Sinfonia in A

Dittersdorf (1739-1799) was one of the most prolific and versatile of Haydn’s and Mozart’s Viennese contemporaries. He wrote fluently and attractively in all genres and his symphonies, of which there are over a hundred, reveal a wealth of novel solutions to the problems of form and a subversive wit that bears comparison only with Haydn’s. Although his programmatic symphonies are rightly lauded for their great originality, Dittersdorf’s more orthodox works are also remarkable for their exuberant musical invention and impressive command of the orchestra. The present work is listed in the Sigmaringen catalogue and was composed, therefore, sometime before 1766. A copy of the symphony preserved in the Diözesanarchiv in Graz, Austria (provenance Bad Ausee / Admont) describes the work as ‘Divertimento più galante’ – a not unreasonable title given the character of the music - and omits the horn parts.