Joseph Haydn Symphony nº 66 Hob. I:67 in F major

Gewandhausorchester Leipzing, Herbert Blomstedt, conductor. This is one of Haydn’s better-known symphonies from this period, owing to its lively opening movement, various special effects (to be described below) and formally unique finale. The whiff of the stage seems palpable, although there is no concrete evidence for such a connection. The opening movement exhibits the unusual tempo/metre combination of Presto 6/8, which one would ordinarily expect in a finale, although the sprightly triadic main theme develops an unexpected degree of sentiment before it cadences. The vigorous exposition makes room for a true ’second theme’ in the dominant. Later, however, the prevailing simplicity of texture is violated by a canonic episode in the development, although the latter section, unusually, both begins and ends in a relaxed manner. The slow movement, with that of , belongs to a distinct subtype characteristic of this period: Adagios in sonata form, with muted violins, based