Joseph Haydn, Roger Norrington, Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart

The 12 London Symphonies

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For Sir Roger Norrington, these recordings represented a very special accomplishment: "Every symphony by Joseph Haydn is worth knowing. After hearing one, you will want to sing the tunes and dance to the rhythms or laugh out loud at one of his musical jokes! His music is just as entertaining as it is uplifting - a great addition for your life. "
The artist who aspires to perform Haydn, must devote themselves to understanding the very origins of the modern symphonic form. It requires diving deep into and ocean of musical subtleties, whose secrets lay beneath the surface of classical symmetry, internal structure and the obvious displays of humor.
This month, SWR music / Hänssler CLASSIC is proud to announce the release of a new four CD box set, documenting the climax of Haydn's work as a symphonist - the famous "London" Symphonies. Sir Roger Norrington and the SWR Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra have embraced this challenge and have succeeded in delivering performances that do this great composer justice.
It was a challenge for the elderly Haydn to go to London. For many years he lived in virtual seclusion in the Eszterhazy palace in Hungary, and yet when the opportunity presented itself to see the world, he embraced it - come what may. While Haydn wished for a concert tour to England, his language skills were abysmal. It was all the more satisfying for him that his new compositions for the London audience were enthusiastically received. The English loved "their Haydn" and would have kept him there forever. The King even offered him an apartment in Windsor Castle.
The "London" Symphonies are among Haydn's late works. Before he went to England, he had already written 92 symphonies, a further 12 followed while he was in the British capital. In these works, Haydn's mastery of the classical symphonic form is in full flower. Like no other, he combines the simple, folk melodies, with sophistication, and as was often the case, blended with an ironic sense of humor.

The Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart has mastered the subtleties of Haydn's musical language, and has managed to combine the artistic goals of "Historically Informed Performance" practices with the clarity of a modern symphony orchestra resulting in their justifiably famous "Stuttgart Sound."