Divertimento chorale St Antoni – attr. Joseph Haydn – Magnard Ensemble

Divertimento chorale St Antoni – attr. Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) Allegro con spirito – Chorale ‘St. Antoni’ – Menuetto – Rondo (Allegro) Magnard Ensemble: Suzie Watson flute, Mana Shibata oboe, Joseph Shiner clarinet, Jonathan Farey horn, Catriona McDermid bassoon. Recorded at Cherubim Mozart Plus Weekend 2015, Tisbury, Wilts, UK This charming Divertimento has a curious history. In its original instrumentation of two oboes, two horns, three bassoons and serpent it formed part of the 18C Harmoniemusik (wind ensemble) tradition. Initially published as the first of six (now lost) Divertimenti by Haydn, this attribution was cemented by Brahms’ St Anthony Variations on a theme of Haydn. But scholars now consider the Divertimento was probably composed by his student Ignaz Pleyel. However, a further riddle remains as to whether the composer of the Divertimento actually wrote the Chorale melody or was simply quoting a tune which has not survived independently.