Brandl: Symphonies, Opp. 25 & 12

Album review

Born in 1770 – and so a contemporary of Mozart's – Johann Evangelist Brandl lived until 1837 and spent almost his entire career as Kapellmeister, cellist and composer in the court of Karlsruhe. His oeuvre covers almost all genres apart from, curiously, the clavier, which he almost never touched. The two symphonies presented here date from the early 19th century, 1800 and 1803; the listener will detect the influence of Haydn of course – in particular in the way the work cultivates surprises and pranks – but the first tremors of romanticism can already be felt here, in particular in the stunning contrasts between sombre and errant moments, and other much more furious ones. It is to the composer's credit that these orchestral works were played by, amongst others, the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, a clear recognition. Would Mendelssohn have heard these notes? Because certain passages of the Symphony Op. 25 could well have been written by him – although in 1803 the young Felix hadn't even yet been born... Brandl is a composer worthy of rediscovery. © SM/Qobuz