Haydn: The "London" Symphonies, Nos. 100-104 (Bernstein Royal Edition, No. 35)
Leonard Bernstein's Haydn was just fantastic, as persuasive in its way as his Mahler.  What both composers had in common, in fact, was a wry sense of humor and a completely  uninhibited treatment of the orchestra, and although they were worlds apart emotionally, it seems  that the sheer communicative power of their music touched off a special spark in Bernstein's  psyche. You see, behind all of the high seriousness that surrounds classical music and its  performers, most of it is warm, optimistic, joyous, even funny. These adjectives describe Bernstein  perfectly, and they also fit the music that he conducted best. If these performances don't make you  smile, then nothing will.--David Hurwitz