Haydn: Symphony No. 88 in G major

These recordings featuring a world-famous orchestra and conductor date from the forties and fifties. Excellent sound.

It’s always a very special musical event when two Bavarian Broadcasting ensembles join forces on stage – as in this case with the Chor and Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks. In the magnificent setting of Waldsassen Abbey Basilica in the Upper Palatinate, Mariss Jansons conducted an all-Haydn program in October of 2008: Haydn’s Harmony Mass ranks as one of the six great masses of his late creative period, composed on commission from Prince Esterházy. Its name refers to the unusually large complement of wind instruments, an orchestration that was only possible for the final great masses after the Josephinist restrictions for church music were lifted, and because, from 1792 on, Haydn had a larger instrumental ensemble at his disposal. Timpani and trumpets were used in the Symphony in G major, Hob. I:88, but not, as might be expected, in the opening allegro but rather – in contrast to expectations in those days – not until the slow second movement.

This important CD gathers together, for the first time, four of the finest performances of the music of Haydn and Mozart conducted by the great Fritz Busch (1890-1951), conducting in the years following the end of World War II the Danish State Radio Symphony Orchestra, which he had raised to a position of supreme pre-eminence before his untimely death in 1951. These recordings were very highly praised when they were briefly available on 78rpm discs with limited circulation in the late 1940s and early 1950s, and have been much sought-after by collectors throughout the world. Now they have been brought together for the first time, enabling later generations to appreciate the genius of Fritz Busch, famous for his pre-war Glyndebourne recordings of Mozart operas, in orchestral music by the master and by his great contemporary Haydn. The sound has been considerably improved, and collectors today can appreciate these vital performances as never before.