Camerata Antonio Soler - Sinfonías de Gaetano Brunetti (2015)

Gaetano Brunetti was an Italian composer of the Classical era who was employed at the royal court of Spain, for the most part writing symphonies and chamber works. A small number of Brunetti's compositions were published in his lifetime, and of these, his symphonies have attracted the most attention from period ensembles and have occasionally appeared on CD. This 2015 release by Gustavo Sánchez and Camerata Antonio Soler presents three works Brunetti composed in the reign of Charles III, the Symphony No. 9 in D major, the Symphony No. 21 in E flat major, and the Symphony No. 29 in C major, and they are played with rococo elegance in historically informed style. Brunetti's music may suggest parallels with Haydn's symphonies, certainly in its cheerfulness and the use of surprises for humorous effect, but perhaps most significantly in his experimentation with symphonic form. Most distinctive are his third movements, which consist of a rustic contredanse in duple time scored for a quintet of horns and woodwinds, with a darker middle section in the minor for the strings. Also noteworthy is his robust use of timpani in the Symphony No. 9, a rare occurrence in his music. This disc is highly recommended for listeners who like to explore the less familiar byways of the Classical symphony.