"Symphonies of the Mozart Era"
SACD 1:
Francois-Joseph Gossec (1734-1829)
Symphony in B flat major, Op. 6 no. 6 [20:59]
Johann Christian Bach (1735-1782)
Symphony in E major for Double Orchestra [13:58]
Johann Baptist Vanhal (1739-1813)
Symphony in F major [17:36] *
Karl Ditters von Dittersdorf (1739-1799)
Symphony in C major, "The Four Ages of Man" [17:32]
SACD 2:
Johann Baptist Vanhal (1739-1813)
Symphony in G minor [17:46]
Antoine Mahaut (c. 1720-1785)
Symphony No. 4 in C minor for Strings [8:12]
Antonin Reicha (1770-1836)
Symphony in E flat major [23:24]
Joseph Martin Kraus (1756-1792)
Symphony in C minor [22:36]

Cappella Coloniensis/Hans-Martin Linde/Ulf Bjorlin *
rec. (dates and venues not provided)
Capriccio Hybrid Multi-Channel SACD 71 110 [2cds - 71:07 + 72:35]

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Franz Haydn are such towering musical
figures of the Classical period that other composers of that era tend
to be diminished to a historical footnote.  However, dozens of composers
of the Classical era were exceptional artists, and this 2-cd set by
Capriccio titled "Symphonies of the Mozart Era" reveals a few of them.

In a sense, the Capriccio set competes with the Chandos "Contemporaries
of Mozart" series.  However, the Chandos series features a modern
instrument orchestra while the Capriccio highlights the long-standing
period instrument group Cappella Coloniensis that was formed in 1954.
The differences in instrumentation make for entirely separate soundworlds,
and I don't mind stating that my preference rests with period instruments,
especially in the hands of a group as exceptional as the Cappella
Coloniensis.  Further, the Capriccio set is an SACD release in contrast
to the standard CD format of the Chandos series with the exception of
one SACD release for the Herschel Symphonies.

I should point out that the Capriccio release does not specify recording
dates or venues.  This leads me to believe that the recordings are not new.
However, rest assured that the sound quality is state-of-the-art, even when
played on a standard CD player.  When turning to the SACD layer and
multi-channel capabilities, the sonics are simply spectacular as the sound
expands in all directions.

Capriccio has chosen eight high-quality symphonies of the Classical
period that have stood the test of time.  Each one is highly lyrical,
expertly crafted, and possesses abundant energy and rhythmic flair. 
Fast outer movements are exuberant and exhilarating, while slow movements
possess great charm, grace and lilting melodies.  Here's a synopsis of
the program:

Gossec's Symphony in B flat major - Francois-Joseph Gossec is the most
famous French composer associated with the French Revolution, his Requiem
of great popularity during that period.  Although technically of the
Classical era, Gossec's music retains a significant baroque flavor as
heard in his Symphony in B flat major.  In five movements, the work is
one of Gossec's finest and thoroughly charming and invigorating.  The
1st Movement Allegro molto is assertive and optimistic with strong
undercurrents from the lower strings.  The 2nd Movement Larghetto is a
beautiful piece of grace and lyricism with motifs built on top of one
another.  A very short and poignant Largo con sordini gives way to the
4th Movement Fuga having compelling upper voice suspensions; this is the
most baroque of the five movements and offers the most tension as well.
The last movement contains two minuets; the first is highly ceremonial
while the second finds the strings stretching outward enticingly.  Gossec's
Symphony in B flat major is certainly an excellent calling-card for the
remainder of the program.

J.C. Bach's Symphony in E major for Double Orchestra - After Mozart,
J.C. Bach is my favorite composer of the Classical era.  I love his
music for its dignity, confident demeanor, wealth of melodic invention
and the natural flow of musical arguments.  Further, he was a very
economical composer with a minimum of notes and phrases used to resolve
his musical reasoning.  All these exceptional qualities are to be found
in his Symphony in E major: the stately 1st Movement Allegro, a beautifully
flowing and regal 2nd Movement Andante and a 3rd Movement Minuetto of
stunning buoyancy.

