Although his reputation was long ago surpassed by brother Franz Joseph, Johann Michael Haydn was a renowned and influential composer in his own right. Although it is his vocal (and more particularly liturgical) music that particularly stands out, Michael Haydn composed 11 instrumental concertos. Among them are the three violin pieces heard here, all written relatively early in his career (between 1760 and 1776). They are charming, elegantly constructed works, and lovers of Classical-era concertos will find these to be delightful discoveries.
Hungaroton has released a number of Michael Haydn discs during the past few years, mostly of his sacred music, and now enters the concerto realm with this disc featuring Hungarian violinist Barnabás Kelemen. (It’s worth noting that the label claims these to be the first recordings of the G and A major concertos.) Kelemen is a young soloist who projects an opulent tone colored by a heavy, Romantic vibrato. His tempos generally tend toward the slow and stately. If you’re looking for a “historically informed” reading, Kelemen isn’t your man, but he is a solid interpreter, and the all-string Erkel Ferenc Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Kelemen, brings sparkle and verve to the scores (as in the crisply articulated introduction to the G major concerto’s Allegro). The sound is fine as well. [3/4/2003]
