London-based period instrument ensemble, The Amadè Players, with their artistic director and conductor Nicholas Newland, make their commercial recording debut on the Resonus Classics label with this innovative and fascinating programme of works from unjustly neglected composers of the early classical era.

Johann Baptist Vanhal was a Viennese contemporary of Haydn and Mozart, admired by both, and regarded as their peer in his own time. Yet the rediscovery of the wider picture of composition in the late 18th century has largely bypassed him. His symphonies of the 1770s are fine examples of the Sturm und Drang trend and were in several respects stylistically out in front of Haydn's and Mozart's contributions to the genre. The same can't be said of the three works here, published in 1784 and claimed to be piano quintets.

Like so many Bohemian composers, the eastern Bohemian Vanhal had moved to Vienna early in his career and can thus be viewed as a member of the select core of composers consisting of Haydn, Salieri, Mozart and Beethoven, to whom we owe Viennese classicism. The Missa Solemnis is noteworthy not just for its quality and opulence, but surprises the listener above all with three prolonged concert solo arias. By comparison, Vanhal’s Stabat Mater seems formally more conservative in its usual alternation between choir parts and solo numbers. It is above all the rich melodic imagination that is captivating.

Canadian bassist David Sinclair's new CD is an outstanding release, musically, technically and historically. Featuring three concertos from the second half of the eighteenth century, it is the first recording of the Hofmeister Concerto and first recording of the Vanhal on Viennese violine (Lars Baunkilde recorded the Pichl on Viennese violine in 1997). It is superbly recorded in Super Audio (surely the first solo bass CD in this format) on Annette Schumacher's wonderful Ars Produktion label. The balance has been carefully considered in every movement and the accompaniment from fellow bassist and conductor Michael Willens directing the Cologne-based ensemble Kölner Akademie is sensitive and supportive.

Johann Baptist Vanhal numbers among the most productive composers of the eighteenth century. Among other works, seventy-seven symphonies and sixty solo concertos by him are documented. He was for quite some time, especially before the works of Haydn and Mozart became more widely known, one of the most popular and even one of the most renowned instrumental composers in Germany.

The G minor Symphony, the second of Vanhal’s symphonies in that key, is an absolute delight, full of good ideas The C minor Symphony (1770) is also a work of originality Matthias Bamert and the London Mozart Players give an excellent account of themselves, and are recorded with clarity and warmth.

The symphonies of Johann Baptist Vaňhal are among the most important works of the classical period. Bold and imaginative, powerful and lyrical, Vaňhal’s symphonies are only now beginning to win wider recognition as the masterpieces they are. This recording features his early and highly prophetic Symphony in E minor as well as one of his later works, the brilliantly-scored Symphony in C (Bryan C17) which Haydn is known to have admired.

Composer – Born in the Bohemian village of Nechanicz, Vanhal (1739-1813) became a leading composer in Vienna and one of the most popular throughout Europe during his lifetime. As with most Classical era composers, his stock fell dramatically after his death. However, the Naxos series of Vanhal symphonies reveals an expert composer of elegance and hard-driving rhythms with a wealth of melodic invention.

The Vanhal symphonies are technically exceptional and capable of going toe-to-toe with the middle-period symphonies of Haydn and even several of Mozart's. Vanhal's thematic material is often memorable, and his development sections well worked through…

The classical symphony is so dominated by the twin figures of Haydn & Mozart that it is all too easy to overlook the considerable contributions which were made by many lesser figures. The Naxos label is doing a great service by bringing to light many of these works in its '18th Century Symphony' series. It now launches a survey of the symphonies of the Bohemian composer Johann Baptist Vanhal with four highly spirited, engaging pieces dating from 1760-1780 that are the equal of Haydn's contemporary efforts. These are witty, original pieces and it's easy to see why Imperial Vienna took them immediately to its heart. Uwe Grodd and the very fine Hungarian players of the Nicolaus Esterhazy Sinfonia make a strong case for them.

The second volume brings us more Vaňhal, his Symphony in G minor. This is a defter, more energetic and more engaging work than the one in the first volume. Solo winds have their say in the slow movement and the compositional level here is high. František Xaver Dušek was, like Vaňhal, another Bohemian who moved in Mozartian circles. Mozart played one of Vaňhal’s violin concertos and Dušek famously entertained Mozart when the younger man visited Prague for performances of Don Giovanni". Active both in Prague and Vienna Dušek turns in a Symphony of gallant confidence. The trio has a certain studied charm but a real sense of orchestral control and surety.

The range of the Bohemian – and to a lesser extent Moravian – musical diaspora can be very adequately gauged from the composers in this survey. Some underwent name-changing, Germanicising being the most opportune thing to do if seeking preferment in a ducal court, not least as regards pronunciation. In the first volume therefore we find Jiří Antonín Benda becoming Georg Anton and Jan Křitetel Vaňhal turning into Johann Baptist Vanhal, even Wanhal. And so on.