Veteran conductor
Adam Fischer
recorded a complete cycle of
Haydn's symphonies
with his
Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra
, mostly in the 1990s. Now, he returns with a new set of the last 25, of which the present release is the first volume. If this album is any indication, he has new things to say. The release shows the conjunction of three impulses and tendencies. First is that
Fischer
, a master orchestra handler, has led the
Danish Chamber Orchestra
for many years and has molded it into an instrument extremely responsive to his ideas. Second,
argues that the atmosphere of
Haydn
's celebrated London concerts was akin to what one might expect today of a rock concert, and he sets out to deliver performances with high impact. His tempos are quick indeed (sample the blistering "Surprise" movement of the
Symphony No. 94 in G major
, and consider whether it works at this speed), and he varies the tempo in ways that are not usually thought idiomatic to Classical style. One can debate these moves, but these are undoubtedly not dull performances. The third distinctive factor here is that although the
is not a historical-instrument ensemble,
borrows certain moves from that tradition, including generally minimal vibrato, sharp attacks, and distinctive bowstrokes. These features support his general interpretation. With fine sound from the Royal Danish Academy of Music, this release announces a new
set that demands attention; it made classical best-seller charts in the summer of 2023. ~ James Manheim