Joseph Haydn

Symphony in B flat Hob. I:66

In the years 1775 to 1776, about ten years after Haydn had taken up his work at Esterházy Palace, he composed his Symphony in B flat major Hob. I:66. At this time, the opera business at the princely court was expanded and the chapel for opera productions was increased. For example, Haydn was able to use two bassoon parts for the first time in the symphonies of those years, giving the woodwind section more fullness in Symphony No. 66. Musically, this symphony is characterized by its operatic character, which corresponded to the general musical taste of the time. This is particularly noticeable in the finale "Scherzando e presto", whose playful, irregularly structured rondo theme contrasts contrasting compositional techniques most effectively and gives an idea of Haydn's late symphonic work.