Haydn: Fantasy in C major Hob XVII/4

St Cecilia’s Hall is the oldest purpose-built concert hall in Scotland, dating from 1763. In 1968 it became home to the Raymond Russell Collection of Early Keyboard Instruments. This already world famous collection was further enhanced in 2005 when the University of Edinburgh received the extraordinary gift of 22 historic keyboard instruments from Rodger and Lynne Mirrey; the galleries at St Cecilia’s Hall now house one of the two most comprehensive collections of early keyboard instruments in the world.

“As a champion of the instruments in the Raymond Russell Collection in Edinburgh, John Kitchen’s previous recordings have drawn universal praise. This latest addition to his discography is destined, I am sure, to enhance his formidable reputation.” Early Music Review, August 2009

This useful set gathers up the many shorter works that Haydn wrote for the keyboard: many minuets of light character and charming temperament and variation sets of great melodic invention. He arranged many movements from his chamber and orchestral works, doubtless encouraged by his fame and his publisher to bring his music to even greater domestic popularity in a world where live music was far more often heard on the piano at home than in great concert halls. Finally, there is his great cycle of Seven Last Words: seven poignant slow movements with an introduction and final ‘Earthquake’ originally commissioned for choir and orchestra for Lisbon Cathedral, but which quickly achieved a reputation for their sober beauty out of proportion to the specific conditions of their context: hence this arrangement made by another party. Bart van Oort is a scholar-performer who has extensively researched and performed the music of Haydn and his time (including contributions made to Brilliant Classics’ complete set of the composer’s piano sonatas). Here he performs on a fine modern reproduction of a fortepiano by Walter, a maker esteemed by Haydn and Beethoven.