To celebrate the present church of St Martin-in-the-Fields' – the Monteverdi Choir & Orchestra's London home – 300th anniversary in 2026; we marked this milestone with a programme of music written and first performed within a stone's throw of this wondrous building by the "Father of the Symphony", Franz Joseph Haydn.
Haydn: Symphony No. 100 in G major (Military)
Haydn: Cello Concerto No. 2 in D major
Interval
J.C. Bach: Symphony in G minor
Haydn: Symphony No. 104 in D major (London)
English Baroque Soloists
Peter Whelan Conductor
Christophe Coin Soloist
With the death of his patron Prince Nikolaus Esterházy in 1790, Haydn became a free agent, and Johann Peter Salomon seized the opportunity to bring Europe’s most famous composer to Soho. Haydn's music already dominated the fashionable Hanover Square Rooms, especially after the death of the London-based Johann Christian Bach (youngest son of Johann Sebastian), whose Symphony in G minor opens the concert's second half.
Haydn's Cello Concerto No. 2 was premiered at Hanover Square in 1784. A decade later, he embarked on his second trip to London, and from this period come two of his best-known symphonies, earning nicknames through their popularity: the "Military" (No. 100), and the "London" (No. 104).
The English Baroque Soloists have this music in their blood, and their use of period instruments casts these works in an entirely fresh light. They were joined by cellist Christophe Coin, who made his MCO debut. Historically-informed performance specialist Peter Whelan returned to direct after a “thrilling” (The Times), "dazzling" (The Observer) and “unbeatable” (Scherzo) debut with the orchestra in 2024.
Pre-concert talk:
Before the concert, the audience joined conductor Peter Whelan and historian Katherine Alcock for a fascinating pre-concert talk, discovering how London shaped Haydn and his music in this insightful introduction to the evening’s performance.
(Photo credit: Roscoe Rutter)
