It’s nice to be able to close out this most Sturm und Drang of a year with news of the publication of our Journal issue 35 – which includes a piece from our friend and prolific blogger Michael McCaffrey on how Shakespeare led Haydn to the idea itself.

See the Membership page for more detail on how to become a member and so receive a copy of the Journal upon publication.

There’s lots more from the Society on day to day issues, including news of Haydn performances in the UK, via social media (Facebook & Twitter), so do join us there.

Sir Neville Marriner speaking at the unveiling of the Haydn Plaque, March 2015 (image: Iona Wolff)

Director of the Haydn Society of Great Britain, Denis McCaldin, writes:

“The Haydn Society shares a deep sense of loss following the death of Sir Neville Marriner on Sunday, 2nd October 2016. It was only a few months  ago that he generously unveiled our blue plaque to the composer in London at 18, Great Pulteney Street. In his introductory speech, Sir Neville spoke of his gratitude to Haydn for many things, not least for creating much of the rich repertoire of his chamber orchestra, the Academy of St Martin in the Fields. Through their many performances and recordings together, they became major pioneers in the current revival of interest in Haydn’s music. The recordings live on, and remain a lasting tribute to both composer and conductor.”

We are pleased to be able to pass on that Clare McCaldin is performing her narrated recital Haydn’s London Ladies in London on 20 September. This will be the full-length concert version, including a complete performance of the celebrated cantata Arianna a Naxos.

We worked with Clare on the detail surrounding the women that Haydn met on his successful visits to London in the 1790s. With her production company McCaldin Arts, Clare worked up a lunchtime recital, first given at London’s Foundling Museum and then a full-length concert recital, first given in the Swindon Recital Series, run by her accompanist, Paul Turner.

It is this latter show that Clare is presenting at St. Paul’s Church, Knightsbridge on 20 September. St Paul’s is a popular, central church next to the Berkeley hotel on Hyde Park Corner. The church has recently acquired a Steinway model D grand piano, a beautiful instrument that makes for fine music making. This concert begins a new, concerted series of concert-giving; the church is already associated with high quality music with its professional choir and is used regularly by the BBC for recording and broadcasting.

More information about this concert can be found here. You can learn more about Haydn’s London Ladies through this trailer:

A portrait of Joseph Haydn from 1785 has been discovered in an antique store in the US (Savannah, Georgia). The work was identified by Dr. Walter Reicher, secretary general of the International Joseph Haydn Private Foundation Eisenstadt (right), which has now acquired the painting.

It is one of three versions by Christian Ludwig Seehas dating from the painter’s stay in Vienna. Two other versions of the oil on canvas work are known to exist: One at the Staatliche Museen Schwerin in Germany and a second, once in the possession of the Prussian Heritage Foundation, but lost since 1945.

The newly discovered portrait of Joseph Haydn has been professionally restored at the Picture Gallery of the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. Now, the portrait is displayed in the exhibition of the Haydn-Haus in Eisenstadt, Austria.

A conference of the Haydn Society of North America (HSNA) will take place at the Vancouver Sheraton Wall Center Hotel, prior to the meeting of the American Musicological Society / Society for Music Theory. We are seeking proposals concerning any work regarding Joseph Haydn and his circle. We also anticipate a joint session with the American Beethoven Society and invite proposals for this session linking the two composers. Presentations accepted for the AMS/SMT conference itself may not be read at this conference. Papers read at the conference may be solicited for publication in HAYDN: Online Journal of the Haydn Society of North America (haydnjournal.org).

Scholars are invited to submit proposals for individual papers or lecture/performances. Papers and presentations should not exceed 30 minutes and include an abstract of no more than 400 words. Please submit complete proposals as an attachment in Word or PDF to Michael Ruhling (Michael.Ruhling@rit.edu) by July 15. Presenters are expected to be members of HSNA at the time of the conference.