This DVD features a fairly short program of Haydn's music including his Symphony No. 92 ("Oxford") which Harnoncourt performs with his Concentus Musicus Wien and, with the coloratura mezzo-soprano, Cecilia Bartoli, two "scenes": Arianna a Naxos and the Scena di Berenice. The first, written originally with piano accompaniment was orchestrated by an unknown hand and this is what is heard on the DVD.
The Symphony is well-played by Harnoncourt's old instruments ensemble but is occasionally marred by too precious phrasing, as in the very beginning, and a few ill-judged tempi. I also wish they'd showed the flutist from a greater distance since I found his mannerisms a bit excessive. The strings are pretty much like modern strings except there is much less vibrato used than in most modern ensembles but the sound is surprisingly rich and full, on the disk at least. The horns appear to be valveless and are referred to as "natural" horns I believe.
The work, as a whole, shows Joseph Haydn to be one of the supreme masters of music, bar none!
I would criticize the vocal selections as being a bit too much alike. Both are about women losing their lovers. Berenice was probably the Queen of Egypt executed with her lover Demetrio around the time of Cleopatra. (In Handel's opera "Berenice", happy endings are provided.) Ariadne, of course is from Greek mythology and in this scene, she is shown being abandoned by her lover Theseus. (Not shown is her rescue by the god Bacchus.)
Both scenes have a great deal of Haydn's distinct form of recitative with some "arias" interspersed and both have "pathetic" sections as well as "Sturm und Drang" (stormy) ones in which the singer unleashes some impressively dramatic coloratura. I could do with a bit less mugging but Bartoli is, as usual, very impressive vocally in supremely difficult music.
Haydn's long-term employment at the Esterhazy estate, of course, obviated against his becoming a great opera composer but these works show something of what he might have done had he had the opportunity. The best of Haydn's vocal music may be heard in the Masses and Oratorios.
The DVD has a few interesting extras especially the one showing the rehearsals.
9 out of 10.
