The first volume of the Concerto Köln two-volume collection of the mature symphonies of Joseph Martin Kraus opens with his Symphony in C minor from 1783, the work that caused Haydn to say of Kraus that he was "one of the greatest geniuses I have met." It's that good, and the other three symphonies on this disc are just as good: the bright and shining D major, the brilliant and charming D major, and the witty and sweet E flat major, with its tender flute and yearning Larghetto. The Concerto Köln plays with refinement and ...
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The first volume of the Concerto Köln two-volume collection of the mature symphonies of Joseph Martin Kraus opens with his Symphony in C minor from 1783, the work that caused Haydn to say of Kraus that he was "one of the greatest geniuses I have met." It's that good, and the other three symphonies on this disc are just as good: the bright and shining D major, the brilliant and charming D major, and the witty and sweet E flat major, with its tender flute and yearning Larghetto. The Concerto Köln plays with refinement and enthusiasm in the later three works and power and passion in the C minor. Capriccio's sound is dry, clear, and deep. Anyone who loves the symphonies of the 1780s of Mozart, Haydn, or C.P.E. Bach will love the symphonies of Kraus. ~ James Leonard, Rovi
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