Naxos move from Bratislava to Manchester for this latest disc in their Haydn symphony series, the first of five scheduled releases featuring the Northern Chamber Orchestra under their Musical Director Nicholas Ward. Despite their widely separated numberings the three works here were in fact composed within a year or so of each other during 1767-8, an exciting, exploratory period that saw a striking enrichment and deepening of Haydn's symphonic language. Of the two turbulent minor-key symphonies, both probably composed for performance in Holy Week, No. 26 draws on ancient Passion, or 'Lamentation', chants in both its first and second movements, and ends with a questioning, faintly enigmatic minuet; while No. 49, in F minor throughout, is the bleakest and most uncompromising of all Haydn's symphonies. By contrast, No. 35 is a genial, Italianate piece with an irresistibly witty finale, though a new seriousness of purpose is revealed in the first movement's fiery contrapuntal development.
Ward directs neat, unfussy performances of all three works; and the actual playing of the orchestra, numbering at a guess around 25 players (including a discreetly balanced harpsichord continuo), is alert and assured, if occasionally lacking the last degree of polish. Neither of the minor-key symphonies is quite as searching or dramatic as in the finest readings—I sometimes wished for tauter rhythms, more pointed articulation and a stronger drive to cadential points. The burdened opening Adagio of No. 49 emerges as a touch too swift and smoothly phrased, while the beautiful, rarefied slow movement of No. 26 is short on delicacy and subtlety, especially in the shaping of the violin sextuplets. The most successful performance is certainly that of No. 35: the outer movements are crisp and vital, with plenty of adrenalin in the first-movement development, and there's a nice spring to the minuet. If some rival full-price versions (notably Trevor Pinnock) offer more probing, disturbing performances of the minor-key symphonies, no one wanting to investigate these works will regret spending a fiver on this disc. The recording, made in the BBC's Manchester studios, is clear and pleasing, though for my taste oboes and horns are rather short-changed in the balance.'