No Carl Stamitz, no consolidation of the Mannheim school of composers and performers founded by his father Johann. There were others in this second generation too. But the Elector’s concerts of the famous Mannheim Orchestra were casual events: music had to be heard through the hubbub of cards, conversation, tea-drinking and socialising. So, were the characteristic orchestral effects like crescendo, rocket and sigh introduced to quieten a rowdy background? Hugo Riemann named them “Mannheim figures”, though they originated in the Italian opera overture of three movements.

Carl Stamitz’s symphonies were mostly similar, though he did produce some four-movement examples such as Kai23. There are no parts for bassoons in the works here. Nor does conductor Werner Ehrhardt add a pair as reinforcing continuo instruments. Thus with only two each of violas and cellos plus one double bass, the middle and low end of the spectrum is weak.

The music is anything but, though, and Ehrhardt is both a thoughtful musician and a communicative conductor. Be it the thrusting opening Presto of Kai24 or the singing Andante of Kai34 (all its movements include clarinets, used in Mannheim since 1758 and first encountered there by Mozart in 1777), Ehrhardt paces and phrases these symphonies to extract the maximum dramatic or lyrical force. Stamitz emerges as a substantial composer. He wrote over 50 symphonies; perhaps Ehrhardt and CPO would care to record them all – but please, with a larger band and a sonorously supportive bass-line.