Franz Joseph Haydn -The Paris Symphonies (Disc 1)  (66:35)
	01	Symphony No. 82 in C Major, "The Bear": (I) Vivace assai						08:03
	02	Symphony No. 82 in C Major, "The Bear": (II) Allegretto						06:10
	03	Symphony No. 82 in C Major, "The Bear": (III) Menuet						04:38
	04	Symphony No. 82 in C Major, "The Bear": (IV) Finale (Vivace)						05:35
	05	Symphony No. 83 in G Minor, "The Hen": (I) Allegro spiritoso						07:09
	06	Symphony No. 83 in G Minor, "The Hen": (II) Andante						06:11
	07	Symphony No. 83 in G Minor, "The Hen": (III) Menuet (Allegretto)						03:39
	08	Symphony No. 83 in G Minor, "The Hen": (IV) Finale (Vivace)						03:51
	09	Symphony No. 84 in E-flat Major: (I) Largo - Allegro						05:14
	10	Symphony No. 84 in E-flat Major: (II) Andante						06:47
	11	Symphony No. 84 in E-flat Major: (III) Menuet (Allegro)						03:25
	12	Symphony No. 84 in E-flat Major: (IV) Finale (Vivace)						05:53
Franz Joseph Haydn -The Paris Symphonies (Disc 2)  (69:55)
	01	Symphony No. 85 in B flat "The Queen" (I) Adagio - Vivace						07:11
	02	Symphony No. 85 in B flat "The Queen" (II) Romance (Allegretto)						07:28
	03	Symphony No. 85 in B flat "The Queen" (III) Menuetto (Allegretto)						04:02
	04	Symphony No. 85 in B flat "The Queen" (IV) Finale. Presto						03:26
	05	Symphony No. 86 in D (I) Adagio - Allegro spiritoso						07:49
	06	Symphony No. 86 in D (II) Capriccio (Largo)						07:13
	07	Symphony No. 86 in D (III) Menuet (Allegretto)						05:27
	08	Symphony No. 86 in D (IV) Finale (Allegro con spirito)						06:07
	09	Symphony No. 87 in A (I) Vivace						06:43
	10	Symphony No. 87 in A (II) Adagio						06:00
	11	Symphony No. 87 in A (III) Minuet						04:03
	12	Symphony No. 87 in A (IV) Finale. Vivace						04:26

Haydn, Franz Joseph (1732 - 1809)
The Paris Symphonies Nos. 82-87
Academy of St Martin in the Fields
Sir Naville Marriner
438727


Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields
Country England

Biography
In 1958, violinist Neville Marriner invited a dozen of his colleagues to form an ensemble which would focus on playing Baroque music. Taking the meaning of ensemble playing to heart, the group decided to work without a conductor, as did many chamber orchestras of the Baroque period. In this cooperative spirit, the ensemble worked toward the brilliantly energetic sound and high standard of musicianship which have become its hallmarks. The group performed its premier concert on the auspicious date, Friday, November 13, 1959, in the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields from which the ensemble takes its name.
Unable to generate sufficient interest in concerts, the ensemble sought recognition in the recording studio; Louise Hanson Dyer, wealthy founder of the L'Oiseau Lyre Company, gave the Academy its first recording contract in 1961. Other contracts soon followed, including a five-year contract with Argo in 1965. In addition, the ensemble became popular in other venues with appearances on the BBC Proms program and in performances of Vivaldi's Four Seasons and Wagner's Siegfried Idyll for BBC television films.

Incorporated in 1970 under the management of Marriner and four other founding members, the Academy rapidly developed into a highly popular ensemble. With no permanent concert venue of its own, the Academy toured widely between short seasons at the Royal Festival Hall and the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields; a tradition that has continued throughout the history of the group. The ensemble also expanded its repertoire to include music from the Baroque to the present day; the ensemble took three different forms to accommodate this variety of music. The largest of these was a group of about 45 musicians lead by Marriner, who, reluctantly, had taken on the role of conductor. The second group was the Chamber Ensemble, which was originally formed in 1967 for the specific purpose of performing large-scale string chamber music. The third form is a small group similar in size to the original ensemble, which is responsible for most of the touring and has, at various times, been lead from the concert master's chair by Neville Marriner, Iona Brown and Kenneth Sillito. The Academy's fluidity of form is made practical by the fact that the musicians are not full-time employees; instead they are hired as needed for specific engagements.

