Sinfonia in E

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 no later than 1761 and judging from the number of extant copies it enjoyed a high level of popularity during the 1760s. Like all of Dittersdorf’s symphonies it is abounds in brilliant orchestral writing and quirky, infectious melodies.