Late Classical Symphonies

[Alan Howe]

Recommendations, please!!

Which symphonies would forum members recommend in the 'Late Classical' category - i.e. symphonies in the style of/moving beyond late Mozart and Haydn?

[Peter1953]

I’m thinking of Eberl. Clementi’s symphonies sound late classical to me as well.

[TerraEpon]

Weber (not unsung composer, but the symphonies aren't recorded often), Krommer, and Gossec are good starts.

[Hofrat]

Joachim Eggert is my choice!!

[thalbergmad]

Woelfl, Wolfl, Woffl, Woeffl, or however it is spelt.

Thal

[oldman]

There are also Johann Wilms, and C.E.F. Weyse

[Delicious Manager]

This is something of a speciality of mine.

You really, really MUST hear the symphonies of Mozart's exact contemporary Joseph Martin Kraus (1756-92). He wrote a dozen or so symphonies which are recorded, some of which are startlingly original (including a 'Symphonie funebre' and one in C-sharp minor(!)). The Naxos set is well worth having to get to know these pieces for very little monetry outlay. Kraus was isolated in Stockholm in the same way Haydn was isolated in Eszterháza and developed an original and innovative musical voice.

Franz Krommer (František Kramář) (1759-1831) was a also a composer of some wonderful symphonies. One of the most original voices of the late Classical period was Antonín Reijcha (Anton Reicha)(1770-1836). Large-scale symphonies with fascinating melodic lines and unexpected twists of harmony, this composer is well worth looking out. Like Beethoven, he was starting to push the boundaries quite hard.

The German-Dutch composer Johann Wilhelm Wilms (1772-1847) wrote some very Beethovenian symphonies (especially No 7) and these are well worth hearing.

Finally, I would direct you towards the 'Bohemian Schubert', Jan Václav Voříšek (1791-1825). He died young and wasn't prolific in the way Mozart and Schubert were. But he left one gorgeous symphony in D major and a wealth of superb piano music. Also composer of a lovely single symphony was the Spanish Juan Crisóstomo Arriaga (1806-1826), who died 10 days short of his 20th birthday, yet still managed to leave behind some fantastic music. Cherubini also left one symphony, which is worth investigating.

All these pieces are recorded (the Voříšek and Arriaga several times). ENJOY!

[Alan Howe]

Dear contributors,

Please may I have chapter and verse? I know all the names, but it's the works themselves I sometimes don't know. Recommended recordings would also be helpful.

So: Symphony No.....by..(composer)..in..(key)..(+ date); plus recommendation, please!

[eschiss1]

This is something of a speciality of mine.

You really, really MUST hear the symphonies of Mozart's exact contemporary Joseph Martin Kraus (1756-92). He wrote a dozen or so symphonies which are recorded, some of which are startlingly original (including a 'Symphonie funebre' and one in C-sharp minor(!)). The Naxos set is well worth having to get to know these pieces for very little monetry outlay. Kraus was isolated in Stockholm in the same way Haydn was isolated in Eszterháza and developed an original and innovative musical voice.

Franz Krommer (František Kramář) (1759-1831) was a also a composer of some wonderful symphonies. One of the most original voices of the late Classical period was Antonín Reijcha (Anton Reicha)(1770-1836). Large-scale symphonies with fascinating melodic lines and unexpected twists of harmony, this composer is well worth looking out. Like Beethoven, he was starting to push the boundaries quite hard.

The German-Dutch composer Johann Wilhelm Wilms (1772-1847) wrote some very Beethovenian symphonies (especially No 7) and these are well worth hearing.

Finally, I would direct you towards the 'Bohemian Schubert', Jan Václav Voříšek (1791-1825). He died young and wasn't prolific in the way Mozart and Schubert were. But he left one gorgeous symphony in D major and a wealth of superb piano music. Also composer of a lovely single symphony was the Spanish Juan Crisóstomo Arriaga (1806-1826), who died 10 days short of his 20th birthday, yet still managed to leave behind some fantastic music. Cherubini also left one symphony, which is worth investigating.

All these pieces are recorded (the Voříšek and Arriaga several times). ENJOY!

