Christian Cannabich was Music Director of the Mannheim Court Orchestra for twenty-four years, during which time the orchestra was to enjoy enormous success. Mozart described him as ‘the best director I have ever seen’. Cannabich’s fame in this sphere tended to overshadow his outstanding catalogue of compositions, in which he listed seventy-six symphonies. The six recorded here date from 1772 and are characterised by vivacious outer movements framing a charming and lyrical central Andante.