Haydn: 'London' Symphonies Nos. 93- 99 (Royal Edition, No. 34)

Haydn offers more sheer fun per minute than any other composer. What keeps him from being as popular as Mozart or Beethoven is simply that our entire classical music culture-- composers, performers, listeners, and critics--takes itself much too seriously. So when a real musical comedian like Haydn comes along, he's dismissed as "superficial." Now Leonard Bernstein was a brilliant musical comedian, too--just think of On the Town or Candide, so it's no surprise that his Haydn performances are among the best things he ever did. Just try the finale to Symphony No. 99 and see if it doesn't make you feel good. That's what this music is all about, and it's a pity that so many in this business can't seem to remember that. Bernstein, for one, never forgot. --David Hurwitz