When, at the end of 1995, the third box of Mozart symphonies from The English Concert and Trevor Pinnock was issued, the last two symphonies were at once made available separately. At the time, I suggested that the third CD was the outstanding one; and now this too is available on its own. The Prague has a sombre opening, catching the sense of mystery in that remarkable slow introduction, which leads to a bright and spirited account of the main Allegro, its structure nicely articulated. The Andante, also attentively shaped, has its proper hints of darkness, as well as pastoral grace; and Pinnock offers a reading of the finale with plenty of weight as well as vivacity. The special character of the work as a whole is well captured.
The same goes for the great E flat Symphony: what I specially relished was the sturdiness and the fire of the tuttis in the first movement and the way Pinnock and his orchestra convey the anger, almost despair, in those astonishing tuttis in the Andante. There is plenty of lyricism too; but this is not simply a gentle and lyrical symphony, as some conductors would have it – here even the Minuet is done with urgency and intensity. For anyone wanting these two works, a more satisfying version would be hard to find.'