John Abraham Fisher (1744-1806) was a composer and violinist, best known for opera and works for his instrument. These symphonies, published in 1772, are little known and receive their world premieres here from the Czech Chamber Orchestra Pardubice, for which music like this is right in the wheelhouse. One can hear William Boyce and Johann Christian Bach in the music, but Fisher also had his ears open to German and Austrian influences. One will not come away from these pieces humming the tunes, but they feature attractive, ...
Read More
John Abraham Fisher (1744-1806) was a composer and violinist, best known for opera and works for his instrument. These symphonies, published in 1772, are little known and receive their world premieres here from the Czech Chamber Orchestra Pardubice, for which music like this is right in the wheelhouse. One can hear William Boyce and Johann Christian Bach in the music, but Fisher also had his ears open to German and Austrian influences. One will not come away from these pieces humming the tunes, but they feature attractive, compact structures, with all but one of the six symphonies coming in under ten minutes. The strongest feature of Fisher's symphonies is the orchestration, with varied handling of the winds and brass that the young Mozart might have appreciated if he happened to get wind of these pieces. The performances, led by conductor Michael Halász, are alert to the details of orchestration and offer a nice combination of vigor and transparency. The harpsichord continuo of Petra Zd'árská is both...
Read Less