Schiff Explores Haydn

[Chris]

Some of you may remember Schiff's lectures on the Beethoven piano sonatas. Here is a lecture from him on Haydn's piano music. It's very interesting, and I'm always glad to hear attempts to interest people in Haydn's music, which is often overlooked!

http://www.wigmore-hall.org.uk/inter...explores-haydn

[Quijote]

I'm really glad Schiff is giving us his insights on Haydn, he has that good 'common touch' (pedagogically speaking, not his technique!).
Why do so many people consider Haydn to be overlooked? Perhaps his solo piano music is, but a look at concert programming in almost any country shows his symphonies and quartets receive regular public airing. Likewise for CD sales in those two genres.

[Peter]

I'm really glad Schiff is giving us his insights on Haydn, he has that good 'common touch' (pedagogically speaking, not his technique!).
Why do so many people consider Haydn to be overlooked? Perhaps his solo piano music is, but a look at concert programming in almost any country shows his symphonies and quartets receive regular public airing. Likewise for CD sales in those two genres.

What about the Baryton trios or the operas? The excuse given for the operas is that the plots are weak and ludicrous (true of a great deal of mainstream repertoire surely?), but what about the music?

[Chris]

And as Schiff points out here, even when Haydn is included in a program, it's usually the first thing, played as sort of a warm-up. I don't think it's the fact that Haydn in general is "overlooked" so much as "under-appreciated", though, as Peter points out, many of his individual works are overlooked, even though they are excellent. I absolutely agree about the operas.

[Quijote]

So you wanted to say "under-appreciated" and not "overlooked". Under-appreciated by whom? I can't think off-hand of any 'mainstream' conductor or musician worthy of the name who thinks this.

[Chris]

I think many of Haydn's individual pieces are overlooked (such as the operas) and his music in general is under-appreciated (by anyone, performer or listener, who treats it as a pleasant little warm-up before getting down to business). I can imagine a cellist having a different perspective, though, because the cello concertos are held in high esteem in the cello repertoire. For a pianist or violinist, though...not so!

[gprengel]

I never heard a piano sonata from Haydn which impressed me in any way, but a few weeks ago I discovered wonderful and expressive piano varations in f-minor from his late years (1793) - it has the flavour of late Mozart!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIyp6UgBY_U

[Quijote]

I never heard a piano sonata from Haydn which impressed me in any way, but a few weeks ago I discovered wonderful and expressive piano varations in f-minor from his late years (1793) - it has the flavour of late Mozart!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIyp6UgBY_U

It certainly has that (the flavour of late Mozart), but I hear Beethoven not too far away either...