Giovanni Antonini & Il Giardino Armonico - Haydn 2032, Vol. 9: L'Addio - Hi-Fi News

Sound Quality: 90%

The 'Farewell' Symphony (No 45) is one of this most popular, not least because the players leave their stands and walk away during the Adagio finale. Three explanations are cited - and Hermann Scherchen's old recording had spoken 'adieu's and the sound of footsteps crossing the soundstage! Antonini's ends with a sharp decrescendo to silence. The rapid speed for (i) comes as an initial shock, but there's frequent lovely soft playing, Antonini always creating a sense of line. Yet the real star item here is the soprano Sandrine Piau's heroic account of the three-part, tragic cantata 'Berenice, che fai'. The elaborate booklet has essays and night-time coloured photos.