Symphony No. 103 (Haydn)

The symphony was the eleventh of twelve that were composed for performance in England during Haydn's two journeys there (1791–1792, 1794–1795), arranged and organized by the great impresario, Johann Peter Salomon.

The premiere was evidently a success, and The Morning Chronicle's reviewer wrote: Another new Overture [i.e., symphony], by the fertile and enchanting Haydn, was performed; which, as usual, had continual strokes of genius, both in air and harmony.

The Introduction excited deepest attention, the Allegro charmed, the Andante was encored, the Minuets, especially the trio, were playful and sweet, and the last movement was equal, if not superior to the preceding.

[2]Haydn later performed the work in Vienna, and for this purpose made a small cut in the final movement, which is usually respected by conductors today.

After the opening drum roll, the bass instruments play a somber opening theme: As commentators have pointed out,[4] the first four notes of which match the Dies Irae chant, part of the Latin mass for the dead: H. C. Robbins Landon has remarked that at the start the theme is ambiguous between duple and triple time[5] and between the keys of C minor and (what ultimately proves the case) E♭ major.

Like the themes of the second movement, the opening melody was claimed by Franjo Kuhač to be taken by Haydn from Croatian folk song, in this case a tune called "Divojčica potok gazi" ("A little girl treads on a brook").

He calls it "one of the great tours-de-force, formally speaking, of Haydn's career: the creation of a long movement on a single theme in which our interest never flags; on the contrary, it is a Finale of unusual tension and strength.

The original autograph score preserves this music; it modulates to the key of C♭ major and includes a two-measure rest; with the dynamic markings p and pp.