Home > Symphony No. 103 (Haydn)

1 Composition and premiere

The symphony was the last but one of twelve that were composed for performance in England during Haydn's two journeys there ( 1791– 1792, 1794– 1795). Haydn's music was well known in England well before the composer ever traveled there, and members of the British musical public had long expressed the wish that Haydn would visit. The composer's reception in England was in fact very enthusiastic, and the English visits were one of the most fruitful and happy periods of the composer's life. Haydn composed the "Drumroll" Symphony while living in London during the winter of 1794–1795.

The "Drumroll" Symphony was premiered on March 2, 1795 as part of a concert series called the "Opera Concerts", at the King's Theatre. The orchestra was unusually large for the time, consisting of about 60 players. The task of directing the work was divided between the concertmaster Viotti and Haydn, who sat at a fortepiano. The premiere was evidently a success, and the Morning Chronicle's reviewer wrote:

"Another new Overture [i.e., symphony], by the fertile and enchanting Haydn, was performed; which, as usual, had continual strokes of genius, both in air and harmony. The Introduction excited deepest attention, the Allegro charmed, the Andante was encored, the Minuets, especially the trio, were playful and sweet, and the last movement was equal, if not superior to the preceding."

Haydn later performed the work in Vienna, and for this purpose made a small cut in the final movement, which is usually respected by conductors today.

Since its premiere the "Drumroll" Symphony has been a favorite among Haydn's symphonies, and it is frequently performed and recorded today.

The symphony takes about 30 minutes to perform.

2 Scoring and movements

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The four movements are marked as follows:

1. Adagio - Allegro con spirito
2. Andante più tosto allegretto
3. Menuet & Trio
4. Finale: Allegro con spirito