Symphony No. 69 (Haydn)

Despite the lighter tone, however, the symphony is "as finely crafted, as interesting, indeed as original, as the preceding ones, albeit very different in character.

As a device for increasing sales, Artaria attached to the work the name of a popular Austrian war hero, General Ernst Gideon Freiherr von Laudon.

However, he endorsed Artaria's sales maneuver, writing to his publisher on April 8, 1783 that the title "wird zu Beförderung des Verkaufs mehrs als zehen Finale beytragen" (will produce more sales than ten finales).

[4] As a post-facto addition, the title was borne from purely economic motivation and does not reflect any conscious military theme in Haydn's original conception.

The "Laudon" symphony is scored for two oboes, two bassoons, two horns in C basso, two trumpets, timpani and strings.