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Home , Arion (record label), Joseph Haydn, Nathan Berg

CORO The Mozart Trilogy CORO Mozart: Mass in C minor Harry Christophers & Handel and Society

cor16084 Gillian Keith, Tove Dahlberg, Thomas Cooley, Nathan Berg

“…a commanding and compelling reading of an important if often overlooked monument in Mozart’s musical development.” gramophone recommended HAYDN Mozart: Harry Christophers & No. 6 Le matin cor16093 Elizabeth Watts, Phyllis Pancella, Andrew Kennedy, Eric Owens

“A Requiem full of life … Mozart’s final masterpiece has never sounded so exciting.” classic fm magazine Symphony No. 82 L’ours in Mozart: Haydn: Symphony No. 85 La Reine cor16104 Harry Christophers & Handel and Haydn Society Teresa Wakim, Paula Murrihy, Thomas Cooley, Sumner Thompson

“This disc captures the vitality and theatricality Christophers has made a hallmark of his work with the H&H chorus.” the boston globe Harry Christophers Handel and Haydn Society To find out more about CORO and to buy CDs visit Aisslinn Nosky violin www.thesixteen.com cor16113 ne of the many delights of being Artistic Director of America’s oldest continuously and sadly are still seldom performed. We are here to redress that and we start with his Operforming arts organisation, the Handel and Haydn Society, is that I am given G major. Aisslinn’s stylistic awareness and her inventiveness is a constant delight and the opportunity to present most of our season at Boston’s glorious Symphony inspiration to us all and her rendition certainly brings Haydn’s intentions to life. Hall. Built in 1900, it is principally the home of the Boston Symphony , but it has been our primary performance home since 1900 as well, and it is considered by I feel very privileged to take this august Society towards its Bicentennial; yes, the many, with some justification I would add, to be one of the finest concert halls in the Handel and Haydn Society was founded in 1815. Handel was the old, Haydn the new world. It is that classic ‘shoebox style’ reminiscent of the Musikverein in ; the (he had just died in 1809), and what we can do is continue to perform the of the acoustics are quite superb and, despite its size – c.2500 capacity, perfect for playing on past but strip away the cobwebs and reveal it anew. This recording of music by Haydn period instruments. was made possible by individuals who are inspired by the work of the Handel and Haydn Society. Our sincere thanks go to all of them. On this live recording, we present a programme devoted to that Master of the Symphony, Franz Joseph Haydn, where you can witness first hand the development from his early symphony Le matin to his much later symphony L’o u r s . The first concert I ever gave with H&H was at the Esterházy Palace in in September 2006. We performed Le matin in the Haydnsaal on the very stage Haydn first performed it for his new employer, Prince Paul Anton Ersterhazy, under the ceiling paintings of Le “… Handel and Haydn pulled all this off with vivid color, a crisp attention to detail, and matin, Le midi and Le soir – a very clever way for Haydn to impress his new employer. a palpable joie de vivre – which is everything in Haydn….” These are very much concertante with the flute, and violin taking Thomas Garvey / the hub review centre stage. Thirty years later and Haydn’s fame had spread across Europe. Although he was still employed at court, Parisians in particular had taken Haydn’s music to “This was a wonderful performance. Nosky was marvelous, exhibiting stimulating their hearts. Symphony No. 82 shows just how much his symphonies had transformed rapport with the audience, and excellent communication with the orchestra.” from those early years, not only in orchestral size but also in individuality. It’s been Michael E. Ruhling, President, Haydn Society of North America nicknamed ‘The Bear’, and if you listen to the opening of the finale there is an animal- like vigour and excitement in that heavy drone-like bass line; this is a very European “Christophers offered a reading of dramatic contrasts, from the thunder-and-lightning symphony full of French grace and German rusticity. and waltzing strings of the first movement to the hopping sparrows of the allegretto second to the sly false endings of the finale. The bear that danced to this Over the next few years, our inspirational concert master, Aisslinn Nosky, will be performance would have to be very light on its feet.” recording all of Haydn’s violin . They were not published until the 20th century Jeffrey Gantz / the boston globe

