Grand Symphonies Nos 1-6

Review Franz Xaver Richter (1709-89) is generally associated with the Mannheim Court Orchestra, but these are the last six of a set of 12 symphonies that he published in Paris in 1744. It can be assumed that they were written while he was serving in Kempten in the Allgau, where he was Kapellmeister before moving to Mannheim. He later toured widely and ended up in Strasbourg, where Pleyel was his assistant. The symphonies are actually richer harmonically than the works of many of his contemporaries, such as Johann Stamitz. They are quite typical of very early symphonies. Four are in three movements, and two are in four. They tend to have a driving intensity in the quick movements and richly expressive harmonies in the slow movements. The Helsinki Baroque Orchestra is perfectly suited to them with its 13 string instruments and harpsichord. The recording is superb, even though it is transferred at a rather high volume level and with very strong bass response. Notes are rather brief but informative. -- American Record Guide, Carl Bauman, November 2009 Product Description The hallmarks of Franz Xaver Richter' mature style are already evident in the Six Grandes Symphonies published in 1744, several years before he joined the celebrated musical establishment at the Mannheim court. The fast movements possess a driving i.