This important and charming set is the fifth of six volumes (totalling 18CDs in all) which gather together Joseph Haydn’s arrangements of British folksongs. These were made at the behest of publishers who had a ready market for popular songs and melodies arranged for domestic consumption; undemanding to play and listen to – and commercially very
advantageous to both publisher and composer.
Beethoven also took time off from weightier matters to earn valuable cash from these delightful trifles, but he did not invest the time and ingenuity that Haydn lavished on them with his extraordinary diligence. Previous issues in this series have garnered strong reviews: John Steane, in reviewing Volume 2
for Gramophone, noted how important it is to have Scottish voices catching the particular lilt of these songs, and praised the ‘unfailingly stylish’ playing of the Haydn Trio Eisenstadt.
Other information
- Many songs recorded here for the first time.
- Issued for the Haydn anniversary of 2009, a must for collectors.
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www.scottishsongs.at.
