NO.25__IL DOLCE FAR NIENTE
Il Giardino Armonico
Giovanni Antonini, conductor
Clemens J. Setz, writer
Peter Marlow, photographer
Joseph Haydn: Symphonies No.21, No.51 and Symphony C major "Symphony for Spain"
Gregor Joseph Werner: From Six Fugues for Quartet: V. [d minor]
Gioachino Rossini: From Six Sonatas a Quartro […]: Sonata Ia G major
Concerts:
Fri, 2. October 2026, Locarno, Chiesa San Francesco (Tickets)
Sun, 4. October 2026, Vienna, Musikverein (Tickets)
Mun, 5. October 2026, Basel, Don Bosco (Tickets)
"High-born Prince of the Empire!
Most gracious and dread Lord!
I am overcome by the gross negligence in the palace Kapelle here [at Eisenstadt], the large and unjustified expenses caused to the Prince, and the slothful idleness of the whole orchestra at present, the main cause of which is the indolent director, who turns a blind eye to all that goes on in order to earn the name of a good-natured Haydn."
The title of this project derives from a letter of complaint that Haydn’s predecessor as Esterházy Kapellmeister, Gregor Joseph Werner, wrote to Prince Nicolaus Esterházy in October 1765. The accusation of "slothful idleness" spurred an immediate reaction: Haydn and his copyist Joseph Elssler began compiling the so-called "Entwurf-Katalog". The intention of this handwritten "draft catalogue" of Haydn’s works was certainly to convince Prince Nicolaus once and for all that his vice-Kapellmeister and the court orchestra he directed had other things in mind than indulging in the proverbial art of dolce far niente (sweet idleness).
While the amiable Symphony no.21, included in our programme, dates from almost exactly the same time as Werner’s critique of Haydn’s "indolence", Symphony no.51, with its unusually difficult horn parts, is quite definitely anything but "sweet" for the musicians. It is true, though, that in the so-called "Symphony for Spain", the maestro did indeed take the easy way out. For this work, which was only admitted to the canon of Haydn’s symphonies in 2013, consists entirely of music already in existence at the time of its composition, even though it was specially put together for the occasion. The symphony is thought to have been commissioned by a Spanish prince or princess.
Program
Joseph Haydn (1732–1809): Sinfonie Nr. 21 A-Dur Hob. I:21 (1764)
Adagio / Presto / Menuet – Trio / Finale. Allegro molto
SMYPHONY NO.21 A MAJOR HOB. I:21 (1764)
Period of composition: [2nd half?] 1764
Gregor Joseph Werner (1693–1766): aus VI Fugen In Quartetten […] von G. J. Werner, weiland Kapellmeister S. D. des Fürsten N[ikolaus] Esterhazy etc. etc. Aus besonderer Achtung gegen diesen berühmten Meister nun herausgegeben von dessen Nachfolger J. Haydn […] Wien: Artaria & Comp. [1804]:
V. [d-Moll] Adagio ma poco / Allegro / Adagio
Joseph Haydn: Sinfonie Nr. 51 B-Dur Hob. I:51 (1773)
Vivace / Adagio / Menuet – Trio / Finale. Allegro
SYMPHONY NO.51 B FLAT MAJOR HOB. I:51 (1773)
Period of composition: before 1774 [Spring 1773]
Gioachino Rossini (1792–1868): aus Sei Sonate a quattro […] Ravenna 1804: Sonata Ia G-Dur
Moderato / Andante / Allegro
Joseph Haydn: Sinfonie C-Dur Hob. deest (1773/1774) «Sinfonie für Spanien»
Allegro / Poco adagio / Menuet. Allegretto – Trio / Finale. Prestissimo
Line up
Il Giardino Armonico
Giovanni Antonini, conductor
Next Concerts
Basel,
Montag, 5. Oktober 2026, 19.30 Uhr
Haydn-Lesung und Lounge im Heinz Holliger Auditorium
18.15 Uhr Lesung mit Clemens J. Setz und Pre Concert-Talk
Seating is limited to 50 guests. Admission is granted only with prior registration at info@haydn2032.com and upon presentation of a valid concert ticket.
Please note that entry will not be permitted between the reading and the talk.
Konzert im Paul Sacher Saal
19.30 Uhr: Konzert
Haydn-Suppe in der Konzertpause
Das Konzert wird ebenfalls als Premiere auf unserem YouTube-Kanal ausgestrahlt und bleibt 3 Monate verfügbar (Informationen folgen).