2 3 Joseph Haydn (1732–1809) Joseph Haydn (1732–1809) Symphony No. 6 in , Hob.I/6 Le matin in G major, Hob.VIIa/4 Symphony No. 6 in D major, Hob.I/6 Le matin 1 Adagio – Allegro 5.55 Symphony No. 82 in , Hob.I/82 L’ o u r s 2 Adagio – Andante – Adagio 7.10 3 Menuet & Trio 5.06 hen Haydn joined the service of One can readily imagine the easy- 4 Allegro 4.34 WPrince Paul Anton Esterházy in going enjoying a pleasantly 1761, his post as Vice- relaxed working relationship with the carried very clearly defined duties, one musicians under his command, even Violin Concerto in G major, Hob.VIIa/4 of which was ‘to compose such pieces of if we did not know that in 1765 the Aisslinn Nosky violin & leader music as his Serene Princely Highness jealous, increasingly marginalised 5 Allegro moderato 8.57 may command’ for performance at his Werner wrote to the Prince to complain 6 Adagio 5.49 palatial residences in Vienna and at about ‘the lazy idleness of the whole 7 Allegro 3.51 Eisenstadt, some 25 miles outside the band, the principal responsibility for city. In effect, this meant that while the which must be laid at the door of the Symphony No. 82 in C major, Hob.I/82 L’our s ageing Kapellmeister, Gregor Joseph present director, who lets them get 8 Vivace assai 8.04 Werner, looked after the church music, away with everything, so as to receive 9 Allegretto 7.13 Haydn’s job was to write for and direct a the name of a good Heyden’. bl Menuetto & Trio 4.50 small orchestra recently recruited from bm Finale: Vivace 7.43 among the ranks of Vienna’s freelance Happier evidence, though, is provided players. Haydn himself had formerly by the fact that ‘Heyden’ was raised Total running time 69.19 made a living in this way, and many to the Kapellmeister’s job on Werner’s members of the band were his friends. death in 1766, and also by the music he

4 5 had already written for the ensemble, matin. No one familiar with Haydn’s an A-B-A structure in which two as Kapellmeister came up for renewal which includes concertos for the and The adagio sections frame a longer central in 1779 a small change was made that violinist Luigi Tomasini, the cellist Seasons could fail to recognise the andante. The adagios, in 4/4, display was to have a profound effect on his Joseph Weigl, the double-bass player slow introduction as descriptive of a an elegant skill in overlapping, slow- fortunes. Previously, anything Haydn Johann Georg Schwenda, the flautist sunrise, to note the brief, cockerel-like moving reminiscent composed became the exclusive Franz Sigl, and the horn players Johann second theme on or smile at the of Corelli’s concerti grossi, while the property of the Prince, but from now Knoblauch and Thaddeus Steinmüller. subsequent birdish chirpings from the 3/4 andante is dominated by solos for on this would no longer be the case. In addition, several of the symphonies woodwind. Perhaps these were enough violin and in a more dainty and The concession not only bestowed of the early made a point of in themselves to give Haydn the idea up-to-date galant manner. Was this official recognition on Haydn’s providing these talented musicians for the trilogy of titles, but certainly he a deliberate juxtaposition of old and growing international reputation, it with solo passages, many of which did not normally need to rely on such new styles to bring a smile to the lips also enabled him to profit from it have something of the air of private stimuli; solid and engaging musical of the Prince, a lover of earlier Italian for the first time by selling his works jokes. These symphonies include the argument was quite enough for him such as Vivaldi, Albinoni abroad, where they were already popular trilogy Le matin (Morning), Le to work with. The main body of the and Tartini? Wind colourings then known and admired via unauthorised midi (Midday) and Le soir (Evening), first movement gains much colour return for the Menuet, whose central publications and performances from believed to have been first performed and energy by its instrumentation, too, Trio with solos for bassoon and which he had received little or no at the Prince’s palace in Vienna in May from the setting out of the first theme double-bass has something of the dark income. Ultimately it would lead to the or June 1761 and thus among the very shared between solo flute and , to but jaunty grotesquery of a Rameau triumphs of the London visits of the first works Haydn composed for him. the horn’s premature announcement dance, and the Finale sees outbursts of , but for the time being Haydn of that theme’s recapitulation, a virtuosity from flute, cello, horns and, was happy to work from , The titles were Haydn’s own, their use composer’s joke used more famously particularly, violin. maintaining an astute business of French a nod to modish affectation. over 40 years later by Beethoven in his correspondence with publishers and The implied pictorial element is not ‘Eroica’ Symphony. Paul Anton died in 1762, to be patrons in Vienna, London and Paris. followed through with any great succeeded by his brother Nicolaus. degree of consistency, most of it being The wind instruments are silent in Nicolaus turned out to be a sympathetic It was from the last of these cities that, contained in the first movement of Le the second movement, which has employer, and when Haydn’s contract in the mid-1780s, he received the

