Harry Christophers and his Bostonians continue their survey through Haydn’s ‘Paris’ Symphonies with the suave No 86, pairing it this time with No 26, the Lamentatione, named for its incorporation of a chant melody into the first movement. This is a central work of the composer’s Sturm und Drang style and the Handel and Haydn Society strings accordingly dig in and make a proper meal of all that angst. It’s still a smoother sound than that achieved by the likes of Giovanni Antonini and Il Giardino Armonico but it serves this middle-period music well. The later work is a product of the High Classical style and also benefits from the degree of sheen these players provide. This is going to be a particularly rewarding ‘Paris’ cycle when it is completed: only two more to go, La Reine and the woefully underrated No 87.

Concertmaster Aisslinn Nosky has recorded all of the genuine Haydn violin concertos so turns now to Mozart. This is a lovely, witty performance of the G major, as attested by the coos of delight from the audience. It’s a far cry from the cool brilliance of Isabelle Faust’s Gramophone Recording of the Year (Harmonia Mundi, 12/16) but has its own charm, perhaps even of the sort that might not pall on repeated hearings.

Each issue from these forces builds on the successes of its predecessors and it’s gratifying that an ensemble with Haydn in its name is promoting his music with such imagination and flair. Competition in the Haydn marketplace is heating up, so it’s all kudos to Christophers and his players for such distinctive performances of these still underestimated works.