The three symphonies by composer and music publisher Ignaz Pleyel featured on this disc illustrate the composer's strengths and weaknesses in equal measure. Pleyel's phrasing is Haydnesque overall, yet his all-too-frequent repetition of material, inelastic phrase lengths and formal squareness at times mar the composer's obvious melodic talent and contrapuntal ingenuity. The Symphony in C major of 1778 is pleasant but otherwise unimpressive. The F minor symphony has a surprisingly Mozartian final movement, filled with playful caesuras and clever phrasings. Most impressive is the C minor, which from its operatic slow introduction to its rousing Presto never fails in the sureness of its harmonic and orchestral turns. This symphony's popularity in its day is illustrated by the unusually diverse number of publisher's arrangements of it, ranging from versions for 1 - 5 instruments to one for voice.