6 7 most prestigious commission of his milieux of fashionable Paris and the world, but also by the thought of a large case one in the major and one in the career so far: six symphonies for one of semi-feudal surroundings of the ensemble in . minor) are varied in alternation; and Paris’s most important and fashionable Esterházy palaces. a Menuetto whose seemingly grand concert societies, the Concert de la The first movement of Symphony No. ambitions are undermined by cheeky Loge Olympique. Haydn’s music had The six ‘Paris’ symphonies were 82 cries out for just such an ensemble, solos from the oboe, who then leads its been enjoyed in Paris for 20 years by received with great acclaim: not just for the effective projection of woodwind colleagues in occupation of the time the commission came, and ‘beautiful of character and astonishing its muscular opening theme, but also the central Trio. his high standing among his French in craftsmanship ... Haydn’s name to convey the sinewy strength with admirers is shown by the fact that his resounds to their extraordinary merit’ which this material is subsequently Haydn’s concertos do not occupy quite fee was 25 louis d’or for each symphony, wrote the Mercure de . They developed. Haydn scholar H.C. the same crucial position in his output an unusually high figure which the were indeed Haydn’s finest symphonies Robbins Landon has called this as do his symphonies and string composer himself was said to have for more than a decade, blending an movement ‘among the most aggressive . The latter were nothing less found ‘colossal’. The symphonies (Nos. approachable and popular style with and powerful Haydn ever wrote’, than central to the development both of 82–87) were written during 1785 an inventiveness and broad emotional extending the description to include Haydn as an artist and, by extension, of and 1786, and supplied in time for range that revealed new possibilities in also the work’s firmly driven Finale, Western music itself, but the concertos performance during the 1787 season. what was still a relatively youthful genre. a creation which won the admiration marked no such progress, the burden Their premieres must have been Parisian were generally of Wagner and whose dance-like of the genre’s status as the most popular quite a spectacle: the orchestra wore larger than the little band Haydn was drone-bass effects are responsible for instrumental form of the previous 50 sky-blue coats with fancy ruffles and used to back at the Esterházy court the symphony’s nickname (acquired years proving rather hard, perhaps, for dress swords, and the performances – the Loge Olympique’s orchestra during the 19th century) of L’o u r s their composer to shake off. As a result, were directed by Joseph Boulogne, enjoyed the services of 40 violins and ‘The Bear’. In between come two no- Haydn’s output of concertos – most of Chevalier de Saint-Georges, the West 10 double basses – and it seems likely less Haydnesque movements: an which dates from the 1760s – is small Indian-born violinist, composer and that the rich expressiveness of the attractive set of ‘double variations’, and comparatively conservative, for swordsman whose eventful career new works was inspired not only by a favourite form of the composer’s all its charm, seemingly content with pretty much sums up the difference the composer’s growing awareness of in which two distinct but related adopting the received and trusted between the respective musical his respected position in the musical moderately paced themes (in this formal procedures of the Baroque.

