Sinfonia in Bb

Although the fame of Christian Cannabich (1731-1798) lies principally in his role as director of the famous Mannheim court orchestra, he was a prolific and successful composer whose works were admired in equal measure in both Mannheim and Paris. Mozart liked and admired him immensely, observing that ‘Cannabich, who is the best director that I have ever seen, has the love and awe of those under him’. Mozart praised his elegant instrumentation and even adopted a good number of the older composer’s characteristic devices in his own works. The six symphonies Op.10 (published 1772) were written mid-career. All six works are cast in three movements - a departure from the prevailing four-movement cycle of the late Johann Stamitz symphonies - and share similar structural principles. If Mozart acquired his great technical virtuosity through his careful study and profound appreciation of Haydn’s works, his orchestral sound and the sensuousness of much of his writing owe much to the works of his friend Christian Cannabich.