In 1761 Haydn was asked to compose three symphonies to reflect morning, noon and night at the court of Esterházy, where he just arrived to take up a new position as a second kapellmeister (music director). He made sure to give prominent solos to many of his 17-piece orchestra. So along with violin, cello and flute, he also features the viola, bassoon and violone (the lowest bowed string instrument in his orchestra). The violone player in this concert is Laura Vaughan, who also debuts her brand new baryton - the only instrument of its kind in Australia. The baryton is rather like a bass viol but has extra resonance due to a course of sympathetic (‘open”) bass strings that can be plucked with the thumb behind the neck. In 1766 Haydn and the orchestra were required to move to the beautiful but isolated new palace at Eszterhaza built by Haydn’s next employer, Prince Nicholas II of Esterházy. The Prince was a keen baryton player and Haydn wrote about 200 works for him to play. These pleased the Prince so much, he ensured that Haydn eventually became his sole kapellmeister. In this concert the baryton features in Haydn’s Baryton Trio No.70 and his seldom-heard Divertimento a 8 voci. (for 8 instrumental parts).

Recorded live in concert at City Recital Hall, Angel Place on 15 December 2023 by ABC Classic. Producer Brooke Green. Engineer Virginia Read.
Program

Franz Joseph Haydn: Symphony No.6 in D major (Le Matin)
Haydn: Symphony No 7 in C (Le Midi)
Haydn: Baryton Trio No.70 in G
Haydn: Divertimento a 8 voci No.1 in D
Haydn: Symphony No.8 in G (Le Soir)
Haydn: Symphony in d min (Hob I:80) Finale

Artists

Artists

Skye McIntosh (concertmaster)
Karina Schmitz (viola)
Laura Vaughan (baryton)
Daniel Yeadon (cello)
Australian Haydn Ensemble

Find out more

Watch Laura Vaughan demonstrate the baryton on YouTube

Credits

• Genevieve Lang, Presenter