Rating: - A "must have" for Haydn fans
I have gained many hours of pleasure from this set. Dorati rarely disappoints. The only very small fly in the ointment is that some of the recordings sound a little dated now (from a techncial point of view); but still very much a must buy for all fans of Haydn and his symphonies.
Rating: - The best
This set of the complete symphonies is a constant joy. Dorati has just the right approach throughout: he lets the music speak for itself, without irritating pulling about of the form and structures. It is graceful, expertly played, has exceptionally clear sound and is, in all respects, a monumental achievement. You may not actually want all of the symphonies, of course, but the inspiration is amazingly high throughout the series and it is endlessly fascinating to map the development of the father of the symphony. At this price for 33 CDs you should certainly go for it.
Rating: - Still the set to buy, despite its faults
The Dorati LP Haydn project was a milestone in recorded music, and it's good to hear these performances again, now on CD of course. The good points? The music! - Haydn only ever wrote one duff symphonic movement (the Finale to Symphony 76, if you're interested), and for the most part Dorati is a reasonable medium to show Haydn's genius, letting the music speak for itself. The recording also is still excellent. The bad points? The slow Minuets are often mentioned in reviews, but what I find more disturbing are the odd moments where Dorati pulls the music around (the development of the slow movement of Symphony 43 descends into near-hysteria). But this is still the complete set to buy; Adam Fischer's is often recommended, and it's absurdly cheap, but Fischer is wilful, rewriting the music on many occasions (solo strings appear for no good reason - why?????), and there is a falseness lurking below the surface. Dorati, surprisingly, is also more generous with repeats.
Dorati also includes an alternative version of Symphony 22 (probably an arrangement by sombody else), extra Finales for Symphony 53, the two symphonies that missed the numbering ('A' and 'B'), possibly the original version of Symphony 63, and most excitingly, the Finale to Symphony 103 that was actually played in London - Haydn shortened it, and spoiled it, when he returned to Vienna.
Buy this, if you love, or are attracted to, Haydn. These symphonies are the best stress-relieving, life-affirming music that I know.
- 
-