Symphony No. 100 in G, Hob.I:100 "Military"

The symphony opens with a slow, quiet introduction in G minor before shifting into a bright, fast main section in G major, full of the wit and forward energy typical of Haydn's late style.

I. Adagio, Allegro: A hushed woodwind opening gives way to a sprightly, dancing main theme, tossed between strings and winds with sudden accents that keep the listener slightly off balance.

II. Allegretto: This is the movement that gives the symphony its nickname. A gentle tune, first heard in the winds, is repeated with an entirely new sound world: triangle, cymbals, and bass drum, borrowed from military bands of the day, crash in unexpectedly, followed later by a trumpet fanfare and a sudden loud outburst that startled Haydn's first audiences.

III. Menuetto, Allegretto: A stately dance in triple meter, with a central trio section that lightens the texture to just a few instruments before the full minuet returns.

IV. Finale, Presto: A fast, high-spirited close full of quick exchanges between sections of the orchestra. The "Turkish" percussion from the second movement returns near the end, tying the whole work together with one last burst of noise before the final chords.

Haydn wrote his Symphony No. 100 in 1793 and 1794 in Vienna, for his second visit to London, where the impresario Johann Peter Salomon had contracted him to compose new symphonies for public concerts. It premiered in London in March 1794 and was an immediate sensation, largely because of its unusual second movement, which uses percussion instruments (triangle, cymbals, and bass drum) associated with the "Turkish" or Janissary bands then fashionable in European military music. Audiences and critics quickly nicknamed the whole symphony "Military" because of this effect. It became one of the most celebrated of Haydn's London symphonies during his lifetime and has remained a repertory favorite ever since, prized for its combination of formal elegance and theatrical surprise.