Haydn: Symphonies Nos. 22, 29 And 60

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Cat No: 8550724

Release Date: 12 January 1999

Label: Naxos - Nxc / Naxos Classics

Packaging Type: Jewel Case

No of Units: 1

Barcode: 730099572422

Genres: Classical

Composer/Series: HAYDN

Description
Joseph Haydn (1732 - 1809) Symphony No.22 in E Flat Major, "The Philosopher" Symphony No.29 in E Major Symphony No.60 in C Major, "Il Distratto" Joseph Haydn was born in the village of Rohrau in 1732, the sonof a wheelwright. Trained at the choir-school of St. Stephen'sCathedral in Vienna, he spent some years earning a living as best he could from teachingand playing the violin or keyboard, and was able to learn from the old musician Porpora,whose assistant he became. Haydn's first appointment was in 1759 as Kapellmeister to aBohemian nobleman, Count von Morzin. This was followed in 1761 by employment asVice-Kapellmeister to one of the richest men in the Empire, Prince Paul Anton Esterhazy,succeeded on his death in 1762 by his brother Prince Nikolaus. On the death in 1766 of theelderly and somewhat obstructive Kapellmeister, Gregor Werner, Haydn succeeded to hisposition, to remain in the same employment, nominally at least, for the rest of his life. On the completion of the magnificent palace at Esterhaza, inthe Hungarian plains under the new Prince, Haydn assumed command of an increased musicalestablishment. Here he had responsibility for the musical activities of the palace, whichincluded the provision and direction of instrumental music, opera and theatre music, andmusic for the church. For his patron he provided a quantity of chamber music of all kinds,particularly for the Prince's own peculiar instrument, the baryton, a bowed stringinstrument with sympathetic strings that could also be plucked.On the death of Prince Nikolaus in1790, Haydn was able to accept an invitation to visit London, where he provided music forthe concert season organized by the violinist-impresario Salomon. A second successfulvisit to London in 1794 and 1795 was followed by a return to duty with the Esterhazyfamily, the new head of which had settled principally at the family property inEisenstadt, where Haydn had started his career. Much of the year, however, was to be spentin Vienna, where Haydn passed his final years, dying in 1809, as the French armies ofNapoleon approached the city yet again.Whether Haydn was the father of thesymphony is a question best left to musical genealogists. His career, however, spanned theperiod during which the classical symphony developed as the principal orchestral form. Hehimself certainly played a major part in this development, from his first symphony sometime before 1759 to his final series of symphonies written for the greater resources ofLondon in 1794 and 1795. The London symphonies were preceded by similar works for Parisand a much larger body of compositions of more modest scoring for the orchestra atEsterahza and at Eisenstadt, many of the last calling for a keyboard continuo, at leastwith the relatively smaller number of string players available.By 1764 Haydn had established himself in the favour of PrinceNikolaus Esterhazy and had assumed the general duties of Kapellmeister, in place ofWerner, who was now old and infirm. It w
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