OSC/Ó Duinn

Newman University Church, St Stephen’s Green, Dublin

Haydn — Symphonies Nos 4, 40, 75

On Sunday the Orchestra of St Cecilia gave the sixth concert of its six-year survey of Haydn’s 108 symphonies under Proinnsías Ó Duinn. The good news is that the turnout shows that Dubliners clearly have a healthy appetite for Haydn, and next year’s concerts are scheduled for April and May, to allow for the upgrading of the church’s heating system, a development which will cheer players and listeners alike.

The numbering of Sunday’s three symphonies, 4, 40 and 75, doesn’t really give an accurate suggestion of their true places in the chronology of Haydn’s output. Nos 4 and 40 are from 1761 and 1763, respectively, No. 75 probably from 1779. In other words, despite the numbering, Nos 4 and 40 are very much in the same stylistic mould.

Haydn wouldn’t be Haydn of course if there weren’t something to remark on in each work. In No 4, it’s the slow movement, which is scored for strings only and has the second violins using mutes and playing out of step with everyone else. In Ó Duinn’s performance, the effect was to add a teary haze to the mournful mood.

Symphony No 40 has an energetic fugue for a finale, and the slow movement of No 75 is a set of variations with an extended cello solo, delivered on Sunday with real poise by Niall O’Loughlin.

The OSC’s performances were often a little rough around the edges, even at times a little tired-sounding, the bright and breezy approach to the fast movements not exact enough in detail to sound entirely convincing, the tread in some of the slow movements at times sticky when it needed to be sprung. But, then, usually when the music was at its finest, there were those wonderful moments when everything falls nicely into place.