Salieri & Beethoven in Dialogue Antonio Salieri (1750–1825), Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827) Heidelberger Sinfoniker / Timo Jouko Herrmann (director) / Diana Tomsche, Joshua Whitener, Kai Preußker (soloists) Hänssler Classic HC20067, 2021; one disc, 48 minutes

When thinking of Antonio Salieri and his contemporaries, Ludwig van Beethoven’s name might not appear at the top of the list of associations. However, as highlighted by Timo Jouko Herrmann and the Heidelberger Sinfoniker in the new recording Salieri & Beethoven in Dialogue, the two composers were, in fact, closely aligned in musical style in Vienna at the turn of the nineteenth century. A note in Salieri’s house, found by Ignaz Moscheles (another of his pupils), read ‘The pupil Beethoven was here!’, and Herrmann takes this evidence of their encounter as the starting-point for this recording. The works selected represent the interdependent nature of their teacher–student relationship in the development of both composers’ sound worlds, and the recording focuses on bringing attention to some of the hidden gems of their repertories. It is believed that Salieri and Beethoven would have first met in the mid-1790s, and so the recording features works from within the following decade, spanning the years 1800–1805. This provides a time frame within which the ‘dialogue’ between the two composers can take place and allows for a close comparison between their compositional styles. In addition, Salieri & Beethoven in Dialogue contains three world-premiere recordings, all of which are of works by Salieri – part of a wider project by Herrmann to highlight some of the composer’s forgotten oeuvre. The recording follows on from Herrmann’s 2020 release Salieri: Strictly Private (Hänssler Classic HC19709), which was nominated for three OPUS KLASSIK awards. In the current recording, Herrmann guides the ensemble in interpreting these works in a manner that reflects their origin: the Heidelberger Sinfoniker are renowned for a style rooted in historical performance practice, shaped by previous direction from Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Thomas Fey. The choice of works also reflects the notion of ‘dialogue’, with three vocal pieces complementing their three instrumental counterparts. Soprano Diana Tomsche (also featured on last year’s Strictly Private) returns, collaborating with fellow singers Joshua Whitener and Kai Preußker. Each boasts an impressive breadth of experience in operatic music from this period and beyond, which is evident throughout the recording. A well-balanced sound between the soloists and accompanying orchestra emphasizes the varied textures in Beethoven and Salieri’s music, as both composers demonstrate a mature understanding of orchestral colour, instrumental interplay and sectional layering that underpins melodic material. The vocalists navigate this textural backdrop with clear intonation and dramatic flair. Owing to entrenched performance and scholarly narratives, one would expect the large orchestral offerings to come from Beethoven, and the vocal works from Salieri. However, this recording takes the opposite approach: here, Salieri is the orchestral master, and his pupil Beethoven the vocal composer. Indeed, though Salieri’s instrumental output has received minimal attention in both scholarly and performance settings, he was involved in a wide array of musical genres as Viennese Imperial Kapellmeister (1788–1824) and Director of the Italian Opera (1774–1792). These included