Barbara Hannigan and LUDWIG

Barbara Hannigan sings and conducts. Joseph Haydn (eighteenth century) and Gerald Barry (today): music that continues to surprise.



Special effects

The middle-aged Haydn spent his days with the Esterházys, but his fame had spread to such an extent that the whole of Europe was attracted to him. Between his obligations at court, he delivered three symphonies in 1789, the trio 90, 91 and 92 that he secretly sold to three different patrons (and he got away with it - the electronic highway did not yet exist...). He explicitly requested one of the remote Kapellmeister to rehearse at least once, as it contained some 'special effects'. The unexpected 'ending' halfway through the finale of the Ninetieth, a symphony both dance-like and dramatic, full of contrasts and delightful one-twos between separate groups of instruments, is indeed notorious.



Barbara Hannigan sings and conducts

The Irishman Gerald Barry also delivers surprises in his Wiener Blut. He mixes elements from different eras lustily together - including his own, somewhat difficult introduction to the works of Bach. Lively music such as Barry's and Haydn's is like gold in the hands of Barbara Hannigan (who also solo's in Weill, specially arranged for her) and the musicians of LUDWIG.