An association with the Philips company, which began in 1971, set the ensemble on a course toward its establishment as a world-class orchestra. In 1975, Philips offered separate recording contracts to the Academy and to Marriner; another milestone in the Academy's history, also in 1975, was the formation of the Chorus of the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields under the direction of Laszlo Heltay. Initially created to perform Bach's B-Minor Mass on an Academy tour, the Chorus became a regular addition to the ensemble.

Between concert tours, the ensemble has recorded a wide variety of works including symphony cycles of Schubert and Beethoven. With more than three hundred recordings to its credit, it is estimated that an average of thirty minutes of the Academy's work is broadcast on each classical music radio station in the U.S. every day of the year. The Academy has also continued its film work, playing the score for the movie Amadeus in 1984.

Throughout its long and illustrious history, the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields has upheld a consistently high standard of virtuosity and ensemble playing. Still under the direction of Kenneth Sillito and principal guest conductor Murray Perahia, this group, with its broad repertoire and structural flexibility continues to be one of the most distinguished and sought-after ensembles in the world of classical music. -- Corie Stanton Root



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The Academy of St Martin in the Fields was founded in 1959 by Sir Neville Marriner and a group of London's leading orchestral players. Originally formed as a small conductorless string group, it spearheaded the 1960s Baroque revival, and recorded and performed a rapidly expanding range of repertoire with Sir Neville and long-time partner, Iona Brown. The orchestra now divides its time between international tours, education and outreach work, the recording studio and UK concerts.

The Academy has three principal partners: Life President Sir Neville Marriner, Artistic Director Kenneth Sillito and Principal Guest Conductor Murray Perahia. The Academy is also developing new relationships with a number of eminent artists: for example, Joshua Bell and Anthony Marwood are now regular performers with us, taking us into some more eclectic chamber repertoire. Kenneth Sillito also directs the Academy of St Martin the Fields Chamber Ensemble.

The Academy regularly tours the USA, Europe, the Far East and South America. In June 1997 the Academy was invited to Hong Kong to play for the official handover celebrations which included two performances of Beethoven's Symphony no. 9 with Sir Neville Marriner. In April 1993, the Academy of St Martin in the Fields became the first orchestra to be honoured with the Queen's Award for Export Achievement.

World Premieres of works by Sally Beamish (Cello Concerto, performed to great critical acclaim by Robert Cohen) and Alec Roth (Departure of the Queen of Sheba) have enhanced the wide-ranging repertoire performed by the Academy in all its formations: from string sextet to romantic symphony-sized orchestra.

After an absence of many years, the orchestra returned in 1997 to its 'spiritual home', the church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields in Trafalgar Square. It also continues to appear at the Barbican and The Wigmore Hall as well as many smaller halls across the country: including Truro, Harlow, Southend-on-Sea and Colchester. The Academy also performed a number of concerts as part of the Mostly Mozart Festival at the Barbican in July 2003. The orchestra's 2003-2004 London season includes a series of concerts at the Wigmore Hall with Anthony Marwood and Kenneth Sillito and at the Barbican, with Murray Perahia .

With over 500 recordings to its credit, ranging from baroque and classical to the romantic and 20th century, the Academy remains the most recorded chamber orchestra in the world. A complete discography is available to buy from the orchestra's office.

Among the most recent Academy recordings is Murray Perahia's highly acclaimed Plays Bach, featuring Brandenburg Concerto No.5, Concerto for Flute, Violin, Harpsichord in A minor and 'Italian Concerto.' Other new recordings include Joshua Bell's Romance for the Violin, Bernard Stevens' Chamber Works and Opera Rara's Carlo di Borgogna.

The Academy has received many prestigious international awards, including eight Edisons, the Canadian Grand Prix and a multitude of gold discs - thirteen alone for the soundtrack of Milos Forman's film 'Amadeus'. Another more recent soundtrack, 'The English Patient', won an Oscar for Best Sound.

The Academy has an increasingly ambitious education and outreach programme called 'Outward Sound'. Players take part in a wide range of projects with schools and community groups throughout the UK. These are tailored to suit each individual group's needs.

The Academy is very proud of its Chorus. Formed in 1975, it has established a reputation as one of the leading chamber choirs in the UK and performs both a capella and with the Academy and other orchestras. Johan Duijck is the Academy's Chorus Master.

