Joseph Haydn, "Surprise" Symphony

Experience and enjoy in a completely new way the great works of classical music, from the Baroque to the modern period, thanks to a series of 20 audio-visual concert guides, Discovering Masterpieces of Classical Music.

The Surprise Symphony is the best known of the over hundreds of symphonies by Haydn. Its second movement is the most popular and gave the symphony its name: legend has it that the sudden beat of the timpani was meant to arouse members of the audience who had fallen asleep. Robert Levin tells the story of the legendary "surprise" and shows, on piano, the special characteristics of the composition.