8 9 The G major Violin Concerto is just 1757 and for whom he composed his Handel and Haydn Society Orchestra such a work, though no-one could first symphonies. Harry Christophers Artistic Director deny its personality or craft. Although its authorship is not completely certain The work is conventional in – there are no sources in Haydn’s hand construction, adopting the Vivaldian Violin i Flute Aisslinn Nosky * David Miller § Christopher Krueger § and the earliest mention of it is an ritornello style that still dominated Joan & Remsen Kinne Chair Chair funded in memory appearance in 1769 in the catalogue of of Estah & Robert Yens -writing in the 1750s, Susanna Ogata Oboe the printer and music-seller Breitkopf, in which an opening orchestral Abigail Karr Jenny Stirling Stephen Hammer § a publication in which misattributions statement containing much of the Krista Buckland Reisner Laura Jeppesen Chair funded in part by are not uncommon – most Haydn movement’s significant melodic Linda Quan Susan Seeber Dr. Michael Fisher Sandler scholars seem happy to accept it as material reappears in variously Joan Plana Marc Schachman genuine. The date of the piece, however, altered and shortened forms to frame Jessica Park Cello Guy Fishman § Bassoon is generally thought to be considerably freer solo passages that may or may Candace & William Achtmeyer Chair Andrew Schwartz § earlier, not least because the writing not refer to that theme. This method Violin ii Christina Day Martinson § Sarah Freiberg Marilyn Boenau for the soloist is less technically is at its most clearly defined and Dr. Lee Bradley III Chair André O’Neil demanding than that found in Haydn’s unquestioning in the first movement, Guiomar Turgeon Colleen McGary-Smith Horn other two surviving violin concertos, though the strong character and sure Jane Starkman John Boden § both of which are from the 1760s and hand of Haydn is certainly present. Julia McKenzie Bass Grace & John Neises Chair Jesse Irons Robert Nairn § James Hampson closely associated with Tomasini. This His warm spirit then emerges further Amelia Peabody Chair Lena Wong G major Concerto, it is reasoned, is in the effortlessly decorated lyricism Douglas Balliett Tatiana Daubek Timpani most likely a work from before the of the Adagio, in which the soloist John Grimes § time of Haydn’s employment by the is more dominant, before bursting Barbara Lee Chair Esterházys, perhaps written for a unmistakably into life in the beguiling violinist at the court of his previous dash and élan of the finale. patrons, the Morzin family, whose Ian Watson § service he joined as Kapellmeister in © Lindsay Kemp, 2013 * = concertmaster § = principal

10 11 ambitious artistic journey towards the (German Record Critics Awards), the organisation’s 2015 Bicentennial with coveted Gramophone Award for Early a showcase of works premiered in the Music, and the prestigious Classical United States by H&H since 1815, Brit Award (2005) for his disc entitled education programming, community Renaissance. In 2009 he received one outreach activities and partnerships, of ’s highest accolades,

Photograph: Stu Rosner Stu Photograph: and the release of a series of recordings the Classic FM Gramophone Awards on the CORO label. Artist of the Year Award; The Sixteen also won the Baroque Vocal Award Christophers is known internationally for Handel Coronation Anthems, a CD as founder and conductor of that also received a 2010 Grammy the UK-based and period Award nomination. instrument ensemble The Sixteen. He has directed The Sixteen throughout Harry Christophers is also Principal Europe, America, and the Far East, Guest Conductor of the Granada gaining a distinguished reputation Symphony Orchestra and a regular for his work in Renaissance, baroque, guest conductor with the Academy of and 20th- and 21st-century music. St. Martin in the Fields. In October In 2000, he instituted The Choral 2008, Christophers was awarded an Harry Christophers Pilgrimage, a tour of British cathedrals Honorary Degree of Doctor of Music from York to Canterbury. He has from the University of Leicester. He Appointed Artistic Director of the since September 2006, when he recorded over 120 titles for which is an Honorary Fellow of Magdalen Handel and Haydn Society (H&H) led a sold-out performance in the he has won numerous awards, College, and also of the Royal in 2008, Harry Christophers began Esterházy Palace at the Haydn Festival including a Grand Prix du Disque Welsh Academy for Music and Drama his tenure with the 2009–2010 Season in Eisenstadt, Austria. Christophers for Handel Messiah, numerous Preise and was awarded a CBE in the 2012 and has conducted H&H each season and H&H have since embarked on an der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik Queen’s Birthday Honours.

