Haydn Symphony 97

Haydn composed his final 12 symphonies during his two visits to London in the 1790s. The twelve "London Symphonies" were performed at various concerts organized by Johann Peter Solomon who had also brought Haydn to England.

LONDON BRIDGE IN THE 18TH CENTURY

Symphony 97 uses the key of C Major as its tonal center. This is significant because C Major was reserved for triumphal music and would almost always include trumpets and timpani giving martial fanfares throughout.

Haydn also expands his orchestration by writing out the repeats in the 3rd movement so he could layer other instruments and melodies on top of the repeated sections. The 4th movement is in sonata rondo form and contains even more complexity than his usual finales for which he was already famous.

VIDEO WALKTHROUGH