Archipel Records: Haydn — 3 London Symphonies Nos. 95, 98 & 100, Ferenc Fricsay / RIAS SO Audio CD

Brand new! Factory packaged! As pictured! Buy with confidence!

Product Details:

• Product Type: Audio CD (Historical Reissue)
• Brand / Label: Archipel Records (Desert Island Collection)
• Composer: Franz Joseph Haydn (1732–1809)
• Conductor: Ferenc Fricsay
• Orchestra: RIAS Symphony Orchestra Berlin
• Original Recordings: 1953/1954
• Release Year: 2004
• Genre: Classical
• Style: Symphonic, Classical Period
• Catalog Number: ARPCD 0217
• UPC: 4035122402179
• Condition: Factory Sealed

Product Features

• Format: CD
• Discs: 1
• Total Runtime: 67:45
• Audio: ADD Mono, 24-bit / 96 kHz digital restoration (Hi-End Restoration Technology)
• Source: Issued from original sources
• Made in Germany
• Packaging: Standard jewel case, factory shrink-wrapped

Overview

Three of Haydn's twelve London Symphonies in a single 67-minute disc — conducted by Ferenc Fricsay with the RIAS Symphony Orchestra Berlin, recorded in 1953 and 1954 and digitally restored for this 2004 Archipel release. The programme pairs two of the less frequently recorded London works (No. 95 in C minor and No. 98 in B-flat major) with the celebrated "Military" Symphony No. 100 in G major, making this a disc that rewards both the general listener and the collector looking beyond the obvious Haydn warhorses.

Fricsay's approach to Haydn is lean and purposeful. The RIAS recordings from this period have a characteristic directness — minimal padding, clear textures, and a rhythmic energy that keeps even the longer first movements moving. The mono source material, restored here at 24-bit / 96 kHz, is clean for its era; the strings and winds come through with good definition, and the dynamic contrasts in the "Military" symphony — including its famous second-movement surprise — translate well to disc.

For collectors of historical conducting, Fricsay's RIAS Haydn is a genuine document of the early 1950s Berlin concert scene, and Archipel's restoration work makes it accessible to modern ears without falsifying the original character of the recordings.

Interesting Facts

• Ferenc Fricsay (1914–1963) was a Hungarian conductor who became one of the most celebrated interpreters of his generation, closely associated with the RIAS Symphony Orchestra in West Berlin from its founding years.
• The RIAS Symphony Orchestra (Rundfunk im amerikanischen Sektor) was established in 1946 in the American sector of postwar Berlin; its recordings with Fricsay are among the most prized documents of that era.
• Haydn's Symphony No. 100 in G major earned the nickname "Military" from its second movement, which incorporates a Turkish percussion battery — bass drum, cymbals, triangle, and bugle call — an exotic effect that delighted London audiences at its 1794 premiere.
• Symphony No. 95 is the only one of the twelve London Symphonies in a minor key, giving it a darker, more concentrated character that sets it apart from the rest of the series.
• Symphony No. 98 contains a rare personal touch: Haydn reportedly wrote a brief solo passage for himself at the fortepiano in the final movement — one of the few moments in the London Symphonies where his own hand is directly audible in the score.
• Archipel Records' Desert Island Collection focuses specifically on historic mono and early stereo recordings restored with high-resolution digital tools, preserving interpretations that predate the standard LP era in accessible modern formats.

Track Listing

1–4. Symphony No. 95 in C Minor 5–8. Symphony No. 98 in B-flat Major 9–12. Symphony No. 100 in G Major, "Militär-Symphonie"

Detailed movement timings not listed on packaging.

Total: 67:45

Publishers

© & ℗ 2004 IMD Music Distribution Ltd. Digital restoration by IMD Music Distribution Ltd. Made in Germany. Issued from original sources (recordings: 1953/1954).

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