Though only No. 13 can be dated with certainty, all four works here belong to the years 1760-63, spanning Haydn's move from the Morzin to the Esterhazy family. In 1763 the horn contingent in the Esterhazy orchestra was doubled to four; and in No. 13 Haydn makes imaginative use of his new resources, especially in the first movement, where the horn quartet often provides a sonorous, organ-like backdrop to the busy violin figuration. The Adagio cantabile is a florid, concerto-like movement for solo cello, typical of the early Esterhazy years, while the inventive, entertaining finale uses the same four-note Gregorian cantus firmus as Mozart's Jupiter, whose polyphonic glories it modestly foreshadows. Incidentally, like Hogwood, though unlike Dorati, Goodman omits the timpani part in this symphony, which is not in Haydn's hand but was at least sanctioned by him.
The other three symphonies are less consistently arresting, and all suffer from very plain, sparse-textured Andantes. But the finale of No. 14 and the opening Allegro of No. 16 are notably taut, concentrated pieces, drawing strength from Haydn's growing interest in counterpoint; while the first movement of No. 15, uniquely in Haydn's symphonies, is designed like a French overture, with a chaste, delicately scored Adagio framing a nervy Presto full of choleric violin tremolos.
Goodman and the Hanover Band bring to this music their characteristic eager, driving energy. Fast movements are propulsive and strongly accented, with plenty of pungent detail from oboes and horns, and minuets have a fine, lusty stride. The initial Adagio of No. 15 is beautifully poised, held down to pianissimo as Haydn requests. But the Adagio of No. 13, nicely played by Angela East, with some expressive touches of rubato, is too stiffly and heavily accompanied; and the Andantes of the other three symphonies, which need all the help they can get, tend to plod unimaginatively (especially that of No. 14, which also suffers from uncertain tuning between violins and cellos), with over-stressed strong beats and little sense of the music's dance background. Both Hogwood and, particularly, Dorati are more gracious and subtle here. Part of the problem (for me, at least) is Goodman's emphatic, forwardly balanced harpsichord continuo, which can also be unduly distracting when pounding out repeated quavers in the quick movements. Still, for all my cavils there is plenty of enjoyable, zestful music-making here, as always in this series; and Hyperion's recording is typically vivid, if a touch over-resonant, with occasional blurring of detail in tuttis.'