# Early must symphony cycles NOT beethoven, Mozart or Haydn recordings



## Pmartel63 (Dec 9, 2020)

So while I'm updating my library in the romantic era for complete symphoy cycles, I'm looking for obscure early symphonies cycles by composers other than beethoven, Mozart and Haydn

Who can you recommend to fill a gap of neglected composers that wrote more than 3 syymphonies 

At 64 years of ages always learning about different composers of that time 

As always, appreciate the input, thanks


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

Pmartel63 said:


> So while I'm updating my library in the romantic era for complete symphoy cycles, I'm looking for obscure early symphonies cycles by composers other than beethoven, Mozart and Haydn
> 
> Who can you recommend to fill a gap of neglected composers that wrote more than 3 syymphonies
> 
> ...


I have Schubert with Bruggen. Is that early enough?

p.s. Can you edit the title of the thread?


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## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

Sammartini and Stamitz! Also CPE and JC Bach.


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## Xenophiliu (Jan 2, 2022)

FX Dussek has some to his name and Clementi wrote a couple as well.

Boccherini's are wonderful works, and there are over 25 of them.

Gossec and William Boyce are nice as well.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Berwald?? does he count??


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

I don't think you need ALL symphonies of any other 18th century composer (you don't even need all J. Haydn or W.A. Mozart symphonies).
CPE Bach wrote 10 late ("Hamburg") symphonies that are all worth knowing and the few earlier ones (about 8 or so, some exist in two versions) are also quite good.

There are two or three pieces by his older brother W. Friedemann Bach that are called "symphonies" and esp. the one that is basically adagio + fugue is very interesting but the others are short sinfonias from cantatas (I believe).

JM Kraus also wrote a moderate number of symphonies (I think some are doubtful, I have seen 2-disc sets claiming to be complet but Naxos has three or four), that are worth getting.

But it's certainly worth to get 1-2 disc of e.g. Sammartini, Boyce, Richter, M. Haydn, Vanhal, Kozeluch, Rosetti, Boccherini, Joh. Chr. Bach and others to get a taste of mid-late 18th century composers beyond Mozart and J. Haydn. Concerto Köln has made quite a few recordings, there is a whole "Contemporaries of Mozart" series on Chandos and cpo has also been active with disc of e.g. Wagenseil, Joh. Chr. Bach and others.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

I'd tend to largely agree with the sentiments expressed above (except from that I'd surely take all Haydn & Mozart symphonies), and can heartily recommend this set, on Chandos, including Wrantzky.

Plus the Naxos J.M. Kraus series, vol.1.

And Dittersdorf on Naxos, especially the 'name' symphonies.

C.E.F. Weyse wasn't mentioned either.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

The contemporaries of Mozart is a good series ,and all good names are mentioned, will ad more as they spring to mind,


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

I'd strongly recommend the symphonies of Kraus ("The Swedish Mozart"), and also those of Jan Krtitel Vanhal. Both are probably best characterised in their symphonies as being Sturm und Drang-y in their style, so if you like those sorts of Haydn works, you'll like these chaps too.

Haydn's little brother Michael is not worth ignoring either, and the Frenchman Etienne Mehul is really rather excellent too, as well as being one of the first composers to be labelled as "Romantic"

I too would want to have all 104 or however many there are, of Haydn's output. While the early-numbered ones are limited in their symphonic nature (if he calls it a symphony it's a symphony, but some could just as well have been called Divertimenti?) none are immature works. And don't forget Nos.6-8 are real early masterpieces. Mozart is another matter, however, as there are plenty of pretty sweet little works in his earlier symphonies, but he only really gets interesting as a symphonist around the mid-20s in terms of numbering, and the early ones are for completeness' sake only. Sorry...


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

I think someone not particularly fond of the Classical period can restrict oneself to the most famous Mozart and Haydn symphonies. 

For those who are more interested in these composers and their time, it is nowadays probably the easiest just to get the whole lot because people will disagree which dozen or two of symphonies could be safely skipped.

Similarly, for the question here, I think anything except some of the late CPE Bach symphonies are non-essential for those not already considerably interested in the best of that period anyway (i.e. mature Mozart and Haydn).


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