Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Symphony No. 88 in G major ('Letter V'), H. 1/88: Adagio, Allegro
2. Symphony No. 88 in G major ('Letter V'), H. 1/88: Largo
3. Symphony No. 88 in G major ('Letter V'), H. 1/88: Menuetto & Trio
4. Symphony No. 88 in G major ('Letter V'), H. 1/88: Finale. Allegro con spirito
5. Symphony No. 89 in F major ('Letter W'), H. 1/89: Vivace
6. Symphony No. 89 in F major ('Letter W'), H. 1/89: Andante con moto
7. Symphony No. 89 in F major ('Letter W'), H. 1/89: Menuet. Allegretto & Trio
8. Symphony No. 89 in F major ('Letter W'), H. 1/89: Finale. Vivace assai
9. Symphony No. 92 in G major ('Oxford'/'Letter Q'), H. 1/92: Adagio, Allegro spiritoso
10. Symphony No. 92 in G major ('Oxford'/'Letter Q'), H. 1/92: Adagio
11. Symphony No. 92 in G major ('Oxford'/'Letter Q'), H. 1/92: Menuet & Trio
12. Symphony No. 92 in G major ('Oxford'/'Letter Q'), H. 1/92: Finale. Presto

Disc 2:

1. Symphony No. 90 in C major ('Letter R'), H. 1/90: Adagio, Allegro assai
2. Symphony No. 90 in C major ('Letter R'), H. 1/90: Andante
3. Symphony No. 90 in C major ('Letter R'), H. 1/90: Menuet & Trio
4. Symphony No. 90 in C major ('Letter R'), H. 1/90: Allegro assai
5. Symphony No. 91 in E flat major ('Letter T'), H. 1/91: Largo, Allegro
6. Symphony No. 91 in E flat major ('Letter T'), H. 1/91: Andante
7. Symphony No. 91 in E flat major ('Letter T'), H. 1/91: Menuetto & Trio
8. Symphony No. 91 in E flat major ('Letter T'), H. 1/91: Finale, Vivace

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #63340 in Music
• Released on: 1999-06-08
• Number of discs: 2
• Dimensions: .25 pounds

Customer Reviews

Top performance and a bargain
If you are looking for two of the most beautiful late Haydn symphonies in one set, this is it! No. 88 (no name) and no. 92 (Oxford) do not belong to the "Paris" or "London" groups of Haydn's symphonies, they are in between. While every movement of no. 88 is a gem, the slow movement is one of the most beautiful compositions in all of classical music. (Remember Brahms' saying, I wish the slow movement of my ninth will sound like this.) The better known no. 92 is perhaps the most dramatic and energetic of all of Haydn's symphonies. Nos. 89 - 91 are beautiful works too, but perhaps not as truly great in every movement as nos. 88 and 92. The performances are dynamic and warm at the same time, i.e. really exciting. The sound is first-rate. A bargain. I have no doubt this should be given a rating of five stars.

Superlative Haydn at bargain prices
These late Haydn symphonies, written just prior to Haydn's epochal voyage to England and the even more epochal death of Mozart, are some of his freshest and wittiest creations. Still under the influence of Paris' Concert de la Loge Olympique, the virtuoso band for whom Haydn had created his Symphonies 82-87 on commission from Count d'Ogny, there is a wonderful frothy lightness and melodic charm to these symphonies: typically 18th Century Gallic qualities that the cosmopolitan Haydn transmutes into sonic gold. Sigiswald Kuijken (despite the Wagnerian name, he is a splendid conductor of Haydn) and his period orchestra La Petite Bande play these symphonies beautifully. And because they are historically informed performances, we are treated to the gutsy, rough-cut sound of period strings when the dynamics reach forte or beyond, to the succulent, burnished tone of those lovely period winds, to the way dynamic stresses bloom but never break and to the grainy, rough-hewn warmth of the overall orchestral sonority.

If you are unused to period performances, what some uninitiated reviewers here describe as 'flatness' and a 'lack of drama' is precisely what makes these performances so good. La Petite Bande adopt the playing conventions of Haydn's time, eschewing the Romantic era accretions that can make for a certain blandness or smugness when playing these symphonies. These performances have bite. They have soul. They are superlative. Given the price of the two disc sets, and the fact that EMI does not always keep them in print, I strongly urge you to consider these wonderfully evergreen Haydn symphonies. They will brighten your day as they do mine. The sound of the discs has a clarity and transparency that is typical of their 1990 recorded provenance. Because of their slight high-end brightness, the sound of the strings and woodwinds are especially emphasized, serving to highlight Haydn's brilliant contrapuntal writing.

Mike Birman

Wow! Where Did These Guys Come From?
This is an excellent value for the nine dollars or whatever it is, and I'd highly encourage everyone to get it. Granted, there are points where the playing sounds restrained and almost flat, such as the last movement of the 89th symphony. It's also true that Kuijken doesn't have the flair for the dramatic that Solti or Bernstein et al. would have; the music isn't necessarily given any special interpretation. But it is interpreted solidly and with a surprising amount of energy; as well, the skill level of the orchestra is outstanding. What really drew me to these recordings, however, was their earthy, "gutsy" tone; the harpsichord and drum parts to these symphonies, parts which are so integral to Haydn's work, are more prominent than usual, and this takes the music from being something refined and snobbish in a concert hall to being something everyone can identify with. Buy this CD! Now!