Johann Michael Haydn's music has inevitably been overshadowed by that of his elder brother Franz Joseph, but his music represents some of the best features of 19th century classicism. These four Sinfonias span just over a decade, from the graceful combination of elegance and liveliness in the Sinfonia in D, the muted violins in the Adagietto affettuoso of the Sinfonia in E-Flat, the lovely sicilienne of the Sinfonia in B-Flat to the substantial Sinfonia in F, which features a solo violin and cor anglais playing together or in alternation.

Michael Haydn wrote his Italian “Serenata” to a libretto by Metastasio on the theme of the lover’s grief felt by the goddess Diana, who took vows of chastity without thinking that she might be hit by Amor’s arrows. This opera in two acts from 1778 celebrated its premiere during Michael Haydn’s lifetime but then was forgotten for more than two centuries; it was first performed again in full in Salzburg in 2018 and now is finally available on cpo. The performance was a cooperative venture of the Institute for Mozart Interpretation, Salzburger Hofmusik, and Johann Michael Haydn Society. The term “serenata” should not be mistakenly equated with “serenade.” It refers to musical tributes for instruments and voices performed mostly in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries for occasions such as coronations, weddings, and birthdays and ranging in genre from the secular cantata to the full-scale opera. After the successful performance drehpunktkultur. at wrote: “Johann Michael Haydn, the great Joseph’s ‘little brother,’ the ‘Salzburg Haydn,’ is always good for surprises. Wolfgang Brunner introduced the composition with humorous wit and supplied finely felt and energetic accents at the harpsichord, also in the arias. His approach to the performance of the work was perfect and in original sound. The Hofmusik – and, in its sole short appearance, the Mozart University Vocal Ensemble – performed with animo and sympathetic feeling. The audience was extremely pleased.”

Certainly, the 'quietest time of year' is also the time when music is to be most frequently heard - not only in public, in shops or markets, but also in the countryside, where Christmas is the time when perhaps the most singing is done. The music author Marius Schneider once underlined this fact by writing:"God hungers for songs." And thus the time which celebrates the symbolic birth of the Lord is a great time for music - even for people who may have no direct religious beliefs. With this 5CD-Set Capriccio presents in total 100 Classical Christmas titles, sung by most famous choruses and soloists. And draws a bow from the high classical Christmas Oratorio by Bach to more simple songs from the country side. And of course the most famous song can't be missed: "Silent Night, Holy Night."

This disc couples the last Violin Concerto (1769) by Joseph Haydn with the Double Concerto for Viola and Harpsichord (1762) by his brother Michael: two rarely recorded early Classical gems. This is the debut recording of Pearls in Baroque Chamber Orchestra, composed by some of the best Baroque music players in the Netherlands. The artistic and performance direction is entrusted to two experienced musicians like Ryo Terakado and Noriko Amano.

In the short period between strict Baroque counterpoint and mature Viennese Classicism, we find delightful and entertaining compositions of unprecedented elegance. Numerous playful and lighthearted serenades and divertimenti were often performed in open-air venues. In particular, the parks of the Mirabell and Hellbrunn palaces in Salzburg offered a suitable setting for such open-air concerts. These often featured wind and brass instruments and provided occasions for the musicians of the Salzburg Hofkapelle to display their virtuosity. Their reputation continued at least as late as 1806, when Christian Daniel Schubart wrote "Die Salzburger glänzen sonderlich in blasenden Instrumenten".[1] One of these soloists was trombonist Thomas Gschlatt (1723-1806), for whom Michael Haydn wrote the Larghetto for trombone and orchestra presented here. From 1753 to 1771 Salzburg was ruled by a great patron of the arts, Archbishop Sigismund III Count Schrattbach. As a generous donor he often supported his musicians with his private "casket funds". Today, he is best known as financier of the Mozart family's travels. Except for Leopold Mozart's trio, which probably originated around 1750, all compositions recorded here come from his Salzburg regency.