Reinecke Symphony No.2/Overtures

[eschiss1]

Even Robbins Landon doesn't quite agree with you about Haydn's consistency and ranks some of the symphonies rather poorly (partially because, he suggests, Haydn was putting most of his effort at that particular time into opera and drama.)

[Alan Howe]

I don't think we should be surprised, even if appreciation of Haydn's earlier symphonies has increased in our generation.

[FBerwald]

You're probably right, John. I take your point about Liszt's inconsistency. A bit of a left field thought: if we allow the lighter end of the spectrum, Johann Strauss II's large output is of a consistently high quality (he was admired by Brahms).

Imho, (continuing along the lighter end of the spectrum) Josef Strauss also produced works of consistently high quality.  Strauss II, himself said Josef is the more gifted of us two; I am merely the more popular