Vanhal's Symphonies in F major and G minor - Johann Baptist Vanhal was
born in Bohemia, migrated to Vienna where he studied under Karl Ditters
von Dittersdorf and became one of Europe's leading composers in the
1760's.  From the two programmed symphonies, I'd like to key on three
of the movements.  One is the 2nd Movement Cantabile of the Symphony in
F major which is a gorgeous piece as expressive and uplifting as anything
else written by the composer.  The 3nd Movement Minuetto is another
winner; its confidence and rhythmic lift are infectious.  Of special
mention is the 2nd Movement Andante of the Symphony in G minor.  It
begins with a violin solo over a simple accompaniment that is soon taken
over by a viola solo that eventually results in unison playing from both
stringed instruments.  In addition to being the only music on the set
that is dominated by solo contributions, the piece is ample evidence
that there is nothing more beautiful than the sound of period strings
played expertly and with minimal vibrato.

Ditterdorf's Symphony in C major - Of all the leading composers of the
Classical era, Karl Ditters von Dittersdorf seems to receive the least
respect from the classical music community.  However, when he was at the
top of his game, Dittersdorf's music was quite enjoyable and memorable.
Unfortunately, he also had a penchant for writing some pedestrian material.
The Symphony in C major has elements of both; the first three movements
are highly entertaining while the last movement is of the throw-away
variety.  Dittersdorf offers an unusual 1st Movement Larghetto of a
strongly ceremonial nature followed by the 2nd Movement Allegro vivace
that streaks across the sky with wild abandon.  In the 3rd Movement
Minuetto con garbo, the composer takes on a stern demeanor with sharp
phrasing and assertive ascending lines.  But it all falls apart in the
war-like 4th Movement Finale replete with military drum beats and slashing
rhythms; here, Dittersdorf engages in a ridiculous degree of repetition
of uninspired musical lines.  Still, there is much to enjoy in the first
three movements.

Mahaut's Symphony No.  4 in C minor - Antoine Mahaut, by virtue of his
birth date and musical personality, composed in the baroque fashion.
His Symphony No.  4 is a fine example of his style with its "sonata da
camera" construction.  The 1st Movement is a fugue, the 2nd a siciliano
and the 3rd has the properties of a bourree.  Overall, it is a fine work
of excellent lyricism and natural flow that ends all too quickly in eight
minutes.  I should report that Mahaut eventually found a home at a
monastery in France.  However, his religious motivation might have been
slight, as he was being hounded by creditors from Amsterdam just prior
to his conversion.

Reicha's Symphony in E flat major - The backward-looking Mahaut symphony
is followed by the most forward-looking symphony on the program, Antonin
Reicha's Symphony in E flat major.  Actually, Reicha occupies the time
period bridging the gap between the Classical and Romantic periods.  In
Reicha's music, as with his contemporaries including Hummel and Spohr,
the perfection of form so treasured in Mozart's time shares priority
with a greater freedom of and depth of expression as well as the more
extensive treatment of thematic development.  The Symphony in E flat
major begins with an emotionally rich Largo-Allegro spiritoso having
contrasts of mood, tempo and dynamics rarely found in the symphonies of
the Classical period.  The 2nd Movement Adagio continues to impress with
its priority on contrast, and Reicha's exceptional lyricism is ever
present.  The 3rd Movement Allegro has an infectious rhythmic swing,
while the 4th Movement Un poco vivo begins in a cheerful fashion but
soon takes on a fierce disposition as Reicha once again makes 'contrast'
an integral part of his musical vocabulary.  This is an exceptional
symphony and further evidence that Reicha infrequently disappoints.

Kraus' Symphony in C minor - Born in Germany, Joseph Martin Kraus moved
to Sweden at the age of twenty-two to apply for a position at the court
of King Gustav III.  After three years of barely making a living, he was
finally noticed and accepted by the Royal Court, attaining the post of
director of the Royal Academy of Music.  Kraus is often referred to as
the "Swedish Mozart", and the fact that he was born in the same year as
Mozart and died just one year after Mozart surely plays a part in the
designation.  His three-movement Symphony in C minor, one of his finest
and most demonstrative in the genre, begins with a dramatic Larghetto
that settles into a tension-laden Allegro.  The 2nd Movement Andante is
a stately affair somewhat lacking in melodic distinction compared to the
other slow movements of the set.  In the 3rd Movement Allegro assai,
Kraus combines aggressive declarations with lyrical passages in a most
appealing manner.

Don's Conclusions: This mid-priced Capriccio set has much to offer:
some of the finest music of the Classical era played in convincing
period-instrument fashion with superb sonic features.  Indeed, the set
is a musical feast for those who love orchestral music from this time
period.  I personally find the Bach, Vanhal and Reicha offerings the
most enjoyable with the others not far behind.  Since each symphony on
the program is a gem, I urge readers to consider Capriccio's exceptional
set of "Symphonies of the Mozart Era".

Don Satz
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