Joseph Haydn's Symphony No. 103 in E flat major is often called the "Drumroll Symphony", after the long roll on the timpani with which it begins. Franz Joseph Haydn, (March 31 or April 1, 1732 – May 31, 1809) was a leading composer of the Classical period, called the Father of the Symphony and Father of the String Quartet. Although he has come to be popularly known as Franz Joseph Haydn (with many published scores and recordings... Timpani, or kettledrums, are musical instruments in the percussion family. ...

Composition and premiere

The symphony was the last but one of twelve that were composed for performance in England during Haydn's two journeys there (1791–1792, 1794–1795). Haydn's music was well known in England well before the composer ever traveled there, and members of the British musical public had long expressed the wish that Haydn would visit. The composer's reception in England was in fact very enthusiastic, and the English visits were one of the most fruitful and happy periods of the composer's life. Haydn composed the "Drumroll" Symphony while living in London during the winter of 1794–1795. 1791 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... 1792 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1794 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1795 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...

The "Drumroll" Symphony was premiered on March 2, 1795 as part of a concert series called the "Opera Concerts", at the King's Theatre. The orchestra was unusually large for the time, consisting of about 60 players. The task of directing the work was divided between the concertmaster Viotti and Haydn, who sat at a fortepiano. The premiere was evidently a success, and the Morning Chronicle's reviewer wrote: March 2 is the 61st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (62nd in leap years). ... 1795 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Giovanni Battista Viotti (May 12, 1755 - March 3, 1824) was an Italian violinist and composer. ... Fortepiano designates the early version of the piano, as it existed from its invention by Cristofori around 1710 up to the early 19th century. ...

"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."

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. In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for time) is the speed or pace of a given piece. ... This article is about tempo in music. ... Vienna (German: Wien [viːn]; Hungarian: Bécs) is the capital of Austria, and also one of Austrias nine federal states (Bundesland Wien). ...

Since its premiere the "Drumroll" Symphony has been a favorite among Haydn's symphonies, and it is frequently performed and recorded today.

The symphony takes about 30 minutes to perform.

Scoring and movements

The symphony is scored for 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, and the usual string section of first and second violins, violas, cellos, and double basses. This article pertains to the musical instrument. ... Modern Oboe The Oboe is a musical instrument of the woodwind double reed family. ... A bass clarinet, which sounds an octave lower than the more common Bâ™­ soprano clarinet. ... A Fox Instruments bassoon; view detail. ... Horn may refer to: horn (anatomy), a hollow, pointed projection of the skin of various animals Horn, Austria horn (diacritic), a diacritic mark used to indicate that a normally rounded vowel such as o or u is to be pronounced unrounded horn (instrument) horn, a slang term for any wind... Trumpeter performing with the United States Air Forces in Europe Band The trumpet is the highest brass instrument in register, above the tuba, euphonium, trombone, sousaphone, and french horn. ... Timpani, or kettledrums, are musical instruments in the percussion family. ... The violin is a stringed musical instrument that has four strings tuned a perfect fifth apart. ... The viola is a stringed musical instrument which serves as the middle voice of the violin family, between the upper lines played by the violin and the lower lines played by the cello and double bass. ... A cropped image to show the relative size of a cello to a human (Uncropped Version) The violoncello, or as it is more commonly to refered to as the cello or cello (pronounced Cheh-loh), is a stringed instrument and a member of the violin family. ... Side and front views of a modern double bass with a French bow. ...

The four movements are marked as follows:

1. Adagio - Allegro con spirito
2. Andante più tosto allegretto
3. Minuet & Trio
4. Finale: Allegro con spirito

In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for time) is the speed or pace of a given piece. ... In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for time) is the speed or pace of a given piece. ... This article is about tempo in music. ... This article is about tempo in music. ... In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for time) is the speed or pace of a given piece. ...

See also

• List of symphonies by Joseph Haydn

There are 104 symphonies by the Classical composer Joseph Haydn on which numbers are now generally agreed upon. ...

External link

• Program notes written by James M. Keller for the San Francisco Symphony