The symphony is scored for
flute, two
oboes,
bassoon, two
French horns, and
strings. There are four movements: The first movement contains material which Haydn reworked from an earlier Sinfonia (Overtura) in D, Hob. Ia/7. This movement appears to be remarkably aligned with the harmonies of the Finale of his
53rd symphony, except that the latter symphony has a Finale present in many versions. They were both written at a time when Haydn was integrating his symphonic works with the operas he was writing for the theater at Esterhaza, with the result that many of the symphonies written from 1774 to 1781, have the mood of stage works he wrote during the period. The slow movement has a
barcarole-like accompaniment, but instead of the typical Venetian gondolier melody over the top, Haydn presents only melodic fragments, teasing the listener into thinking a melody is near always interrupting before one takes shape. The trio of the minuet features violins and bassoons and frequently loses the downbeat, a trick Haydn would later play to greater effect in the corresponding trio of his
Oxford Symphony. The finale proceeds in Italian style. The second theme group contains
Lombard rhythms which are worked extensively in the development. ==References==