Haydn Sinfonie No 104 D-Dur Hob I:104

Haydn’s Symphony No. 104 – ‘The 12th that I have composed in England’, as Haydn proudly inscribed on the autograph score – was first performed on 4 May 1795 at the King’s Theatre, Haymarket, London, directed by the composer himself during a benefit concert in his honour. The occasion, unsurprisingly, was a huge success, with an ecstatic reception for the new symphony in particular. Haydn subsequently recorded in his notebook: ‘The whole company was thoroughly pleased and so was I. I made four thousand Gulden on this evening. Such a thing is only possible in England.’