Franz Ignaz Beck, the greatest of Stamitz’s pupils, led a colourful and eventful life. Fleeing Mannheim after fighting a duel with a jealous rival, he moved to Venice. After eloping with his patron’s daughter, he finally ended up in France where he lived for nearly fifty years. Beck’s symphonies have long been admired for their inventiveness, startling use of bold harmonies and dramatic intensity. The most striking work in this set is the G minor Symphony with its powerful, driving outer movements and unsettling Andante.