By the 1790s, Haydn was considered to be the world's greatest living composer in the 1790s. His popularity with the English led Haydn to reside in the city of London for two visits where he composed and premiered his final twelve symphonies (numbers 93-104).
The twelve "London" Symphonies are considered to be the most perfect set of Classical Period orchestral compositions ever created.
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| OXFORD STREET IN 1790s LONDON |
Symphony 93 was performed during Haydn's first residence in London. Although this symphony stays true to the forms of the Classical Period, it has several quirks that mark it as a Haydn composition. Irregular phrase lengths, sudden harmonic changes, large contrasts in volume, and the rude bassoon note towards the end of the 2nd movement, are all examples of Haydn's desire to circumvent the expectations of the listener.
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