Haydn at The Proms

Haydn seems to have had a bit of a lean time at the Proms since The Creation on July 18th. On the plus side Proms Chamber Music later gave us three quartets and some arias and canzonets, but even that all seems rather a long time ago.

Happily things are coming good at the end of the season. After 'The Clock' Symphony No 101 just over a week ago, there are two London symphonies (Prom 62 tonight and Prom 73 on 10 September) and the Trumpet Concerto to come.

I was delighted with the BBC Symphony Orchestra's performance of The Clock. Fifteen years ago. Symphony orchestras seemed very defensive about playing Mozart and Haydn, preferring to leave that particular repertoire to the newly emerging period-instrument bands. But thanks to Roger Norrington, Simon Rattle and others, the big orchestras have listened and learnt - and finally got their confidence back. Like the BBC Concert Orchestra, the BBCSO has to be able to perform a vast repertoire in many different styles. On August 23rd they and Osma Vanska did Haydn proud. The playing was alert and the textures clean and lean. A real pleasure.

After that, I'm particularly looking forward to Prom 62 on September 1st with the Royal Concertgebouw (another big band) and Mariss Jansons pairing Haydn's Military Symphony (No 100) with Shostakovich's 10th. This is an intriguing piece of programming contrasting one of the world's most optimistic composers with one of its most troubled. It'll be very interesting to see how things go!

Not much doubt about the other Haydn symphony in Prom 73 on 10th September. The programme contrasts Haydn No 97 with the Great C major by Schubert and is given by the Vienna Phil and Harnoncourt. This conductor was one of the first to ask symphony orchestras not to play Haydn like Brahms. It should be great. More anon.

• The picture shows a Mehterhane, an Ottoman military band of the kind that inflienced Haydn. It's from the Wikimedia Commons.
• All the Haydn at this year's Proms.