Wanhal, Johann Baptist: Sinfonia in C major (Bryan C7b) (AE503)

Wanhal, Johann Baptist (1739-1813)

On the evidence of the surviving copies, C7b (composed ca. 1771–1772) was one of Wanhal’s most popular and widely
known symphonies. It was issued in at least six printed editions and significant number of manuscript copies survive. Not all of these attribute the work to Wanhal: Haydn is named as the composer in several of these editions and at one point it was planned to include in it the first Haydn Ausgabe until the weight of evidence persuaded Eusebius Mandyczewski that the work was probably by Wanhal. The symphony was one of several of the composer’s works performed by Haydn’s orchestra at Eszterháza and presumably under his direction. Symphony C7 is unusual in that it exists in two forms. C7a is a pasticcio version created by the Parisian publisher Bailleux and consists of the first movement of C7b in combination with other movements drawn from Symphonies C8 and E3. The authentic version of the work, C7b, is presented in this edition and is based on a set of parts from the Clam Gallas collection now held in the Czech Music Centre in Prague under the shelfmark XLII E 13. The wrapper reads: “Nro 28: C. Clam Gallas. / Sinfonia in C. / Violino Primo / Violino Secondo / Oboe 2 [by another hand: Flautti 2] / Corni 2 / Clarini 2 / Tÿmpani / Viola e Basso / Del: Sige: Wanhal”.