orchestras in this repertoire. However, like Alison, I expect a HIPP recording to prevail, partly because of Heighes' track record and partly due to the extra something which authentic instruments of the period bring to this music. My own current favourite is Harry Christophers with the Handel and Haydn Society,.due to the extra excitement their use of authentic Turkish (sic) percussion brings to the scenes of combat.

You have to be very careful re HIPP and period instruments (obviously not the same thing). I and loads of my friends and people I communicate with all over the world, have little interest in period instruments in Haydn, although it will be interesting to hear Antonini's Londons when he releases them, given that many of his Haydn 2032 albums have been superb, even if some of the slow movements are too fast. But on occasion HIPP/Period fans do give the impression that it is tantamount to heresy if you want a decent sized orchestra, vibrato and expansive slow movements. And of course if there isn't a period instrument version the reviewer can desperately shoe horn in as best in show, they can always fall back on Abbado, who seems to have acquired a god-like status, akin to Furtwangler.

For me Jochum's live 1973 RFO version, coupled with the Clock on BBC Legends is superb, despite some ensemble issues. The disc also has a magnificent Symphonic Variations on a Theme....Weber with the LSO from 1977.

[Barbirollians]

Bruno Walter still charms me but I suspect he will be too slow for many.

the classic Davis/Cgebouw very hard to beat.

[richardfinegold]

You have to be very careful re HIPP and period instruments (obviously not the same thing). I and loads of my friends and people I communicate with all over the world, have little interest in period instruments in Haydn, although it will be interesting to hear Antonini's Londons when he releases them, given that many of his Haydn 2032 albums have been superb, even if some of the slow movements are too fast. But on occasion HIPP/Period fans do give the impression that it is tantamount to heresy if you want a decent sized orchestra, vibrato and expansive slow movements. And of course if there isn't a period instrument version the reviewer can desperately shoe horn in as best in show, they can always fall back on Abbado, who seems to have acquired a god-like status, akin to Furtwangler.

For me Jochum's live 1973 RFO version, coupled with the Clock on BBC Legends is superb, despite some ensemble issues. The disc also has a magnificent Symphonic Variations on a Theme....Weber with the LSO from 1977.

That Jochum sounds interesting. Is it still available? Many BBC Legends discs are nla

[akiralx]

This is one Haydn symphony where I really like the LPO under Sir Georg Solti.

[Pulcinella]

That Jochum sounds interesting. Is it still available? Many BBC Legends discs are nla

It is on Amazon this side of the pond:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Haydn-Symphonies-Nos-100-101/dp/B000ENC6UK/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3B6WBYXMGA6QG&keywords=Haydn+jochu m+symphony+100&qid=1707713719&s=music&sprefix=hayd n+jochum+symphony+100%2Cpopular%2C97&sr=1-1

and also MusicWeb International (with a review):

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2006/Nov06/Jochum_BBCL41762.htm

[gurnemanz]

The excellent live Jochum is also on the BBC Legends Vol 3 on ica. I had given up buying big boxes of CDs but having bought and derived much pleasure from Vol 1 and 2 I couldn't resist and bought it last year. It was issued in 2022 and is still widely available. Not the way everyone will want to go but it is a thoroughly recommendable collection at a reasonable price: At the time Amazon was cheapest and still seems to be (£67 for 20 CDs).

(PS. In checking up on this I noticed that Vol 4 of BBC Legends is out! Looks interesting and I shall probably again be tempted)

[Darloboy]

Surprisingly, BaL only got round to covering this chestnut for the first time in September 1991. The previous BaL recommendations are as follows:

Stephen Dodgson (September 91): Dorati + Adam Fischer & Robert Haydon Clark as also recommendeds
William Mival (December 98): Dorati
Robert Philip (September 11): Mackerras/St Lukes + Bruggen as period choice and Colin Davis as the symphony orchestra choice

[Goon525]

A surprising result, but not an unreasonable one. Personally, I’m a big fan of the runner-up, Minkowski’s set of all of the London symphonies.