Kölner Akademie * Symphonies 1-3 [New CD]

The protagonist of these recordings owed his posthumous fame to an error. The "Jena Symphony"; discovered in the city's university library in 1909; was thoroughly studied; discussed and even recorded as a supposed early work by Beethoven. However; since 1968 it has been established that the composition is by no means the titan's "zero" symphony; but rather the 14th of 23 symphonies that Friedrich Witt wrote in Niederstetten; Baden-Wurttemberg; many of which were also published. A full five weeks older than his colleague from Bonn; whom he outlived by nine years; he had been court conductor in Wurzburg since 1802; where his symphonic output took an astonishing turn and was apparently renumbered. The three symphonies recorded here; Nos. 1 to 3; were written a few years earlier than their much-praised cousin; but consistently display uncompromising quality.