Haydn: London Symphony No. 103; Theresienmesse

by Harry Christophers, Handel & Haydn Society

Overview

Boston's Handel and Haydn Society experienced a full transition to a historical-instrument ensemble under conductor Harry Christophers, and they couldn't have chosen a better person for the job. Christophers accomplished the changeover while not losing sight of the Society's big, public traditions, and the result is a hybrid that fully satisfied the Society's tradition-minded listeners. Probably approaching the end of his tenure in Boston, Christophers even seems to feel that he can stretch out a bit. On his release, featuring the Symphony No. 103 in B flat major, he gives timpanist Jonathan Hess the opportunity to play a little cadenza in the titular drum roll at the beginning of the work. This isn't the sort of thing that one expects from Christophers, and listeners can sample it for themselves; to these ears, it works, as does the modified form of the cadenza when it returns, "Pathetique" sonata-style, at the end of the movement. The main attraction is Haydn's Mass in B flat major, Hob. 22/12 ("Theresienmesse"), which displays all of Christophers' strengths. The Handel and Haydn Society choir achieves a richness that does not foreclose the liveliness that is so essential to Haydn, and his soloists, absolutely top-notch, seem to flow naturally from the larger structures of the music. There's a good deal of drama in both these works, in the mysterious slow introduction to the first movement of the symphony and at many places in the mass, and Christophers seems unconstrained by his usual slightly decorous style. There are decisions here with which some will disagree, but it's a very strong release, and Boston's Symphony Hall sounds great. ~ James Manheim

Product Details

Release Date:	09/02/2022
Label:	Coro / Coro
UPC:	0828021619229
Rank:	149035

Tracks

1. Symphony No.103 in E flat major 'Drumroll', Hob.I:103~Adagio - Allegro con spirito
2. Symphony No.103 in E flat major 'Drumroll', Hob.I:103~Andante pi¿¿ tosto Allegretto
3. Symphony No.103 in E flat major 'Drumroll', Hob.I:103~Menuet & Trio
4. Symphony No.103 in E flat major 'Drumroll', Hob.I:103~Finale: Allegro con spirito
5. Mass in B flat major 'Theresienmesse', Hob.XXII:12~Kyrie
6. Mass in B flat major 'Theresienmesse', Hob.XXII:12~Gloria in excelsis deo
7. Mass in B flat major 'Theresienmesse', Hob.XXII:12~Gratias agimus tibi
8. Mass in B flat major 'Theresienmesse', Hob.XXII:12~Quoniam tu solus sanctus
9. Mass in B flat major 'Theresienmesse', Hob.XXII:12~Credo in unum Deum
10. Mass in B flat major 'Theresienmesse', Hob.XXII:12~Et incarnatus est
11. Mass in B flat major 'Theresienmesse', Hob.XXII:12~Et resurrexit
12. Mass in B flat major 'Theresienmesse', Hob.XXII:12~Sanctus
13. Mass in B flat major 'Theresienmesse', Hob.XXII:12~Benedictus
14. Mass in B flat major 'Theresienmesse', Hob.XXII:12~Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata mundi
15. Mass in B flat major 'Theresienmesse', Hob.XXII:12~Dona nobis pacem

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Harry Christophers   Primary Artist,Conductor
Handel & Haydn Society   Primary Artist
Jeremy Budd   Tenor (Vocal)
Sumner Thompson   Baritone (Vocal)
Mary Bevan   Soprano (Vocal)
Catherine Wyn-Rogers   Mezzo-Soprano (Vocal)
Handel and Haydn Society Period Instrument Orchestra   Orchestra
Handel & Haydn Society Chorus   Choir/Chorus

Technical Credits

Raphael Mouterde   Mixing,Editing,Producer
Francis Farmar   Cover Image
James Donahue   Engineer
Lindsay Kemp   Liner Notes
Andrew Giles   Design
Nicholas Squire   Assistant Engineer
Stu Rosner   Photography
Paul Foster-Williams   Photography
Victoria Cadisch   Photography
Lara Silberklang   Photography
Sam Brewer   Photography
Cole Barbour   Assistant Engineer
Francisco Gonzalez Navarro   Assistant Engineer
Franz Joseph Haydn   Composer