ORCHESTRA OF THE AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT

About

Haydn was a master at all scales: the architect of great symphonies but also a master of the miniature. The group of works known as Le Matin, Le Midi, Le Soir are a brilliant application of the Italian concerto grosso model in classical form, inspired by the Italian taste for depicting nature in music. The 'English' Canzonettas are a story of musical opportunism: a residence with composer and impresario (Salomon), a fine English Broadwood pianforte in a workshop across the road, and easy access to London salons full of poets and intellectuals. The result is a series of lyric works for pianoforte and vocal accompaniment, with charming melodies that aptly frame words of the moment. Alongside these three remarkable symphonies, the songs complete a lustrous account of Haydn: man for all seasons, complete musician and consummate innovator.