Unlike many major British orchestras, the Academy receives no direct government subsidy and relies solely on its artistic integrity and commercial initiative for its continued success. It has, however, benefited in recent years from various Lottery and Foundation funds, supporting its capital, educational and developmental work.








Symphony No. 82 in C major ("The Bear"), H. 1/82
Composer Franz Josef Haydn
Genre Classical Period Symphony
Composition Date 1786

Description
In 1784, the Board of Directors of the Concerts de la Loge Olympique in Paris asked Haydn to write six symphonies for their concert series; this was the composer's first foreign commission, having spent most of his professional life in service at the Esterhazy court. The Loge Olympique concerts, instituted in 1780, were among the most prestigious in France; Marie Antoinette was an occasional attendee, as were various officials from the court at Versailles. Over the next two years Haydn composed the Symphonies Nos. 82 through 87, now known collectively as the "Paris" Symphonies, for the large orchestra -- the largest Haydn ever had at his disposal, featuring up to 40 violins, ten double basses, and as many as four of each woodwind -- of the Loge Olympique. Despite its numbering as the first of the six, the Symphony No. 82 was in fact the last of these works to be written; it was completed in 1786.
The first movement (Vivace assai) alternates between the festive, extroverted mood of its opening theme, and the more thoughtful, graceful tone of the second (which makes its first appearance in the strings over a quiet drone from the bassoon). Development section and recapitulation are especially inventively blurred, even by the high standards of this period of Haydn's career. The second movement isn't a true slow movement but rather an Allegretto -- a theme and variations based on a theme in two parts, the first flowing, the second with a tinge of agitation.

The Menuetto third movement opens and closes with pomp and ceremony; this music frames a playful, graceful trio section in which Haydn's colorful woodwind scoring comes to the fore. The final movement is the one that provides this work its nickname, "The Bear." It features a rustic tune played over a comical drone, which suggested to its early listeners the sound of bagpipes and the dancing bears which frolicked to their sound at village fairs. Haydn moves from these rustic sounds into some exciting contrapuntal development that builds up to a false ending, giving him the opportunity for one last exciting drive to the real conclusion. -- Chris Morrison



Symphony No. 83 in G minor ("The Hen"), H. 1/83
Composer Franz Josef Haydn
Genre Classical Period Symphony
Composition Date 1785

Description
Haydn's six "Paris" Symphonies (Nos. 82 - 87) mark a turning point in the composer's career. At the time of their composition (1785 - 86), Haydn was experiencing a sort of compositional monotony in his works for the Esterhazy court, while commercial considerations made it difficult for him to experiment in the works he wrote at the behest of publishers. It isn't difficult to see why the composer jumped at the commission for these symphonies, which gave him a chance to stretch his musical wings and create something personal and original. All six of the "Paris" Symphonies are are scored for one flute and two each of oboes, bassoons, and horns, plus strings; Nos. 82 and 86 are augmented with timpani and two trumpets.
The Symphony No. 83 in G minor (1785) is not as well known as its five brethren, and yet Haydn's genius is no less in evidence in this work than elsewhere. Haydn opens the first movement directly, sans introduction, with a main theme that slowly outlines an unsettling diminished triad that resolves to a descending dotted-rhythm figure. After the arrival of the light, detached secondary theme in the first violins, Haydn combines it with the earlier dotted rhythm played by a single oboe, a figure that gave rise to the work's nickname, "La Poule" (The Hen). Throughout the development, which is nearly as long as the exposition, the rising triad, the dotted figure, and the secondary theme each undergo various permutations. Haydn provides all-new transitional material in the recapitulation and resolves the secondary theme to G major, whereupon G minor has breathed its last in the work.

The Andante, in E flat major, is in slow-movement sonata form--that is, it has no development section. Haydn does, however, indulge in some development at the reprise of the first theme. Detached repeated notes suggest an echo of the first movement, as do Haydn's use of grace notes and a secondary theme in B flat major.

The symphony's developmental tendencies continue in the G major Minuet and Trio, marked Allegretto. The stately, eight-measure opening theme is conventional enough, but the second part of the Minuet does not follow the traditional pattern of new material rounded off by the first theme. Instead, Haydn constructs the second part from fragments of the first while never actually stating the first theme in full. The texture lightens in the Trio, whose theme is played piano by a solo flute doubled by violins.

