Haydn: London Symphonies Nos. 94 & 99, 95 & 98 in Bloomington, MN

Conductor
Paavo Järvi
's recordings of
Haydn
's "London" symphonies have attracted quite a few admirers, and they certainly live up to the requirement of delivering fresh readings for these quite familiar works. These are conductor-oriented readings of
, not in the sense that they have a big dramatic presence, but almost the opposite.
Järvi
's readings of
with the
Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen
are dry, precise, and quick. In general,
is influenced by historically oriented performances, although the instruments are modern: there is little vibrato, and the attacks are crisp and penetrating. There is little sense of surprise in the famous chord from the slow movement of the
Symphony No. 94 in G major, H. 1/94
(the
"Surprise" Symphony
), but the outer movements of this symphony represent a real virtuoso accomplishment on the part of
and the orchestra; the finale is exciting and even makes room for a certain concise wit. This may go a bit far for some listeners; in no sense is the
Symphony No. 95 in C minor, H. 1/95
, Allegro moderato, but there is no denying the consistency of
's approach, for which a bit of sampling will quickly determine the individual listener's reaction. One awaits
's final volume of these symphonies with interest. ~ James Manheim