I've had the pleasure of hearing some of Vanhal's symphonies on the
radio a time or thrice in the past, though I don't know specifically whose
recordings.  I have always been extremely impressed- though skims of his
string quartets were disappointing (and frankly listens to them might prove
otherwise; I know better than to trust a first impression skim of a score
for my whole opinion of it, and have Holmboe's 10th symphony in my mind as
a perpetual caution of a work which didn't look impressive in score but
eeps, were looks deceiving...  I digress), Vanhal's symphonies are among
the best non-Mozart-Haydn classical-era symphonies I think I have heard.
(The keys of the ones I remember hearing and enjoying are D major, g minor,
and a minor.  There are probably more than one each in those keys, but I
think the D major was the one on Orfeo? coupled with a large choral work,
and the g minor and a minor were among the earlier recorded examples in
those keys, if that helps at all.  I don't know.  The opening of the D
major is one of those things I would recognize on hearing, I'm pretty
sure, though...  very memorable music as well as good-quality.)

If Naxos intends to record all his symphonies with a good conductor and
ensemble, more power to them, and I will be on the lookout for these
recordings...

-Eric Schissel