-
Kartenvorverkauf
Karten sind online oder bei Bider & Tanner, Ihr Kulturhaus in Basel, +41 (0)61 2069996 sowie telefonisch über kulturticket (+41 900 585 887, CHF 1.20/Min) oder vor Ort bei allen weiteren Vorverkaufsstellen von kulturticket erhältlich.
Abonnentinnen und Abonnenten des Kammerorchester Basel erhalten 20% Reduktion (wenden Sie sich hierfür an info@haydn2032.com).
Wien,
Sonntag, 4. Oktober 2026, 19.30 Uhr
Musikverein Wien, Brahms-Saal
Konzerteinführung: 18.30 Uhr
-
Kartenvorverkauf
Karten sind unter musikverein.at erhältlich. Der allgemeine Vorverkauf beginnt am 11.8.2026 um 9.00 Uhr.
Locarno, Freitag, 2. Oktober, 19.30 Uhr
Chiesa San Francesco, Locarno
Konzerteinführung: 18.45 Uhr, Aula SUPSI, Locarno: Introduzione – Konzerteinführung, Davide Fersini (Musiker & Musikredaktor RSI) – in italienischer Sprache (deutsch auf Anfrage)
Abweichendes Programm:
Sol Gabetta, Violoncello
Il Giardino Armonico (Milano)
Giovanni Antonini, Leitung
Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
Sinfonie Nr. 21 A-Dur Hob. I:21
Cellokonzert Nr. 1 C-Dur Hob. VIIb:1
Pause
Sinfonie C-Dur Hob. deest «Sinfonie für Spanien»
Sinfonie Nr. 51 B-Dur Hob. I:51
Dauer: 100 Minuten (inklusive Pause)
-
Kartenvorverkauf
Karten sind bei Classic Ascona online erhältlich.
Biographies
Orchestra
Il Giardino Armonico
Orchestra
Founded in 1985 and conducted by Giovanni Antonini, has been established as one of the world’s leading period instrument ensembles, bringing together musicians from Europe’s relevant music institutions. The ensemble’s repertoire mainly focuses on the 17th and 18th century. Depending on the demands of each program, the group consists of three up to thirty musicians.
Il Giardino Armonico is regularly invited to festivals all over the world performing in the most important concert halls, and has received high acclaim for both concerts and opera productions, like Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo, Vivaldi’s Ottone in Villa Händel’s Agrippina, Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno, La Resurrezione and finally Giulio Cesare in Egitto with Cecilia Bartoli during the 2012 edition of the Salzburg Whitsun and Summer Festival.
Beside that, Il Giardino Armonico sustains an intense recording activity. After many years as an exclusive group of Teldec Classics achieving several major awards for its recordings of works by Vivaldi and the other 18th century composers, the group had an exclusive agreement with Decca/ L’Oiseau-Lyre recording Händel’s Concerti Grossi Op. VI and the cantata Il Pianto di Maria with Bernarda Fink.
The group also released on Naïve La Casa del Diavolo, Vivaldi cello Concertos with Christophe Coin, and the opera Ottone in Villa winning the Diapason d’Or in 2011. On the label Onyx Vivaldi violin Concertos with Viktoria Mullova.
In 2009 a new cooperation with Cecilia Bartoli led to the project Sacrificium (Decca), Platinum Album in France and Belgium and prized by the Grammy Award.
Again on Decca Alleluia (March 2013) and Händel in Italy (October 2015) with Julia Lezhneva, acclaimed by public and critics.
The group published Serpent & Fire with Anna Prohaska (Alpha Classics – Outhere music group, 2016) winning the ICMA “baroque vocal” in 2017.
The recording of five Mozart Violin Concertos with Isabel Faust (Harmonia Mundi, 2016) stands as the result of the prestigious cooperation with the great violinist.
Il Giardino Armonico is part of the twenty-year project Haydn2032 for which the Haydn Foundation has been created in Basel to support both the recording project of the complete Haydn Symphonies (Alpha Classic) and a series of concerts in various European cities, with thematic programs focused on this fascinating repertoire. In November 2014 the first album titled La Passione has been published and won the Echo Klassik award in 2015. Il Filosofo, issued in 2015, has been “CHOC of the year” by Classica. The third one Solo e Pensoso has been released in August 2016, and the forth Il Distratto in March 2017.
