Birth of the symphony. Haendel, Richter, Mozart, Haydn… . Egarr.

   in Early Music Today (Dec, 2013)
This CD of early symphonies contains an unexpected group of works. First of all there is the four-movement sinfonia from Handel’s oratorio, Saul. Since the piece is essentially a concerto grosso its symphonic credentials are slender, to say the least. Where is Giovanni Battista Sammartini who was among the most important composers of the early symphony? Where, indeed, is Vivaldi whose music had a direct effect on the first composers of the symphony? It all seems very odd. The remaining four works are true early symphonies. Johann Stamitz and F. X. Richter were both Mannheimers where the court orchestra was an acknowledged promoter of the new symphonic form. Mozart, appropriately, is …