The L’Orfeo Baroque Orchestra led by Michi Gaigg created a sensation with its first Mendelssohn recording. The Hessian Radio, for instance, stated that the ‘string symphonies have been produced countless times, recorded and released on CD. But never yet have they been heard as they are in the performance by this musical ensemble.’ While the majority of the first six symphonies from Mendelssohn’s youth released on Vol. 1 continue to be obliged to the music of Bach’s sons Wilhelm Friedemann and Carl Philipp Emanuel, the subsequent works of this genre already breathe the spirit of a Haydn or Mozart. It is fascinating how Mendelssohn, who was only thirteen years old at the time, is able with astonishing ease to combine traditional compositional models with his own musical language, which always creates the impression of skilful mastery. The young composer did not pay much attention to his critics, who had charged that the works lacked modernity and a personal signature.