These three symphonies are part of a set of six that Haydn composed for his first visit to London in the early 1790s. Already pushing 60 (old in those days) and the greatest composer then living, it was his first major trip, and he was determined to take the British capital by storm. He succeeded beyond all expectations, leaving London a wealthy man and capturing the hearts of the public in a way that no classical composer has done since. His visit was saddened, however, by the news that his best friend Mozart had died. The slow movement of Symphony No. 98 (based on "God Save the King," or in the United States, "My country "tis of thee") is widely regarded as a memorial tribute to his younger colleague. These are three great symphonies, superbly performed and recorded. --David Hurwitz