Kim Patrick Clow wrote:

>Thanks for that explanation.  I was really hoping that the big boys
>at Decca HAD changed their minds, but alas they haven't.  One last
>observation: it's interesting that they decide to stop the project at the
>point where the symphonies they would be issuing would be commercially
>viable.  They only need to record symphonies from 75-104: arguably the
>more "interesting" in the Haydn opus.  I am majorily pissed at the
>investment I have made in this series to NOT be able to see it finished.

I am gutted at this news.

In 1989 I attended a presentation given at the British Museum by Hogwood
where he launched the project.  At it he played extracts from his previous
Haydn recordings and gave a talk on Haydn in London.

I have always been concerned at the slow pace of the project.  But
the fault for its lack of commercial success does not lie with this.
It doesn't lie with Hogwood and his stirling performances either.

Neither does it lie in the music which in my view contains some of the
most creative music ever written by anyone.  Forget the late symphonies
for a moment the early ouput contains many masterpieces and seminal works
in itself.

No the fault for this lies squarely with Decca and the price they charged
for this series:  $70 in the UK for a 3 cd set often containing less
symphonies than comparable issues.  Who is going to pay that sort of money
when there are excellent recordings on Naxos at $8 each (again UK) and
when one can purchase the entire Dorati set for just $320 or less (32CDs).
Only Haydn nutters like me!

I also remember something that Hogwood said in an interview about this
project.  He said that it was the natural next step for him because the
alternatives would include things like a complete Michael Haydn series.
(That would be be useful in itself) However he has drifted away from the
Haydn project and recorded more other works of composers like Mozart.

I intend to write to Decca and Hogwood about this and let my feelings be
known.  There is also a legal question under the trades descriptions act
(UK law) whether one can state that an entire series is being produced and
then stop half way.  I reckon we all have a good case to demand a refund.

>I also knew about that cycle on MHS.  But that really wasn't available
>commercially.  But thanks for that.  The Dorati cycle apparently will be
>alone for quite sometime as the ONLY complete cycle on the market.
>
>Its a sad state of affairs I think.

You bet.  When I have to remind everyone about the dozens of Mozart series
on the shelves.  All this effort for endless repetition of performances of
the same works which often sound essentially the same.

One other thing.  Could Decca and Hyperion be making big mistakes over the
two Haydn projects? The Haydn bi-centenary is only a few years away now.

I predict that Decca will have to eat humble pie that year and hurridly
record the remain works for their complete Haydn edition.

Bob Draper