In 2009, the music world around the globe will commemorate the 200th anniversary of the death of Joseph Haydn. On Hyperion, Howard Shelley and his stylish continental orchestra present the symphonies that made Haydn the most famous and popular composer alive in the 1790s. These are Haydn’s most glittering, worldly symphonies, and listening to them as a set one can sense the exhiliarating milieu in which they were written. These new recordings, featuring high class performances, excellent recorded sound and illuminating booklet notes at a budget price, are the perfect way to experience the joy and splendour of these works. ------------------------------- CLASSIC FM MAGAZINE DISC OF THE MONTH CHOC DE LA MONDE DE LA MUSIQUE 'The Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana is finely honed and the rapport is evident, with unfailingly fine and musicianly playing' (Gramophone) 'Performances of the symphonies that are ultra-clean, pleasingly joyous and straightforwardly entertaining' (Classic FM Magazine) 'The orchestra is very well caught by the engineers, with ample bloom and no unnecessary or false highlighting of instruments. There is an excellent booklet by the ever-reliable Haydn expert Richard Wigmore and, best of all, Hyperion are offering the set at budget price, a little over £20.00 for four discs. I also like the fact that the works are all laid out in numbered order across the discs, unlike Bruggen and Davis, where the sequence is split up for some reason. The Davis cycle is cheaper and still an obvious rival but the sound is not as rich or detailed, and the Bruggen appears unavailable at present. It is a very crowded market but I reckon Hyperion deserve to do well with this one' (MusicWeb.com) 'Sa splendide intégrale des Londoniennes … Ces interprétations dégagent une extraordinaire vitalité' (Le Monde de la Musique, France)