Sinfonia in A

The symphonies of Johann Baptist Wanhal (1739-1813), one of the most prolific and important of Haydn’s Viennese contemporaries, are among the most important works of their kind from the late-18th century. Bold and imaginative, powerful and lyrical, Wanhal’s symphonies are only now beginning to win wider recognition as the masterpieces they are. Wanhal, like Haydn, frequently experimented with formal models in his symphonies and A9 is particularly interesting in this respect. It consists of three connected movements – contrasted of course by tonality, metre and tempo. The A major brightness of the equally-attractive melodies in the outer movements (with their oboes, clarini in D and timpani) are enhanced by the D major second movement, with its beautiful doubling of the melody in the first violin with a solo violoncello in the lower octave, to produce a composition of rare brilliance and vitality. The work ends very unusually, piano, with with the opening theme of the entire symphony.