Sinfonia in D

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 was composed in 1788 and as is the case with a number of Dittersdorf’s later symphonies the orchestral forces is expanded to include flutes, bassoons, trumpets and timpani as well as the customary oboes and horns. The quality of the thematic writing is exceptional and few more irresistible finales than this were written during the 1780s.