Papa Knows Best

Most of the BBC Music mag cover disks feature performances by the BBC orchestras or the then current New Generation Artists but occasionally they do a joint venture with an outside record company or ensemble. This disk is one of those with the Academy of Ancient Music directed by Christopher Hogwood playing Haydn Symphonies Nos 77 and 76. Perhaps these symphonies are a little neglected since they don't fit into any of the named groups but they are full of life and invention. Very civilised sounds of the kind that I often think epitomise "classical" music for those who aren't close followers of the genre. Maybe not so full of melody as Mozart but wonderfully inventive in their use and development of simple themes. I haven't purchased any commercial recordings of Haydn symphonies, maybe offput by the sheer number of works to choose from, so this is a valuable disk for me and the performances are of the highest quality, historically informed and played with love and care.