The monothematic 12/8 finale, marked Vivace, is a movement of boundless energy. The development section is a continuous series of triplet figures over changing harmonies, while real thematic development occurs in the recapitulation. -- John Palmer



Symphony No. 84 in E flat major ("In Nomine Domini"), H. 1/84
Composer Franz Josef Haydn
Genre Classical Period Symphony
Composition Date 1786

Description
Claude-Francois-Marie Rigoley, Comte d'Ogny (1757-90) was one of the promoters of the Concert de la Loge Olympique in Paris. Sometime in either late 1784 or early 1785, he commissioned six symphonies from Haydn, agreeing to pay twenty-five gold louis d'or for each. Such a commission attests to Haydn's widespread fame at the time. The works were not composed in their present order: Nos. 83 and 87 (and possibly 85) date from 1785 while Nos. 82, 84, and 86 are from 1786. Haydn requested that his Viennese publisher, Artaria & Co., publish the works in the following order: 87, 85, 83, 84, 86, and 82. His wish was not granted. The Paris publication of 1788 uses the present order.
Four of the "Paris" symphonies are scored for one flute and two each of oboe, bassoon, and horn, with strings; in Nos. 82 and 86 Haydn adds timpani and two trumpets.It is easy to see why Haydn jumped at the commission from Rigoley, which gave him a chance to experiment and create something on an altogether larger and more public scale than the works intended for the Esterhazy court.

One of the three works in the group with a slow introduction, No. 85 begins in a profound manner, contrasting full-orchestra fortissimo chords with quiet, arching passages in the strings. The introduction takes on greater rhythmic drive and then halts on the dominant before the sprightly Allegro theme enters quietly in the strings. The main body of the movement pleasingly combines Haydn's monothematic economy with a graceful accessibility. We hear a full restatement of the first theme, with the addition of the flute, before a lengthy, highly energetic transition to the dominant, B flat. Once the new key is confirmed, the a version of the first theme sounds in the woodwinds, transposed to B flat. The same theme opens the development section, every measure of which contains an element of the theme as Haydn produces a dense wash of sound that lasts longer than the exposition. In the recapitulation, Haydn alters the transitional material and does not bother with a restatement of the original dominant-key section.

The second movement, an Andante in B flat major, is serious in mood, with an extended coda that develops previous material prior to a pianissimo close. Haydn expands the traditional proportions of the Minuet with long, motivically organized themes in both parts. His wit comes to the fore in the second part, in which a varied statement of the main theme is interrupted by three beats of rest before continuing at a much lower dynamic level. The trio is light and comical, its first theme played by a solo bassoon.

In an unusual move, Haydn begins the development section of the monothematic Finale with the theme on the dominant, later including an unusual, complete presentation on the subdominant (A flat major). Even more striking is the appearance of the theme on the dominant very near the end of the movement. -- John Palmer



Symphony No. 85 in B flat major ("La Reine"), H. 1/85
Composer Franz Josef Haydn
Genre Classical Period Symphony
Composition Date 1785

Description
Claude-Francois-Marie Rigoley, Comte d'Ogny (1757-90) was one of the promoters of the Concert de la Loge Olympique in Paris. Sometime in either late 1784 or early 1785, he commissioned six symphonies from Haydn, agreeing to pay twenty-five louis d'or for each. Such a commission attests to Haydn's widespread fame at the time. The works were not composed in their present order: Nos. 83 and 87 (and possibly 85) date from 1785 while Nos. 82, 84 and 86 are from 1786. Haydn requested that his Viennese publisher, Artaria & Co., publish the works in the following order: 87, 85, 83, 84, 86 and 82; his wish was not granted.
All six of the "Paris" symphonies are scored for one flute and two each of oboe, bassoon, and horn with strings; the exceptions are Nos. 82 and 86, to which Haydn added timpani and two trumpets. Symphony No. 85 in B flat major is known as "La Reine" (The Queen).

The first movement is notable for its slow introduction -- typical of Haydn's processes at this point in his career -- and for its main theme, which is cleverly assembled from two different elements: a sustained tone that seems to suspend itself above the texture before eventually falling, and rapidly descending scale. These elements dominate the entire movement. The development section is one of Haydn's longest, taking the rising and falling arpeggio of the secondary theme through numerous harmonies.

