Symphony No. 94 in G (Surprise), Hob. I:94: Full Orchestra, Ensemble Works, Conductor Score & Parts

Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) composed his Symphony No. 94 in G major ("Surprise"), Hob. I:94 in London in 1791 for the concert series organized by violinist and impresario Johann Peter Salomon during Haydn's enormously successful first visit to England. It became the second of the twelve celebrated "London" or "Salomon" symphonies, Nos. 93-104, that crowned his achievement as a symphonist. The four movements (1. Adagio cantabile-Vivace assai; 2. Andante; 3. Menuet. Allegro molto-Trio; 4. Finale. Allegro di molto) display Haydn's characteristic combination of formal ingenuity, motivic development, humor, and orchestral brilliance, but the work owes its famous nickname to the second movement, whose quiet, almost childlike theme is suddenly interrupted by a fortissimo chord from the full orchestra reinforced by timpani. A persistent story claimed that Haydn devised this "surprise" to awaken dozing members of his London audience, but Haydn later told his biographer Georg August Griesinger that his actual intention was to surprise the public with something new and make a particularly brilliant impression amid competition with concerts presented by his former pupil Ignaz Pleyel. The effect was successful, and contemporary reports indicate that the movement caused an immediate sensation. The symphony received its premiere on March 23, 1792, at the Hanover Square Rooms in London, at the sixth concert of Salomon's 1792 series, with Salomon leading as concertmaster and Haydn directing from the fortepiano. The work was an immediate success and was first published in full score in 1795. Today, Symphony No. 94 in G major ("Surprise"), Hob. I:94 remains one of Haydn's most frequently performed and immediately recognizable symphonies, its enduring popularity extending far beyond the celebrated second-movement joke. The work is regarded as a quintessential example of his mature symphonic style and retains a secure place in professional, community, student, and recorded orchestral repertoire. Instrumentation: 2.2.0.2: 2.2.0.0: Timp: Str (4.4.3.3.3 in set). Reprint edition.