Vaclav Pichl (1741-1805) was a Bohemian who spent most of his career in the imperial service in Italy and Vienna; he was a violinist and a prolific and accomplished composer of chamber and orchestral music, sacred music and opera. These five symphonies (he wrote nearly 100) date from 1769-70, and are modest in scale - most movements are between three and five-and-a-half minutes long - and clear-cut in form. Compared with Haydn or Mozart, you will find them rather square and symmetrical of phrase, a little formal in manner, and somewhat restricted in harmony, although his bass-lines often do quite interesting and surprising things. The first movements have plenty of energy, sometimes wit (the B flat work), sometimes brilliance (the D major), and once a rather grander manner (the C major, which adds timpani to the usual strings, oboes or flutes and horns).
The slow movements have charm and warmth, especially that of the B flat with its gently contrapuntal touches and its tripping triplets, or the D major, a very charming Andante arioso. One, in the G major work, is in effect a flute concerto movement. The finales are mostly rondos, spirited and (especially the B flat and the G major) quite jolly pieces. The B flat has a slow introduction, beginning the disc by promising a degree of seriousness that never quite transpires; the D major has a minuet (the remainder are in three movements). They make agreeable listening, particularly in performances as sympathetic as these under Matthias Bamert, whose feeling for tempo and phrase in the classical repertory is very keen.
Unessential music, one has to say, but very enjoyable performances that make an excellent case for it.'