Ulvi Yurtserver wrote:

>Don, if you are talking about the Jando series on Naxos I disagree;
>I think these are excellent, bettered only by Brendel but not by
>much.

Ulvi and I do agree on Brendel.  However, I'd go with Kissin, Ax,
Kalish, Kocsis, Richter, and Reisenberg in preference to Jando.  For me,
only Brendel reaches the peak.  I realize that he does not interpret
Haydn in a classical fashion; Brendel gives these works an elegance,
richness, and drama that transforms them into masterpieces that
transcend time frames.

>OTOH, one might prefer versions on fortepiano, which certainly have
>a built-in advantage in this repertoire.

Well, the fortepiano does provide for greater historical accuracy.
However, recordings of Haydn on fortepiano, whether it's Odiaga,
Haebler, Ogg, or Burnett, place these pieces squarely in the classical
period.  I just don't find that as satisfying as Brendel.  I have the
same reaction to Mozart solo works on fortepiano.

Overall, concerning the entire Haydn discography, there are just a few
artists who I feel make Haydn a very special composer.  Brendel, Colin
Davis, Rostropovich, the Salomon Quartet, and the Mosaiques Quartet are
in this category.




Don Satz
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