Haydn's Passion

Sturm Und Drang meets unbridled joy.

This cracker of a concert is jam-packed with stormy sounds and hurtling horsehair. A dazzling evening from a 21st-century ensemble of soloists. AHE performs two key works from Mozart — the 3rd Violin Concerto, with soloist Skye McIntosh, and his 29th symphony — Haydn’s La Passione Symphony and a less familiar but just as exciting work by their Czech contemporary, J B Vanhal.

Artistic Director and soloist Skye McIntosh has chosen two perennial favourites containing some of Mozart’s loveliest writing, arguably the first time it crossed the line from “gifted” to “immortal”. The concerto’s celebrated Adagio is a ravishing aria without words, the violin soaring over the flutes and muted strings, while the A major symphony, from its delectable opening to its galloping finale, is uninterruptedly joyous.

Haydn’s 49th Symphony, La Passione, by contrast, is seriously dramatic, with the nervous energy of CPE Bach, but also seems to look backwards to the Italian baroque; its cascading passages, with horns blazing, conjuring Titian-like dark skies.

Meanwhile, C.P.E. Bach’s Symphony in E minor captures the intense, unpredictable spirit of Sturm und Drang, pushing the boundaries of emotional expression in the Classical symphony. Bach’s volatile phrases and dynamic shifts create an atmosphere that’s both electrifying and unpredictable, adding a thrilling tension to the program.

A dazzling evening from a 21st-century ensemble of period-instrument soloists to rival Haydn’s beloved band.

The Australian Haydn Ensemble is clearly a treasure… ClassikON

• Program

  Haydn

  Symphony No. 49 in F minor La Passione

  Mozart

  Violin Concerto No. 3 in G major K. 216

  C. P. E. Bach

  Symphony in E minor Wq 178

  Mozart

  Symphony No. 29 in A major K. 201

• Artists

  Skye McIntosh

  Director, violin

  The Australian Haydn Ensemble