The last volumes of the Haydn2032 project, as well as Telemann (Alpha Classics, November 2016) are available as CD and LP too. Telemann won the Diapason d’Or in January 2017.
Furthermore the ensemble worked with such acclaimed soloists as Giuliano Carmignola, Sol Gabetta, Katia and Marielle Labèque, Viktoria Mullova, and Giovanni Sollima.
Conductor
Giovanni Antonini
Conductor
Born in Milan, Giovanni studied at the Civica Scuola di Musica and at the Centre de Musique Ancienne in Geneva. He is a founder member of the Baroque ensemble “Il Giardino Armonico”, which he has led since 1989. With this ensemble, he has appeared as conductor and soloist on the recorder and Baroque transverse flute in Europe, United States, Canada, South America, Australia, Japan and Malaysia. He is Artistic Director of Wratislavia Cantans Festival in Poland and Principal Guest Conductor of Mozarteum Orchester and Kammerorchester Basel.
He has performed with many prestigious artists including Cecilia Bartoli, Kristian Bezuidenhout, Giuliano Carmignola, Isabelle Faust, Sol Gabetta, Sumi Jo, Viktoria Mullova, Katia and Marielle Labèque, Emmanuel Pahud and Giovanni Sollima. Renowned for his refined and innovative interpretation of the classical and baroque repertoire, Antonini is also a regular guest with Berliner Philharmoniker, Concertgebouworkest, Tonhalle Orchester, Mozarteum Orchester, Leipzig Gewandhausorchester, London Symphony Orchestra and Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
His opera productions have included Handel’s Giulio Cesare and Bellini’s Norma with Cecilia Bartoli at Salzburg Festival. In 2018 he conducted Orlando at Theater an der Wien and returned to Opernhaus Zurich for Idomeneo. In the 21/22 season he will guest conduct the Konzerthaus Orchester Berlin, Stavanger Symphony, Anima Eterna Bruges and the Symphonieorchester de Bayerischer Rundfunks. He will also direct Cavalieri’s opera Rappresentatione di Anima, et di Corpo for Theatre an der Wien and a ballet production of Haydn’s Die Jahreszeiten for Wiener Staatsballett with the Wiener Philharmoniker.
With Il Giardino Armonico, Giovanni has recorded numerous CDs of instrumental works by Vivaldi, J.S. Bach (Brandenburg Concertos), Biber and Locke for Teldec. With Naïve he recorded Vivaldi’s opera Ottone in Villa, and, with Il Giardino Armonico for Decca, has recorded Alleluia with Julia Lezhneva and La morte della Ragione, collections of sixteenth and seventeenth century instrumental music. With Kammerorchester Basel he has recorded the complete Beethoven Symphonies for Sony Classical and a disc of flute concertos with Emmanuel Pahud entitled Revolution for Warner Classics. In 2013 he conducted a recording of Bellini’s Norma for Decca in collaboration with Orchestra La Scintilla.
Antonini is artistic director of the Haydn 2032 project, created to realise a vision to record and perform with Il Giardino Armonico and Kammerorchester Basel, the complete symphonies of Joseph Haydn by the 300th anniversary of the composer’s birth. The first 12 volumes have been released on the Alpha Classics label with two further volumes planned for release every year.
Peter Marlow / Magnum Photos
Biography
Photographer, Magnum Photos
Peter Marlow
Photographer, Magnum Photos
Although gifted in the language of photojournalism, Peter Marlow (B. 1952, d. 2016) was not a photojournalist. He was initially, however, one of the most enterprising and successful young British news photographers, and in 1976 joined the Sygma agency in Paris. He soon found that he lacked the necessary appetite for the job while on assignment in Lebanon and Northern Ireland during the late 1970s; he discovered that the stereotype of the concerned photojournalist disguised the disheartening reality of dog-eat-dog competition between photographers hunting fame at all costs.
After those days, Marlow’s aesthetic shifted – in that he made mainly color photographs – but his approach was unchanged. The color of incidental things became central to his pictures in the same way that the shape and mark of things had been central to his black-and-white work.
Marlow had come full circle. He started his career as an international photojournalist, returned to Britain to examine his own experience, and discovered a new visual poetry that enabled him to understand his homeland. Having found this poetry, he took it back on the road: he photographed as much in Japan, the USA and elsewhere in Europe as he did in the UK.
Information will follow soon.


