Sinfonia in F

Johann Stamitz (1717-1757) was one of the one the most influential figures in European music during the mid-18th century. Born in Bohemia and educated in Prague, he was probably engaged as a violinist by the Mannheim Court in 1741-42 as a result of contacts made during the coronation in Prague (as King of Bohemia) of the Bavarian Elector Carl Albert, one of whose closest allies was the Elector Palatine. In 1743 he was named "Erster Hoff Violinist" (First Court-Violinist); in 1745 or 1746 - the date is uncertain - he was awarded the title Concertmeister and in 1750, was appointed to the newly-created post of "Instrumental-Music Director". Under Stamitz’s direction the orchestra developed into a formidable ensemble and within was a nucleus of excellent soloists and talented composers foremost among them Stamitz himself. The interest in Stamitz’s symphonies goes far beyond their brilliant exploitation of the orchestra and their success lies in the quality of their musical invention and organization. The six symphonies published in Paris by La Chevardière in 1763 as Opus 7 all appear to have been composed over the periodca 1747-1753 and exhibit all the characteristic energy and inventiveness of Stamitz’s middle-period symphonies. The present work, the fifth of the set, was probably composed between 1749 and 1752. Wolfconsiders the work more akin to an orchestral quartet than a symphony and indeed F5 was issued in London two years later by Bremner as ‘Quartetto VI’ of a set of six symphonies by various authors.