The fifteenth volume of the Haydn2032 cycle is entitled ‘La Reine’. One might think that this nickname refers to Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, queen of numerous territories, but in fact the monarch honoured by the popular title of Symphony no.85 is her daughter, Marie Antoinette. It was said to be the favourite of ‘La Reine de France’, which is the full nickname of the work. The new volume also includes Symphony no.50, which delighted the Empress’s ears when she visited Prince Nicolaus Esterházy at his ‘Hungarian Versailles’ in 1773. Symphony no.62, which dates from 1780, the fortieth anniversary of Maria Theresa’s accession to the throne and also the last year of a life as eventful as it was glorious, rounds off this latest instalment of the complete recording of the symphonies conducted by Giovanni Antonini, here at the helm of the Basel Chamber Orchestra.
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Reviews
Performance ***** Recording ****
“… Antonini’s performances are as lively as ever, keeping the players of the Kammerorchester Basel on their toes throughout. Followers of this series needn’t hesitate.”
Misha Donat – BBC Music magazine – July 2024
“Antonini chooses predictably lively tempos, yet never at the expensive of detailed, expressive shaping… He’s [Antonini] a natural in Haydn. Collectors of his steadily evolving cycle, ever-unpredictable in its grouping of works, will need no prompting.”
Richard Wigmore – Gramophone magazine – June 2024
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