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Handel and Haydn Society (H&H) engaging, accessible, and broadly is a professional Period Instrument inclusive music education and Orchestra and Chorus and an training activities. H&H is widely internationally recognise­d leader in known through its local subscription the field of Historically Informed series, tours, concert broadcasts on Performance, a revelatory style that WGBH/99.5 Classical New England uses the instruments and techniques and National Public Radio, and Hemingway T. Kyle Photograph: of the composer’s time. Founded in recordings. Its recording of Sir John Boston in 1815, H&H is considered Tavener’s Lamentations and Praises the oldest continuously performing won a 2003 Grammy Award and two arts organization in the United States of its recordings, All is Bright and and has a longstanding commitment Peace, appeared simultaneously in to excellence and innovation: it gave the top ten on Billboard Magazine’s the American premieres of Handel’s classical music chart. Since the Messiah (1818), Haydn’s The Creation release of its first collaboration with (1819), Verdi’s Requiem (1878), and Harry Christophers on the CORO Bach’s St. Matthew Passion (1879). label in September 2010, it has made H&H today, under Artistic Director available three live commercial Harry Christophers’ leadership, recordings of works by Mozart – is committed to its mission to Mass in C Minor (2010), Requiem enrich life and influence culture by (2011), and Coronation Mass (2012) Season marked the 25th anniversary music education, vocal training, performing baroque and classical as well as Haydn, Vol. 1 (September of H&H’s award-winning Karen S. and performance opportunities to music at the highest levels of 2013) and An American Christmas and George D. Levy Educational 10,000 students annually throughout artistic excellence, and by providing (October 2013). The 2010–2011 Outreach Program, which brings Greater Boston and beyond.

14 15 Festival Orchestra, Arion Baroque With the Eybler , Nosky Orchestra, the Calgary Philharmonic, explores repertoire from the first Collegium Musicum Hanyang, and century of literature Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra. on period instruments. The Eybler Quartet’s latest recording of Haydn’s Nosky is also a member of I FURIOSI Opus 33 string quartets was released Baroque Ensemble. For over a decade, to critical acclaim in 2012. this innovative Canadian ensemble

Photograph: Kyle T. Hemingway T. Kyle Photograph: has presented its own edgy and Since 2005, Nosky has been a inventive concert series in Toronto highly active member of Tafelmusik and toured Europe and North Baroque Orchestra and has toured America turning new audiences on to and appeared as soloist with this . internationally renowned ensemble.

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This recording has been made possible through Aisslinn Nosky violin & leader the generous support of the following: Aisslinn Nosky was appointed generation, Nosky is in great demand Peter G. Manson & Peter A. Durfee Concertmaster of the Handel and internationally as a soloist, leader, and Peacewoods Charitable Fund Haydn Society in 2011. With a concertmaster. Recent collaborations Elizabeth & Robert Wax reputation for being one of the most include the Thunder Bay Symphony, An anonymous member of H&H’s Board of Governors dynamic and versatile violinists of her the Lameque International Baroque

16 17 King’s Chapel, performances followed between 1816 In addition, the Society published its and 1817. Within two decades of its first own collections of music beginning Boston concert, the Handel and Haydn Society in 1818 and inspired the formation of gave the first complete American more than 20 other musical societies The cover of this CD performances of Handel’s Messiah in New England and the United States. features the beautiful (1818) and Haydn’s The Creation (1819) vaulted ceiling of and performed 138 in all. Teresa M. Neff, May 2013 King’s Chapel in Boston. The Chapel, the first Anglican church and only the Recording Producer: Raphaël Mouterde fifth church of any Recording Engineer: James Donahue denomination built Recorded Live at: Symphony Hall, Boston, USA, 22 & 24 February, 2013 in colonial Boston, Cover image: Kyle T. Hemingway. Vaulted ceiling in King’s Chapel, Boston, USA was originally named Edition: Symphony No. 6 – Barenreiter Violin Concerto in G major – Doblinger for King James II. The original American Revolution, King’s Chapel was Symphony No. 82 – Haydn-Mozart Presse (Universal) church was a wooden structure renamed Stone Chapel in an effort to Design: Andrew Giles – [email protected] built in 1688; by the 1740s that remove its association with the British building needed extensive repairs monarchy and therefore protect it from 2013 The Sixteen Productions Ltd. and church officials decided to being damaged. In the 1780s, the church © 2013 The Sixteen Productions Ltd. erect a new building in stone. reopened as King’s Chapel, now named Made in Great Britain Designed by Peter Harrison, the for Christ the King. new church was constructed For further information about the Handel and Haydn Society call + 1 617 262 1815 around the original wooden one The Handel and Haydn Society presented or e-mail [email protected] www.handelandhaydn.org while the latter continued to be its first (or concert) in King’s For further information on CORO call +44 (0) 1865 793999 used for services. During the Chapel on December 25, 1815; six other or e-mail: [email protected] www.thesixteen.com

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