*** (Three Star top rating) “[A] glowing performance [of Symphony No. 88]… totally disarming, lightly sprung and vivacious. …
[Symphonies Nos. 94 and 101 are a] captivating pair from Monteux [with the] V.P.O on top form… there are no more wittily enjoyable performances of these two symphonies in the catalogue”
– Penguin Guide
Joseph Haydn was the first major composer of the “classical” era, widely considered to be the “Father of the Symphony” – with over 100 such works to his credit. The three late symphonies in this release showcase Haydn’s charming, witty symphonic style.
Alto Records brings together for the first time: legendary studio recordings of Haydn Symphonies from the 1950s by two giants of the podium now considered among the greatest maestros of the twentieth century: Wilhelm Furtwängler, whose dramatic and “subjectivist” interpretations in both concert hall and studio yielded characterful music-making, and Pierre Monteux, whose Haydn brims with elegance and spontaneity. These classics of the early vinyl era have been newly remastered by Paul Arden-Taylor.
