Werner Güra, Christoph Berner, Julia Schröder, Roel Dieltiens – Haydn: Scottish Airs (2014) [Official Digital Download 24bit/44,1kHz]

Late in life, Franz Joseph Haydn made about 125 arrangements of Scottish songs for the publisher George Thomson. Thomson’s project was an ongoing one in the 1790s and early 1800s; after a volume with arrangements by Scots composers sold well, Thomson was apparently inspired to commission more of the same from “name” composers like Haydn and later Beethoven, Hummel, and Weber. The results were more than purely financially motivated. The aged Haydn proclaimed in one of his submissions to Thomson that he was proud of his work, and Beethoven seems to have gone on to set a variety of national popular songs (the term “folk songs” is anachronistic here, for the materials were contemporary) without any commission at all. Haydn’s are pretty regular in structure, with a strophic setting for a trio of piano, violin, and cello, and an instrumental introduction that neatly sets the mood and the pitch world for the song. It’s easy to see why Haydn became intrigued by the project: within the severe constraints of the form, he introduces quite a variety of expressive touches, and he was obviously well coached on the meaning of the texts (or absorbed a great deal of English in the course of his travels to London), even those in Scots dialect. There is little to tell the listener that German tenor Werner Güra is anything other than a native English speaker, and he even does well with the Scots pieces (everything is translated into German and French in the CD booklet, and the Scots texts are heavily footnoted for English speakers). The interpretations by Güra and his trio of instrumental collaborators (keyboardist Christoph Berner plays a fortepiano) are probably ideal for these little pieces. Güra keeps the music to its proper small scale, and he gives the instrumentalists room to move and avoids the mechanical quality of earlier readings. There’s nothing revelatory here, but for those interested in the development of Scottish song, or in hearing some of the last notes Haydn set to paper, this is a strong pick.

Tracklist:
01. Werner Güra, Christoph Berner, Roel Dieltiens and Julia Schröder – The Lea-Rig, Hob. Xxxia:31bis (02:05)
02. Werner Güra, Julia Schröder, Christoph Berner and Roel Dieltiens – Morag, Hob. Xxxia: 143bis (04:12)
03. Werner Güra, Julia Schröder, Roel Dieltiens and Christoph Berner – Sleep’St Thou, Or Wak’St Thou (Deil Tak’ The Wars), Hob. Xxxia:157 (02:39)
04. Werner Güra, Julia Schröder, Christoph Berner and Roel Dieltiens – O Wise And Valiant Willy (Rattling Roaring Willy), Hob. Xxxia:227 (01:25)
05. Werner Güra, Julia Schröder, Roel Dieltiens and Christoph Berner – Trio in C Major, Hob. XV:27: I. Allegro (08:14)
06. Werner Güra, Roel Dieltiens, Christoph Berner and Julia Schröder – Twas At The Hour Of Dark Midnight (Barbara Allan), Hob. Xxxia:31bis (05:31)
07. Werner Güra, Christoph Berner, Roel Dieltiens and Julia Schröder – Jenny’s Bawbee, Hob. Xxxia:252 (03:47)
08. Werner Güra, Julia Schröder, Christoph Berner and Roel Dieltiens – Mary’s Dream, Hob. Xxxia:1bis (05:04)
09. Werner Güra, Julia Schröder, Roel Dieltiens and Christoph Berner – Trio in C Major, Hob. XV:27: II. Andante (05:19)
10. Werner Güra, Roel Dieltiens, Christoph Berner and Julia Schröder – The Night Her Silent Sable Wore (She Rose, And Let Me In), Hob. Xxxia:219bis (03:24)
11. Werner Güra, Roel Dieltiens, Julia Schröder and Christoph Berner – William And Margaret, Hob. Xxxia:153 (07:19)
12. Werner Güra, Julia Schröder, Christoph Berner and Roel Dieltiens – Bessy Bell And Mary Gray, Hob. Xxxia:38 (02:40)
13. Werner Güra, Julia Schröder, Roel Dieltiens and Christoph Berner – Trio in C Major, Hob. XV:27: III. Presto (05:06)
14. Werner Güra, Roel Dieltiens, Julia Schröder and Christoph Berner – There Was A Lass (Willie Was A Wanton Wag), Hob. Xxxia:4bis (02:56)
15. Werner Güra, Roel Dieltiens, Julia Schröder and Christoph Berner – Highland Air: The Lone Vale Hob, Xxxia:175 (03:41)
16. Werner Güra, Julia Schröder, Roel Dieltiens and Christoph Berner – Scottish Airs: My love she’s but a lassie yet (02:18)