Symphony No. 44 (Haydn)

An apocryphal story relates that Haydn asked for the slow movement of this symphony to be played at his funeral.

[1] The work is in four movements and is scored for two oboes, bassoon, two horns (in E and G), continuo (harpsichord) and strings:[2]

The piece is typical of Haydn's Sturm und Drang (storm and stress) period.

After a brief period of E minor, the second subject, in G major, in its fullest form, appears abruptly.

The development of the second theme becomes unstoppable and hyperactive and eventually climaxes before modulating back to E minor for the recapitulation.