Contemporaries nicknamed Haydn’s Symphony No. 83 “La Poule” because a particularly quirky melody seemed to suggest the pecking of a hen. But don’t be deceived: even at its most playful, Haydn’s imagination burned with unquenchable fire. In this concert given at the Salzburg Mozarteum in 2000, both “La Poule” and its companion piece – the noble Symphony No. 84 – receive performances of irrepressible animation, commitment and wit. Sir Roger Norrington conducts Camerata Salzburg: a pioneer of historically informed performance working with modern-instrument players steeped in central European style. The result is as energising – and as delightful – as you could possibly wish.

Of all the great pioneers of the early music revival, few can match Sir Roger Norrington for the originality, the experience and the pure, unbuttoned joie-de-vivre that he brings to everything he conducts. Certainly, it’s hard to think of a wittier or more congenial interpreter for two of Haydn’s “Paris” symphonies: controlled explosions of fantasy, colour and symphonic argument, performed here with historically informed flair by the (modern instrument) virtuosi of the Salzburg Camerata. No.85 – nicknamed “La Reine” – is the most stately of the “Paris” symphonies. No. 87 is the most headlong. But both receive performances of quite irresistible playfulness and panache.