Actually, most of Krommer's 8 extant numbered (and a few un-numbered) symphonies are unrecorded (and would probably be considered early Romantic rather than late Classical, I think, as would Kalliwoda's - which are recorded, but mostly on LP.)
Ferdinand Ries', at least, have been recorded - they're pretty good, especially nos. 4 and 6, I think. (On cpo.)
To find all of Wilms' surviving symphonies you'll have to traverse several labels, some very rare. I recommend symphony no. 5 in D myself, though. (Or, listen to Concertzender's audio archives. That'll get you most of them. They did a Wilms series some years back that you can find with a search engine.)

[Alan Howe]

I have various by Krommer, Reicha, Wilms, Vorisek, Arriaga, Cherubini, Clementi, Kalliwoda, Ries, Weyse, Weber and Eggert - and also Vranicky, Gerson, Kunzen, Méhul, Witt and Eybler.

Kraus I will order.

Where should I start exactly with Gossec, Wölfl or Eberl?

[eschiss1]

I have various by Krommer, Reicha, Wilms, Vorisek, Arriaga, Cherubini, Clementi, Kalliwoda, Ries, Weyse, Weber and Eggert - and also Vranicky, Gerson, Kunzen, Méhul, Witt and Eybler.

Kraus I will order.

Where should I start exactly with Gossec, Wölfl or Eberl?

I only know of two symphonies recorded by Wölfl. I haven't heard them yet. Of his other music, the piano sonatas and cello sonata that I've heard are good. (The cello sonata is a sort of trio, if you include the snare-drum(?) part played by the cellist in the finale, if I remember correctly from the live performance I heard, performed by Bylsma and Bilson...)

[John Hudock]

I would also recommend the symphonies of Francois-Joseph Gossec in the very fine recording on Chandos by Matthias Bamert. There are some others recorded on ASV with Sanderling conducting, also quite fine. (While not on topic, I'd also recommend his magnificent Requiem of 1760. While there are several recordings I'm particularly fond of the Devos on Erato)

[Delicious Manager]

Please may I have chapter and verse? I know all the names, but it's the works themselves I sometimes don't know. Recommended recordings would also be helpful.

So: Symphony No.....by..(composer)..in..(key)..(+ date); plus recommendation, please!

OK, here goes:

Kraus Symphonies (Vol 1):- Symphony in E flat, C major and C minor (+ 'Olympie' Overture - splendid). Naxos 8.553734
Vol 2 Naxos 8.554472
Vol 3 Naxos 8.554777
Vol 4 Naxos 8.555305
Krommer Symphonies No 2 in D Op 40 and No 4 in C minor Op 102. Chandos CHAN 9275
Wilms Symphonies 6 & 7. Deutsche Grammophon Arkiv DG 474 5082.
Wilms Symphonies Opp 14; 23; 52 & 58. Challenge 72147
Arriaga & Voříšek Symphonies. Hyperion CDA66800
Rejcha Symphonies in C minor and F major. Valois (I don't have the catalogue No, sorry)
Rejcha Symphonies in D major and F major. Panton 81 1027-2
Rejcha Symphony in E-flat Op 41; Voříšek Symphony in D; Koželuh Symphony in D. Accord ACD 148-2

And how could I have forgotten Samuel Wesley (1766-1837) (the 'English Mozart') before? Wonderful stuff.
2 x Symphonies in D; in A, E-flat and B-flat. Chandos CHAN 9823

[John H White]

Spohr's first symphony of 1811 was very much in the late classical mould as of course was Beethoven's. Cipriani Potter wrote somewhere around 14 symphonies in that style. Nos 8 & 10 were issued on a Unicorn- Kanchana CD over 20 years ago. No 7 in F is currently available on a Classico label CD coupled with the G minor symphony of his pupil, Sterndale Bennett. However, its rather difficult to define when the classical period ends and the romantic one starts, as they seem to fade imperceptibly one into the other.

[JimL]

I would say that Potter's symphonies are more early Romantic, as are Weber's.  I consider them all to be in about the style of Mendelssohn's 1st Symphony (the one in C minor).