Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra

How did Haydn perceive the musical world around him?

Even when Mozart was still a child - 24 years younger than him - Haydn said that he knew no greater artist, neither personally nor by reputation. Yet Mozart himself learned a great deal from Haydn, and over the years, a deep friendship developed between them. The even younger Johann Nepomuk Hummel was also highly regarded by both Haydn and Mozart; they both taught him, and Haydn even composed a sonata for him. Haydn likely felt he had developed the symphonic genre almost single-handedly - though in truth, other composers, working in relative isolation, were creating similar works. One such figure was the English composer William Boyce, more than 20 years Haydn’s senior. Haydn probably never met him, but during his later years when he visited London, he almost certainly encountered Boyce’s music. On this evening, we’ll witness how both Boyce and Haydn composed symphonies - specifically, those created or performed in London. But the concert offers more than just symphonies: we’ll also hear Mozart’s most famous horn concerto, Haydn’s nocturnal music, and an overture by Hummel. The evening’s storytellers will be the Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra and Benjamin Bayl. The Australian conductor is one of the leading pioneers of historically informed performance overseas, but he is equally at home in the world of modern music and opera, appearing regularly at the world’s major opera houses and with renowned orchestras. His perspective is therefore different from that of musicians raised near Vienna - but it’s precisely this broad experience that can make the performance under his direction so unique.

Spend an evening immersed in this magical world!