Paavo Järvi conducts Haydn's Symphonies Nos. 93, 97 and 101

Paavo Järvi conducts the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen in three of Joseph Haydn's twelve "London symphonies": Symphonies Nos. 93, 97, and 101! The program also includes a sublime interpretation of Mozart's Don Giovanni Overture, as well as Sibelius's joyous Andante Festivo, in a magnificent orchestral version.

Upon the death of Prince Nicolas I Esterházy in 1790, Haydn was released from his duties in Vienna. He was invited to London by violinist Johann Peter Salomon, the 58-year-old Austrian composer left his homeland for the first time. These years of freedom, immersed in the effervescence and cosmopolitanism of the English capital, had a profound influence on his compositions. With a larger orchestra at his disposal, his scores became more complex, with humorous touches such as the amusing bassoon solo in the Symphony No. 93 in D major. The structure of these symphonies is also innovative: a slow adagio introduction contrasts with a fast second movement, as in Symphony No. 97 in C minor. To entertain the London audience, which was eager for novelty, Haydn didn't hesitate to introduce surprising effects either, such as the “ticking” rhythm of the second movement of Symphony No. 101, aptly nicknamed “The Clock”.