Sir Colin Davis and the Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra enjoyed a fruitful relationship that is documented in various recordings for Philips, handsomely collected in this Eloquence/Decca box set, very well presented with original artwork and photos. Twenty Haydn Symphonies are to the fore – five of the six ‘Paris’ works (82-87), without No.85, not recorded by him, if including No.84 with the English Chamber Orchestra from earlier in Davis’s career, and all twelve of the ‘London’ volume (93-104). They are all conducted with affection, twinkle-in-the-eye enthusiasm, and (indeed) eloquence, all communicated to, and reciprocated by, this celebrated orchestra, with numbers 88, 91 & 92, the latter known as the ‘Oxford’, none from ‘Paris’ or ‘London’, being especially wonderful.

The second of Davis’s four versions of Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique remains a standout, and Dvořák’s Symphonies 7, 8 & – ‘From the New World’ – No.9 are each full of personality and gracious detail, although Pictures at an Exhibition (Mussorgsy/Ravel) and Night on Bare Mountain (Mussorgsky/Rimsky-Korsakov), while ostensibly fine, do not quite reach the high spots. Three Stravinsky ballet scores, each Diaghilev-centric, exude a certain fascination despite a lack of precision at times and, despite the venue’s acoustic excellence, recorded sound that is not the most impactful (most noticeable in The Rite of Spring and the ‘Infernal Dance’ from an otherwise-ravishing complete Firebird) leaving Petrushka (1947 revision) as the pick of this trio, a reading of vivid narrative.

Concerto collaborations are notable – Beethoven’s for Violin with Arthur Grumiaux, a regal soloist; Heinrich Schiff excels in Dvořák’s for Cello (nevertheless he made a second version for Philips with Previn and the Vienna Philharmonic); and Salvatore Accardo is the vibrant soloist in Dvořák’s for Violin and the gorgeous Romance. Throughout, Davis is the model collaborative conductor.

Reservations aside, this is a recommendable set (not quite ‘Outstanding’ overall even if some constituent parts are), not least for anyone looking for an introduction to ‘classical’ music, especially for the oodles of Haydn, one of Colin Davis’s signature composers, something that shines out here. ELQ 484 5277 (18 CDs).