Haydn’s London Symphonies, Part 1.

A dramatic and thrilling conclusion to the Australian Haydn Ensemble's first year in Melbourne.

Violinist-impresario Peter Salomon was the guardian angel/shrewd businessman who put Haydn on a boat to London.

English audiences went wild, symphonies poured out, sterling poured in. London made Haydn famous and represented a genuine sea-change in music history: the fans were music lovers, not diversion-seeking aristocrats.

They were all ravenous to listen again at home, so Salomon added a by-line in chamber arrangements for private concerts.

AHE is well known for its thrilling performances of these versions. A long way from pale imitations: newly imagined, they are a clever, refreshing and often revelatory take.

Although No.92 Oxford premiered in Paris, Salomon claimed it. No 95 raised eyebrows with its fabulous finale, and No.103 Drumroll remains one of the era's greatest achievements.

How will they pull off the drumroll though? Wait and see, in this dramatic end to the Australian Haydn Ensemble's first year in Melbourne.