The Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century here plays two symphonies of the nineteenth century ''on period instruments'', but which period and what instruments are not vouchsafed. The performances, recorded live, are singularly free from either audience intervention or any fluffs that might need subsequent attention; and the sound is fresh and attractive. The flutes are particularly effective. Presumably they are wooden, and they have completely overcome the tuning problems; they flutter away at great speed in the finale of Mendelssohn's Italian Symphony, where Bruggen sets a hectic tempo, and sound delightful in the beautifully balanced counterpoint to the main theme of the Andante. Incidentally, the four accompanying note writers have a bit of a disagreement here. Colin Lawson quotes Moscheles as saying that the theme was a Czech pilgrim song. Uwe Kraemer supports Eric Werner's view that it is melodically similar to Mendelssohn's teacher Zelter's setting of Ein Konig in Thule (turning this up, I see little more than a coincidental outline). Francois Dupray refers to a chorale and the composer's very vivid description of a procession in a letter home. Adriano Cavicchi suggests that the D minor tonality with flattened leading note indicates the ecclesiastical primus tonus.
Schubert's symphony is also played with nice, clean textures and a fresh rhythmic impulse. Though Bruggen is scrupulous about dynamic markings, he settles for a more classical account of the work than some, where the Andante in particular, but also the Minuet, can be tinged with a strong romantic feeling; this is not, I think, only to do with the nature of the instruments used. Both performances are very pleasant.'