Joseph Haydn

I have just enjoyed listening to a piano trio in G major by Haydn in “Through the Night” on BBC Radio 3. It was the work catalogued as Hoboken XV:25, the one with a rondo finale in the Gypsy style (Rondo all’Ongarese); the performers were the Grieg Trio.

Joseph Haydn (1732–1809) was born in Rohrau, Austria.

One of the clues in the cryptic crossword in today’s Metro is:

I figured out the solution to be ASTONISHMENT (anagram of “this man’s note”). I thought it was a rubbish clue! A much better one (for another puzzle) would be:

Answer: JOSEPH HAYDN!

A moment ago, I enjoyed listening to that quartet (performed by the Kuijken String Quartet) on my laptop.

A moment ago, I enjoyed listening to the Quartet in E♭, Op. 76 № 6 (Hob. III:80) (performed by the Kuijken String Quartet) on my laptop.

A moment ago, I enjoyed listening to another Haydn work in “Through the Night”, a keyboard sonata in G major, the Hob. XVI:27, with Niklas Sivelöv on piano.

I enjoyed listening to that quartet (played by the Quatuor Mosaïques) on my laptop a moment ago.

And I like the fact that there are people lucky enough to suffer from insomnia and be able to be awake at this time of day to enjoy listening to Haydn’s splendid music. A moment ago, the Op. 77 № 1 quartet was played again in “Through the Night” with Jonathan Swain, this time performed by the Australian String Quartet.

At the moment, I am listening to the Symphony № 22 in E-flat major, Hob. I:22, in “Through the Night” with Jonathan Swain, performed by the Amsterdam Bach Soloists. Nicknamed “The Philosopher”, it is remarkable for the substitution of a pair of cor anglais for the usual pair of oboes in the score.

The Piano Sonata in B-flat major, Hob. XVI:41, is now being played by Jean-Efflam Bavouzet in “Essential Classics” with Ian Skelly.

Haydn’s patron Prince Nikolaus Esterházy played the baryton, an obsolete string instrument – and we have this to thank for a number (put at 175 by Wikipedia) of compositions by Haydn for this instrument that have survived.

The first movement of Haydn’s Symphony № 63 in C major, Hob. I:63, is also the overture (more or less) to the opera Il mondo della luna, Hob. XXVIII:7. It (the overture, not the opera) has just been played in “Through the Night” with Catriona Young, Ton Koopman conducting the Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra.

Haydn is Radio 3’s Composer of the Week this week – as I only found out a moment ago.

In Monday’s programme, Christopher Hogwood conducted the Academy of Ancient Music in Symphony № 96 in D major, Hob. I:96.

In yesterday’s programme, Nikolaus Harnoncourt conducted the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Symphony № 99 in E-flat major, Hob. I:99 – while the Takács Quartet performed String Quartet in C major, Op. 74 № 1, Hob. III:72.

Ádám Fischer is now conducting the Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Symphony № 88 in G major, Hob. I:88, in “Through the Night” with Catriona Young.

Anatoli Krastev was the soloist with the Sofia Soloists Chamber Ensemble conducted by Emil Tabakov in the Cello Concerto № 1 in C major, Hob. VIIb:1, in “Through the Night” with Catriona Young, just before “Breakfast” with Martin Handley, just now.

The Escher Quartet played String Quartet in E-flat major, Op. 33 № 2 (Hob. III:38) in “Through the Night” with John Shea a moment ago.

I am at Caffè Nero in Westfield Stratford City – and hearing music by Haydn being softly played in the background! It is the third movement of Symphony № 38 in C major. No information about the performers – but, fancy hearing Haydn in a place like this!

I am at Caffè Nero again – and heard Haydn again a moment ago! This time I recognized the music as being the third movement of Symphony № 9 in C major! Fancy hearing not just Haydn but a delightful little little-known work by my favourite composer!

A moment ago, I enjoyed listening to the Budapest Strings Chamber Orchestra under conductor Károly Botvay perform Symphony № 59 in A major, Hob. I:59, in “Through the Night” with Jonathan Swain.

Symphony № 43 in E-flat major, Hob. I:43, is now being played by the Orchestra Libera Classica under conductor Hidemi Suzuki in “Through the Night” with John Shea.

I do not usually listen to Classic FM, but when I tuned in briefly a moment ago, I heard the third movement of Symphony № 100 in G major being played by the Swiss-Italian Radio Symphony Orchestra with conductor Howard Shelley.

String Quartet in B-flat major, Op. 71 № 1 (Hob. III:9) (the Tátrai Quartet) in “Through the Night” with Jonathan Swain.

I listened to Piano Trio in E major, Hob. XV:28 (the Beaux Arts Trio) in “Through the Night” with Catriona Young on my way to work in the earlier hours of yesterday morning, taking a route-N18 bus from Harrow & Wealdstone Station to Oxford Circus Station / Margaret Street.

Niklas Sivelöv (piano), Bernt Lysell (violin), and Mikael Sjögren (cello) played Piano Trio in E-flat major, Hob. XV:10, in “Through the Night” with Jonathan Swain.