Harnoncourt conducts all of this music with evident affection and a welcome absence of affectation. It's fun to hear how he treats minuets: you never know how the trio will relate to its surroundings, but somehow whatever Harnoncourt does always sounds right. It almost goes without saying that the playing of the Concentus Musicus Wien is excellent; the rich, fruity quality of the woodwinds sounds particularly fine in this music, and the sonics are terrific. In short, this is a very appealing release, and it's nice to see these early symphonies coming in a two-disc-per-set format rather than a single big box. This gives you the opportunity to savor each work without feeling obligated to wade through a ton of similar-sounding stuff in one shot.