Haydn set the slow movement in theme and variations form, choosing as a theme a contemporary French ballad, "La gentile et belle Lisette" ("The Kind and Beautiful Lisette"). The ensuing variations are generally decorative in nature, elaborating on rather than obscuring the recognizable theme; the theme finds its way into different instruments for variety of timbre.

The third movement, a Minuet and Trio, contains some humorous expansions on the traditional format. For instance, in the Trio we hear a humorously long melodic extension in the second half that separates the new phrase from the expected rounding return of the first phrase. Although the extension acts like a transition, it only serves to make us wait for what we know is coming.

The Finale is a mingling of ternary rondo and sonata forms. The theme, first played by a single bassoon, is alternated with contrasting episodes, as is typical of a rondo; however, the second, rather lengthy episode has a developmental quality to it, so that the return to the main theme afterwards feels recapitulatory. -- John Palmer





Symphony No. 86 in D major, H. 1/86
Composer Franz Josef Haydn
Genre Classical Period Symphony
Composition Date 1786

Description
Haydn's Symphony no. 86 in D belongs to the group known as the "Paris" symphonies, so named for their publisher the Comte d'Ogny, promoter of the Concert de la Loge Olympique in Paris. By now, Haydn's international star was on the ascent and would become more luminous with this group of six symphonies, all sharing a certain Gallic finesse. No. 86 is the only one of the group to be numbered in its proper place in sequence.
After the courtly minuet of the opening, the resolution of the introduction accelerates in tempo to segue into the main theme proper, whose vigor and propulsive reiterated notes seem curiously premonitory of the music of Haydn's future student from Bonn, as do the displaced accents in the second theme. The designation of the following movement, "capriccio," is likewise curious, at odds with the poignant overcast pastoral of this reflective music, which in form straddles sonata and rondo. The stately minuet, less bucolic than usual for its composer, is turn-dominated but its trio smacks of the countryside with its Landler tempo and "piped" melody. Its coda makes a false start to be punctuated by a brief cloud passing of but a few beats before resolving happily, a novel touch. The scampering, fleet finale is one of many in which the composer gives vent to "opera buffa" inclination, its bustling good humor almost Rossinian in nature. -- Wayne Reisig




Symphony No. 87 in A major, H. 1/87
Composer Franz Josef Haydn
Genre Classical Period Symphony
Composition Date 1785
Description
The six symphonies Haydn composed for Paris during 1785 - 86 were his most successful prior to the final dozen he would write for London audiences between 1791 and 1795. The "Paris" symphonies were commissioned by Claude-Francois-Marie Rigoley, Comte d'Ogny (1757 - 1790), the influential liberal freemason and aristocrat. The Comte was also one of the patrons and sponsors of the celebrated Masonic concert organization known as Le Concert de la Loge Olympique. The society's orchestra was one of the largest (some 90 players) and finest of its day; the musicians played attired in splendid blue livery uniforms, each carrying a ceremonial sword at his side. The orchestra's leader was the gifted and charismatic Chevalier Joseph-Boulogne de Saint-Georges, described by Haydn scholar H.C. Robbins Landon as "a native of the French colonies, equally proficient as violinist, composer, and lady-killer." It was he who initially wrote to the composer with the offer of a very lucrative commission; documents of the transaction which followed show that Haydn received the more-than-princely sum of 25 Louis d'or -- around $60,000 -- for each symphony.
The concluding installment of the Paris series, Symphony No. 87 in A major (1785), opens with a cheerfully direct Vivace. Landon writes: "Haydn employs this key not only for its enhancement of the sturdy and rhythmically concentrated opening, but also for its adaptability to singing passages.... the innate warmth of A major is so ingratiating that we feel almost transported to south of the Alps. The slow movement (Adagio) features one of those grand melodies that might have come directly from our grandmother's hymnbook. In this grave but lovely movement, the fine use of woodwinds can hardly escape notice. The rather aggressive Menuet is set off nicely by a brilliant oboe solo in the Trio. The Finale (Vivace) opens with one of those artful tunes that later lends itself to contrapuntal treatment." On this bustling, angular music, Robbins Landon also offers the following interesting suggestion: "Notice especially how Haydn treats the melody in the development section. Altogether, one cannot help but believe that Haydn sometimes wrote such movements backwards, composing, as it were, the complicated development section first...The craftsmanship is never obtrusive, and it never prevents the listener from appreciating these symphonies purely and directly for their warmth, strength, and beauty." -- Michael Jameson