Symphony No. 104 "London" (First Movement)

Substantial effort has been made in creating an arrangement as true to Haydn’s original intent as possible. This arrangement captures and retains the bright spirit of Haydn’s original composition while bringing the work to a musical and technical level that younger students and audiences will enjoy. Directors are encouraged to incorporate all stylistic performance practices of the time. Late in life, Franz Joseph Haydn wrote twelve symphonies known as the "London" or "Salomon" Symphonies. They were composed for and during his two visits to London between 1791 and 1795. It was during his first visit that he was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Music from Oxford University (1791). Haydn had been invited to come to London by Johann Peter Salomon, London violinist and concert impresario. The invitation included the writing and conducting of some twenty new works as part of a dedicated concert series. Symphony No. 104 in D Major is the last of the 12 London Symphonies from which this arrangement is drawn. Despite the dramatic slow introduction of the first movement, the entire symphony reflects the great satisfaction and joyful energy of Haydn’s existence during these visits to England.