Recording of the week: not on period instruments

This week's selection comes from Jonathan Summers, Curator of Classical Music Recordings.

Those of us brought up in the 1980s and 1990s only hearing Haydn performed on period instruments missed a lot. While these were innovative and fascinating, older recordings of symphony orchestras – with large string sections performing Classical repertoire on contemporary instruments – became outmoded. This recording from 1953 of the Oxford Symphony by Geroge Szell and his Cleveland Orchestra is a delight, full of elegance, wit, virility and humour – all the best traits of Haydn's genius.

Haydn Symphony no. 92  G major (Oxford)

A collection of Haydn's symphonies can be found on British Library Sounds.

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