2012 Great Classical Symphonies 10CD Box Sets Naxos Records naxos.com / Review The word ‘symphony’ is used to describe an extended orchestral composition in Western classical music. By the eighteenth century the Italianate opera sinfonia—musical interludes between operas or concertos—had assumed the structure of three contrasting movements, and it is this form that is often considered as the direct forerunner of the orchestral symphony. With the rise of established professional orchestras, the symphony assumed a more prominent place in concert life between 1790 and 1820 until it eventually came to be regarded by many as the yardstick by which one would measure a composer’s achievement. Without doubt, the most important symphonists of the latter part of the eighteenth century are Haydn and Mozart. Often credited with expanding the symphonic form to the four movements we are familiar with today, these two composers are together responsible for over 160 symphonies including those commonly regarded as the apex of the Classical symphonic form—Haydn’s London symphonies and Mozart’s Jupiter and Linz. A few years later, Beethoven dramatically expanded the symphony, in so doing forming the bridge between the Classical and Romantic eras. His Eroica symphony has a scale and emotional range that sets it apart from earlier works, while his Symphony No 5 is arguably the most famous symphony ever written. CD01-CD05 + Covers Box 429MB (4 Part) + 200MB (1 Part) CD06-CD10 362MB (4 Part) + 319MB (1 Part) CD01 Haydn: Symphonies Nos. 45 ‘Farewell‘, 88 & 92 ‘Oxford‘ Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) Symphony No. 45 in F sharp minor, Hob.I:45, 'Farewell' • Symphony No. 88 in G major, Hob.I:88 Symphony No. 92 in G major, Hob.I:92, 'Oxford' Capella Istropolitana / Conductor Barry Wordsworth CD02 Haydn: Symphonies Nos. 94 'Surprise', 100 'Military' & 101 'Clock' Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) Symphony No. 94 in G major, Hob.I:94, 'The Surprise' • Symphony No. 100 in G major, Hob.I:100, 'Military' Symphony No. 101 in D major, Hob.I:101, 'The Clock' Capella Istropolitana / Conductor Barry Wordsworth CD03 Haydn: Symphonies Nos. 95, 103 'Drumroll' & 104 'London' Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) Symphony No. 95 in C minor, Hob.I:95 Nicolaus Esterhazy Sinfonia / Conductor Bela Drahos -------- Symphony No. 103 in E flat major, Hob.I:103, 'Drumroll' • Symphony No. 104 in D major, Hob.I:104, 'London' Capella Istropolitana / Conductor Barry Wordsworth CD04 Haydn Symphonies Nos. 96 'Miracle', 98 & 102 Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) Symphony No. 96 in D major, Hob.I:96, 'The Miracle' Capella Istropolitana / Conductor Barry Wordsworth -------- Symphony No. 98 in B flat major, Hob.I:98 Nicolaus Esterhazy Sinfonia / Conductor Bela Drahos -------- Symphony No. 102 in B flat major, Hob.I:102 Capella Istropolitana / Conductor Barry Wordsworth CD05 Mozart: Symphonies Nos. 25, 35 'Haffner' & 41 'Jupiter' Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Symphony No. 25 in G minor, K. 183 • Symphony No. 35 in D major, K. 385, 'Haffner' Symphony No. 41 in C major, K. 551, 'Jupiter' Capella Istropolitana / Conductor Barry Wordsworth CD06 Mozart: Symphonies Nos. 38 'Prague', 39 & 40 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Symphony No. 38 in D major, K. 504, 'Prague' • Symphony No. 39 in E flat major, K. 543 Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550 Capella Istropolitana / Conductor Barry Wordsworth CD07 Mozart: Symphonies Nos. 29, 34 & 36 'Linz' Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Symphony No. 29 in A major, K. 201 • Symphony No. 34 in C major, K. 338 Symphony No. 36 in C major, K. 425, 'Linz' Capella Istropolitana / Conductor Barry Wordsworth CD08 Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 3 'Eroica' & 8 Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770-1827) Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 55, 'Eroica' • Symphony No. 8 in F major, Op. 93 Nicolaus Esterhazy Sinfonia / Conductor Bela Drahos CD09 Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 6 'Pastoral' Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770-1827) Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67 • Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, 'Pastoral' Nicolaus Esterhazy Sinfonia / Conductor Bela Drahos CD10 Beethoven Symphony No. 9 'Choral' Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770-1827) • Friedrich Von Schiller - lyricist(s) Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, 'Choral' Hasmik Papian - soprano • Ruxandra Donose - mezzo-soprano Manfred Fink - tenor • Claudio Otelli - bass-baritone Nicolaus Esterhazy Chorus / Nicolaus Esterhazy Sinfonia / Conductor Bela Drahos