List of symphonies by Joseph Haydn

There are 106 symphonies by the classical composer Joseph Haydn (1732–1809). Of these, 104 have numbers associated with them which were originally assigned by Eusebius Mandyczewski in 1908 in the chronological order that was known at the time.[1] In the subsequent decades, numerous inaccuracies in the chronology (especially in the lower numbers) were found, but the Mandyczewski numbers were so widely used that when Anthony van Hoboken compiled his catalogue of Haydn's works, he incorporated the Mandyczewski number into Catalogue I (e.g., Symphony No. 34 is listed as Hob. I/34).[1] Also in that time period, two additional symphonies were discovered (which were assigned non-Mandyczewskian letters "A" and "B") bringing the total to 106.

The symphonies

Hoboken also includes four other works in his "Symphony" category (Hob. I):

Despite this, the number of "symphonies" by Haydn is usually given as 106.[2]

Complete recordings

Four conductors have recorded the complete symphonies of Joseph Haydn.

Christopher Hogwood was to have recorded a complete cycle of Haydn symphonies with the Academy of Ancient Music (AAM) for Decca's L'Oiseau Lyre imprint in a total of 15 volumes, each containing 3 CDs. Between 1990 and 2000, a total of 10 of these volumes were commercially released; these volumes contain Nos. 1–75, plus the two early symphonies numbered 107 and 108, and are presented in a theoretical chronological order rather than numerical order. (The program booklets contained in each of these 10 volumes contain a concordance to the complete contents of the 15 volumes.) Prior to the commencement of this project, Hogwood and the AAM had recorded several of Haydn's later symphonies for L'Oiseau Lyre, which were released on LP. These earlier recordings were never re-issued on CD, the remaining five volumes of the series were never released, and the L'Oiseau Lyre imprint was discontinued. Another attempt at a complete Haydn cycle on period instruments begun around this time, by the Hanover Band led by Roy Goodman for Nimbus, was also never completed.

There are two active attempts to record the complete cycle. As of early 2015, Thomas Fey has passed the halfway point of recording all the symphonies — 57 plus the Sinfonia Concertante (Haydn) in 22 volumes so far — with the Heidelberger Sinfoniker (one volume with the Schlierbacher Kammerorchester) for hänssler CLASSIC. The first volumes were released in 2000. In 2014, Giovanni Antonini commenced a cycle with Il Giardino Armonico, aiming to perform and record all of Haydn's symphonies by 2032 (the 300th anniversary of the composer's birth).[5]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Ethan Haimo, "Haydn's symphonic forms: essays in compositional logic", Oxford University Press, 1995, ISBN 0-19-816392-4, ISBN 978-0-19-816392-3.
  2. ↑ Oxford Composer Companions: Haydn, ed. David Wyn Jones, Oxford University Press, 2002, p. 381. ISBN 0-19-866216-5
  3. ↑ Haydn: Symphonies Nos. 1–5, Naxos. Review by Christopher Howell, Music Web International
  4. ↑ http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/cd_reviews/article6949003.ece (subscription required)
  5. ↑ "Haydn 2032 - The new project of Giovanni Antonini & Alpha". Outhere Music.

References