I first listened to this one over 2 weeks ago. If I remember correctly, I climbed into our hammock and listened to this just before work, thinking I could get a headstart on writing about it later that night, but I ended up posting about my least favorite parts of “No Country for Old Men” by Cormac McCarthy instead and only got around to refreshing my memory with a second listen today. I just finished listening to it while drinking the last of the Jeremiah Johnson scotch ales we brought home from our trip to Glacier National Park.

Haydn

The first movement (‘Adagio - Presto - Adagio’) was interesting because it was itself composed of three different parts — one exciting part bookended by two seemingly identical boring parts. The ‘Adagio’ sections seem to almost be taunting me with how airy and empty they are. The ‘Presto’ explodes in a pretty exciting way and has some satisfying and interesting moments; it just feels marooned in a sea of misty adagio. James Webster, the musicologist whose symphony write-ups I’ve been following along with, describes this as “arguably Haydn’s most unusual opening symphony movement” and raises the question of whether “extra-musical content” was originally intended to accompany it but later lost.

The second movement (‘Menuet e trio’) never really became interesting and eventually became repetitive in its mannerisms. The third movement (‘Andante’) was mostly just quiet and pokey strings, again not seeming to add up to much, but occasionally catching my attention with a rise in volume.

The fourth movement, a ‘Presto’ finale, ends things off fairly strong, mainly notable for a pretty chord progression underscored by swirling strings around 0:50.

I didn’t really like most of this one, but I don’t feel quite ready to hand down my first 1-star review. I think it deserves a 2 for effort.

Version listened to: Academy of Ancient Music/Christopher Hogwood
Length: 20:09
Next up: Symphony No. 17