Symphony No. 96 in D, Hob.I:96 "Miracle"

The symphony opens with a short, stately slow introduction before the main Allegro takes off with a bustling, good-humored theme built from tiny repeated-note figures tossed between strings and winds. The second movement, a flowing Andante, alternates a graceful, songlike melody with a darker, more agitated middle section in minor, giving the movement a quiet drama before the calm tune returns. Third comes a Minuet, a moderate dance in three with a rustic, almost folk-fiddle trio section featuring a solo oboe, the kind of movement audiences of Haydn's day would have recognized as a ballroom dance slowed down for the concert hall. The finale is a quick, high-spirited Allegro built on a bouncing, dance-like tune that keeps returning rondo-fashion between contrasting episodes, with Haydn's trademark surprise entrances and sudden hushes keeping the ear alert until a brisk, decisive close. Throughout, listen for how small motifs from the first movement's opening bars seem to color the textures later on, and for the constant back-and-forth between full-orchestra bursts and delicate solo passages for oboe, flute, and strings, a hallmark of Haydn's mature symphonic wit.

Haydn composed this symphony in 1791 for his first visit to London, where the impresario Johann Peter Salomon had engaged him to write new works and lead them in person. It was likely among the first of the twelve "London" symphonies performed there, introducing English audiences to Haydn's music conducted by the composer himself. The nickname "Miracle" comes from a popular story that a chandelier fell from the ceiling during a performance and the crowd was spared because they had rushed forward to see Haydn better, but later research suggests this incident actually happened at a different concert, involving a different symphony. The name stuck anyway, and the symphony remains a favorite entry point into Haydn's London period, prized for its confident orchestration and easy charm.