CityLife

BBC Philharmonic Orchestra: Haydn

GIANANDREA Noseda and the BBC Philharmonic have a hectic Haydn programme ahead to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the great composer's death - and they got off to a great start.

They took the problems of incessant Haydn symphonies by the scruff of the neck and used every trick in the book to enliven his first programme Wednesday, June 3) – featuring five of them.

 Noseda used a biggish string band most of the time, though reduced a little for no. 43 (‘Mercury’) and no. 45 (‘Farewell’), but the variety of tone and texture he drew from it was a constant delight – including judicious use of string mutes in slow movements, particularly effective in no. 70.  

Old-style timpani  

 ‘Natural’ horns and trumpets and old-style timpani completed the sound picture, and Noseda’s speeds were often hectic. I think he managed to bring every one of the symphonies in at two minutes or more under the ‘official’ timing given in the programme book.  

But it was well worth it: if Haydn is to live for today, his symphonies need turbo-charging now and then, and the finales of no. 13 and no. 80 came over almost as if they were today’s music.    

The ‘Farewell’ (no. 45) was played for laughs at the end, with the players donning raincoats, sunglasses, cycling helmets etc. as they made their exits (only to return, along with the conductor, in varying stages of undress for their calls).  

Pity the radio audience couldn’t see it – they may have heard the titters.  

More leisurely   Saturday June 6’s programme was just three symphonies – no. 82 (‘The Bear’), no. 92 (‘Oxford’) and no. 104 (the last ‘London’).  

It was the same-sized orchestra, more or less, though these more public works require fuller woodwind than the early ones, but Gianandrea Noseda’s approach was slightly more leisurely.  

At least to begin with – he still knew the finales are best done breakneck, and the opening of the Oxford was about as fast as anyone would dare, bearing in mind what the woodwind have to accomplish at the end.  

Extraordinary musicianship  

Rhetoric began to make its presence felt, as Noseda pointed up the junctions with dramatic pauses, and by no. 104 we were in a world reminiscent of Don Giovanni in its opening and Beethovenian by its close.  

The way he has explored these symphonies to their limits has been remarkable – and the way the Phil have travelled the path with him a sign of their extraordinary musicianship  

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