For me, the outstanding recording of this unique work has always been the 1947 account directed by Furtwängler. More recent versions have improved on its rather murky sound-quality, benefited from more accurate editions, and given us, on period instruments, an inspiring picture of the sounds Mozart had in mind, but none has matched Furtwängler’s command of the great symphonic structure nor equalled the eloquence of his Vienna Philharmonic players. Of previous period-instrument recordings, I’ve very much enjoyed Christopher Hogwood’s with the Amadeus Winds: here, too, the playing is most distinguished, notable for its stylish, lively phrasing.

The Sixth Floor Orchestra from Finland achieves a beautiful overall blend of its 18th-century instruments, with a good, resonant recording. It’s a performance with plenty of ‘go’ (the finale is outstanding) but occasionally – in the very speedy first movement, for instance – the players seem a little uncomfortable. And there are some strange interpretative decisions: in the Adagio, for example, the large variations of tempo and dynamics may make the music’s shape clear but they take away its serenity (we can imagine this performance illustrating a film of a monster on the prowl). In the variation movement, too, by slowing down for the minor-key variation, the effect of the following Adagio is undermined.