Dmitri Babanov is a secure, smooth-toned soloist in the lively Horn Concerto of 1762, coping with Haydn’s frequent descents into the underworld and the comically spluttering repeated notes in the finale. Accompaniments, here and elsewhere, are reliable rather than inspiring, and the harpsichord continuo tends to pound too enthusiastically for my taste. The late Trumpet Concerto—by far the finest work on the disc—is dispatched in enjoyably bright, forthright style by Jürgen Schuster, though he rather jabs at the main theme from the finale.

The Harpsichord Concerto is full of great jokes. I especially love the jumping frog impression which the keyboard undertakes at 1:37 in the first movement. There’s lots of interplay between soloist and orchestra, more than in the wind concertos, but this is probably because Haydn knew that his soloist wouldn’t be overwhelmed by the accompaniment as easily as in the other works. The slow movement contains many little jokes with grace notes cheekily sticking their noses into the serious business of tunefulness. The finale is simply a fast romp.

The Double Concerto is thought to have started life as a work for organ. It is considered to have been performed for the solemn profession of Therese Keller, Haydn’ future sister–in–law, as a nun in 1756—the proof being that the range used by the fortepiano is restricted to the range of the contemporary Viennese organ. Certainly, this is a more serious work, more stately, than the others contained herein. The two soloists never engage in overt display and more often than not they connect in harmonious duet. Rather lovely it is, too. The finale is fast and joyful, but there’s still a serious undertone to the music.

Thanks to the solo trumpet repertoire being quite small, until contemporary composers started writing for it, Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto has become very well known. It’s a true virtuoso work with a gorgeous slow movement and a racy finale.

The performances here are first class, with lots of life and a real period feel. There’s nothing prissy or restrained about them—they’re really very alive. Thoroughly enjoyable.

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Review By Giv Cornfield,The New Recordings, Cliffs Classics,August 2008



Review By James Manheim,Allmusic.com,August 2008

This disc by the veteran Cologne Chamber Orchestra and its conductor Helmut Müller-Brühl offers a mixed bag of concertos by Joseph Haydn, a genre that was never the composer’s strong point. This ensemble was doing unknown Classical-period chamber works well before most of the others on the scene, and their playing is precise if a bit more toward the smooth side than is fashionable these days…Trumpet Concerto in E flat major, Hob. 7e/1, one of the most familiar trumpet works in the catalog…is played quite competently by Jürgen Schuster on a modern trumpet…there is nothing in the least unpleasant about the hour of music offered here, which might serve a Haydn enthusiast reasonably well for a long commute home.