This series of Haydn’s last and greatest symphonies comes in the wake of conductor Adam Fischer’s acclaimed series of the complete symphonies of Beethoven (8.505251, ‘utterly fascinating.’ Gramophone) and Brahms (8.57446-67, ‘a revelation.’ Stretto), both of which also featured the Danish Chamber Orchestra. Conductor and players have worked closely together for more than twenty years now, and that sense of a singular musical purpose is palpable in anything they record. This Haydn edition is shaping up to become as collectable as all of Adam's previous symphonic recordings, with a buzz of excitement around each release. Commenting on Vol. 2 (8.574517), Gramophone wrote that ‘Fischer never misses a trick with Haydn’s theatrical contrasts.’ You can confidently expect more dramatic engagement in this latest programme that features Symphonies Nos. 99, 100 (‘Military’) and 101 (‘The Clock’). With such an enviable track record, it’s no wonder that Adam received the prestigious ICMA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022.

This release serves as reminder of our Naxos 19th/20th Century Italian Classics series, which features both late 19th-century composers of orchestral and chamber works who were intent on breaking away from opera’s dominance in Italian music, and the so-called ‘generazione dell’ottanta’, Italian composers born around 1880 who deserve to be brought back into the mainstream. Two of the latter are represented on this album: the pair of orchestral works by Alberto Franchetti are heard on this release for the first time, and Wolf-Ferrari’s Sinfonia da Camera for 11 instruments (which was first released on the Marco Polo label) completes the programme. The conductor of the Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma in the two works for orchestra is Francesco La Vecchia, whose discography includes a wide ranging and well received series of recordings that were made principally for Naxos.

Although some of Taneyev’s chamber works did remain for a while in the repertoire of Russian artists from the Soviet era, his music became largely neglected after his death in 1915. The Naxos label has played a significant role in reviving awareness of Taneyev’s brilliance as a composer in recent decades; our numerous releases include complete editions of his string quartets and symphonies, for example. While other labels may have some Taneyev titles in their catalogues, Naxos is the clear market leader for the composer. This splendid new recording from Spectrum Concerts Berlin follows on from its previous album of Taneyev’s String Trio, Op. 31 and Piano Quartet, Op. 20 (8.574367), in which Fanfare noted how ‘the performances are engaged and vibrant.’ The programme on this new album pairs Taneyev’s neoclassical Violin Sonata in A minor with his grander Piano Quintet in G minor, in which the virtuoso nature of the piano writing reflects Taneyev’s own prowess at the keyboard.