The summit of the Classical style 1789 is the date of the two symphonies on this CD, whose autograph manuscripts were dedicated to a French count, and the orchestral parts to a German prince! Whoever their ‘real’ dedicatee might be, these works are a superb testimony to the achievement of the composer’s high maturity, which was shortly to earn him an honorary doctorate from Oxford University. As for the dramatic scena Berenice, che fai?, its London premiere in 1795 was one of Haydn’s most memorable successes. This title was released for the first time in 2005.