I've just taken delivery of the newly issued Naxos CD of Friedrich Witt's orchestral works, comprising the well-known Jena Symphony in C, for many years attributed to the young Beethoven, an earlier symphony in A and a flute concerto in G. All these works are good examples of a sprightly late 18th Century style, the Jena Symphony being particularly influenced by some of Haydn's London symphonies. To me the 2nd subject of the Jena's 1st movement bears a striking resemblance to a theme from the slow movement of one of Beethoven's Rasoumovsky quartets, whilst a tune in the finale of the A major symphony sounds rather like a French revolutionary march.
I've just noticed that MDG have 2 more of his later symphonies in their catalogue. I wonder if anyone on this Forum can tell me if the MDG CD is worth getting.
