Tom Connor arrives in the wonderful word of Haydn lovers:

>In Haydn particularly, I have found increasing enjoyment in the last 5 or
>so years.  For me, there is such a sense of delight and fun in some of his
>music.  (Something I did not find when a youth.) One of my objectives in
>music purchases is to build up my collection of some of this Haydn.
>
>Thanks to Mats, I now have a chance to ask this group for suggestions.
>What is your favorite Haydn fun music?

One amazing work is the cobbled together Symphony Il Distrato.  In my view
the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra version isn't as good here as Antal Dorati on
Decca.  When I was listing Haydn firsts perhaps I should have listed this
as the first 6 movement symphony.  There is a 'stuck record' joke in the
first movement.

You will find jokes a plenty throughout the symphonies.  Take a listen to
symphony 95 in which the tension generated by the andante is relieved by a
bassoon interjection (described by HC Robbins-Landon as 'fart') towards the
end.

Throughout the Sturm Und Drang symphonies there are countless jokes.  Often
Haydn uses the device of drifting off key.  He did this in the Quartet
called "The Joke".

To name all the jokes would involve writing a book.  But don't expect
humour all the time.  Haydn has his serious side too.  HC R-L has
identified that when Haydn writes in 'C' the music is often more
contupuntal, more studious.  My own observation is that the humour
is usually absent from these works.

I think that the humour in Haydn is often most prevelant in the Symphonies.
But I think one can listen to these works in the way that suits at the
time.  IE one that doesn't have to laugh at every joke as they can also
been seen in a more serious context of the overall work.  Thus in my view
many of the symphonies are multi-faceted.

One maxim I have is that Haydn rarely leaves one depressed.  Even in the
most desparately serious introspective symphonies like no 90 there is
usually relief in the finale.

Bob Draper
Help needed for my Haydn web site.
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