JOACHIM NIKOLAS EGGERT (1779-1813): Symphonies No. 2 in G Minor and No. 4 in C Minor, Alternative second movement to Symphony No. 4 - Largo.

Description: Even better than last month’s pair, these further make the case for a composer who might have contributed significantly to the early Romantic symphony had he lived longer. Just get a load of the startling original slow movement to No. 4 (c. 1810) which paints a lovely, pastoral picture suddenly shattered by timpani and the seeming passage of an attackingi army. The alternative slow movement is very forward-looking with its almost Wagnerian dissonance and unusual orchestration. Otherwise, the impression in both symphonies is of late Haydn thoroughly assimilated into a personal style which has many pre-echoes of Schubert’s symphonic style. Gävle Symphony Orchestra; Gérard Korsten.