The right venue makes all the difference; and Nimbus was right to choose the Haydnsaal at Schloss Eisenstadt because the acoustic is as envisaged by Haydn. Fullness and clarity are in ideal proportions, probably because he had insisted that the original marble flooring be replaced with wooden boards. ‘Period’ hall it may be, but modern-instrument ensembles are by no means out of place there, at least not when Fischer conducts. He seems to understand its unique ambience but, despite the best of intentions, Nimbus has had difficulty in harnessing it for consistently convincing results. The sound here varies from credible to grainy while the string-perspective is lopsided because cellos and basses, sited too far right, are divorced from the rest of the orchestra.
You’ll have gathered that violins are not antiphonally separated, which is a pity because the second violin line does not stand out as an equally important entity. For the texts, Fischer seems to have settled on Robbins Landon’s editions that add trumpets and timpani to the finale of No 73 and to the whole of No 75. In both cases, James Webster disputes their inclusion and they are not heard in Hogwood’s recordings. But Fischer’s lack of inhibition about balancing brass and percussion for full impact in concert has been somewhat curbed in places. Nevertheless, horns and trumpets do ring out in No 75, and drums are sharply defined in the first movement of No 72 where Fischer, unlike Dorati, gives the music the right impetus, making little concession to the four horn players who appear to be intimidated by Haydn’s demands.
Fischer’s tempos for some outer movements are controversial, largely because additional markings like assai, con brio and con spirito are not treated as instructions to convey an almost neurotic intensity in the writing. What, however, prevents the music from descending into a sort of ‘comfort zone’ is Fischer’s feel for rhythm, so well honed that phrases stay aloft and paragraphs are welded into a single coherent shape. He slips twice, taming the whirling brilliance inherent in the finale of No 70 and dampening the quirky humour of the equivalent movement of No 78 by not playing it Presto as marked. Such exceptions do not apply to any of the slow movements. They have poise and a certainty of direction that result from Fischer’s control over contour, though the omission of all repeats in that of No 71 is puzzling.
His interpretation of the minuets and trios calls for special mention too. They neither drag nor run at a fleet, one-in-a-bar speed that is now thought authentic. Instead, Fischer paces them as ballroom dances yet emphasises their position within symphonic form by avoiding stateliness and false elegance. It’s impossible to list all the felicities, but note the unusual effect of accenting the third beat of the Minuet of No 81, and the comic twist given the Trio of No 74 when the first half, marked arco, is repeated pizzicato. Resourceful stuff. If only the recording had fully reflected the properties of the Haydnsaal.'