London Symphonies Vol 1 (93, 94, 101) Arranged Salomon

SACD release

"Johann Peter Salomon, violinist, composer and impresario, How often listeners will want to hear these arrangements must be a personal decision, but this first instalment, well-recorded with stylish if occasionally abrasive period performances - and the advantage of an SACD alternative - can be warmly recommended to anyone who is intrigued."
(Gramophone)was a shrewd businessman. Not only did he organise Haydn's two triumphant visits to London in the 1790s, visits which directly prompted the composition of the 12 London Symphonies, he bought the rights to those masterpieces on Haydn's final return to Vienna in August 1795. Instead of issuing them in full score, in 1798 he published versions for domestic music-making. Their basic ensemble is a string quartet and flute, plus a full keyboard part. The flute often makes delayed entries to movements with a solo; elsewhere it doubles the first violin.

Even though this music is readily available on CD in its original garb, these arrangements are worth hearing. Some of the effects that must have sounded so original to early listeners stand out to even greater effect with this chamber ensemble than they do with a full orchestra: the bare octaves which open No 93 are not comfortable but make magnetic listening. The extra transparency generally benefits fast movements more than slow ones.

Haydn's first-movement development sections strike the listener more sharply in their chamber guise, particularly the minor-key darkness of the Surprise which recalls Haydn's Sturm und Drang style. The famous 'surprise' itself is intensified by Florilegium's dynamic response. In the slow movement of the Clock the sudden cut-off and bar-long pause near the end (5'32" into track 6 ) makes the unprepared switch from the home key of G to a remote E flat major all the more startling.

How often listeners will want to hear these arrangements must be a personal decision, but this first instalment, well-recorded with stylish if occasionally abrasive period performances - and the advantage of an SACD alternative - can be warmly recommended to anyone who is intrigued."
(Gramophone)

"Mr. Salomon having taken a journey to Vienna purposely to engage the celebrated Haydn, Chapel-Master to his present Highness Prince Esterházy, to come to England, most respectfully aquaints the Nobility and the Gentry that he has actually signed an agreement with Mr. Haydn. (They) hope to be in London before the end of December, when Mr. Salomon will have the honour of submitting to the Publick a Plan of a Subscription Concert, which he flatters himself will meet with its Approbation and Encouragement."
(Morning Chronicle, Dec. 29th 1790)

This announcement heralded one of history's most successful musical coups. The violinist, composer and impresario Johann Peter Salomon (1745-1815) managed to secure a visit to London from one of Europe's most revered composers. The arrangement promised gain to all involved: Haydn was to receive the princely sum of 1200 pounds (far exceeding any of his previous earnings); Salomon was to put on an eagerly awaited series of concerts in the Hannover Square Rooms featuring Haydn's latest works; and the public was to be presented with the pinnacle of Haydn's symphonic oeuvre - the 12 'London' Symphonies. Salomon's timing in securing this accord was impeccable. Haydn's patron of 29 years, Prince Nicolaus von Exterházy had died earlier in the year, and his less artistically inclined son, Anton, duly sacked the court orchestra, pensioning off the 58 year old Kapelmeister. In contrast "Haydn is quite extraordinarily popular here. His Ouvertures and Symphonies are constantly performed" wrote the London correspondent of the German Journal des Luxus und der Moden.

During this first visit (Jan. 1791-June 1792) Haydn composed six Ouvertures (Symphonies) for Salomon's sold out series (Nos 93-98). The impresario then arranged another stay (Feb. 1794-Aug. 1795), during which a second set, Nos 99-104 were composed. Having at his disposal the use of the best ad hoc orchestra on the London scene, he set out to write for the 'English taste', with its penchant for novelty and special effects. Salomon led the orchestra in the concerts, which lasted 2-3 hours and regularly featured arias, concertos and chamber works of various composers, the pièce de résistance being the latest symphony by Haydn.

The first performances of the symphonies were met with lavish praise from public and critics alike.
No. 93, performed in Feb. 1792, had an electrifying effect with its 'unisono' ff opening: the public had never previously heard such genuinely striking orchestral writing. The Adagio, according to the composer himself, was encored, and "the new Ouverture from the incomparable Haydn inspired all the performers as well as the audience with enthusiastic ardour." (The Times, Feb. 20th 1792).

With no. 94 premiered a month later, the public's appreciation reached yet higher levels. "The first Allegro of my symphony was received with countless bravos, but the enthusiasm reached its highest point in the Andante with the kettledrum beat. "Ancora! Ancora"! sounded from every throat…" Contrary to popular belief, it seems Haydn did not intend the sudden ff chord of the Andante to wake up slumbering members of the audience. Rather, he wished "to surprise the public with something new, and make a début in a brilliant manner" - a task more than accomplished!
The third work presented here, no. 101 was composed during the second visit, in March 1794. By now Haydn's familiarity with le goût anglais guaranteed unwavering support. The Andante was encored, and the joke about a slightly drunken village band in the trio was not lost on his adoring public. "Every new Ouverture he writes, we fear, till it's heard, he can only repeat himself; and we are every time mistaken. (…) It was Haydn; what can we, what need we say more?" enthused the critic of the Morning Chronicle.

After Haydn's final return to Vienna, Salomon purchased the rights to the 12 symphonies. Ever the entrepreneur, he set out to make full use of his property. Instead of the orchestral version, he published them in chamber arrangements, aimed at the vast domestic amateur market. Thus 1798 saw the publication of "XII Grand Symphonies by Haydn, written for Mr. Salomon's concerts and arranged for five instruments, viz. Two violins, a German flute, a tenor and a violoncello, with an accompaniment for the piano forte ad libitum, by J. P. Salomon."
This was an inspired departure from the versions for piano trio that followed most symphonic publications. (Salomon had in fact published such a version two years earlier, but it proved too restricted a scoring for Haydn's grand scale works.) The choice of instrumentation is ingenious and unprecedented: the use of a string quartet enabled Salomon to reproduce Haydn's string writing in full, as well as borrowing instruments for other roles - thus the viola often assumes the role of trumpets, horns, or even a dramatic drum roll! By adding a flute to the ensemble, Salomon uses Haydn's most widely featured wind instrument. The ubiquitous flute solos were originally written for the competent flautist of Salomon's band, Andrew Ash.
The fortepiano was the most popular instrument in the homes of the nobility and gentry. In Salomon's autograph scores of the arrangements only a figured bass part is given. In the printed version this part is fully written out for the 'piano forte ad libitum' (whether by Salomon or not is difficult to assert), thus catering for the needs of the amateur as well as providing a fascinating insight into contemporary orchestral keyboard realisation.

The great number of discrepancies in detail between the orchestral versions and these arrangements attest to the close collaboration between composer and leader. Salomon now owned the original performing parts. Might these differences in articulation, phrasing, sometimes even notes, be the result of Haydn altering details in rehearsal, or of Salomon 'correcting' Haydn of his own accord? Discrepancies abound also between the autograph score and the printed parts, and within the printed parts themselves, thus making the performer's task ever more challenging.

For the listener, these delightful arrangements will come as a surprise in their much reduced scale compared to Haydn's original, well known versions, and they are guaranteed to draw a smile for Salomon's quirky choices of instrumentation. For the performer, they are valuable additions to the chamber repertoire, fully conveying the enterprising spirit of the late 18th century musical scene.
- Kati Debretzeni