Joseph Haydn Franz Joseph Haydn ( , ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions ...

's Symphony No. 2 in C major, Hoboken I/2, is believed to have been written between 1757 and 1761. It is scored for 2 oboes,

bassoon The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuo ...

, 2 horns,

strings String or strings may refer to: *String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...

and continuo. Like many of the earliest symphonies by Haydn and others of the time, it is in three movements: #

Allegro Allegro may refer to: Common meanings * Allegro (music), a tempo marking indicate to play fast, quickly and bright * Allegro (ballet), brisk and lively movement Artistic works * L'Allegro (1645), a poem by John Milton * ''Allegro'' (Satie), an ...

, # Andante in G major, #

Presto Presto may refer to: Computing * Presto (browser engine), an engine previously used in the Opera web browser * Presto (operating system), a Linux-based OS by Xandros * Presto (SQL query engine), a distributed query engine * Presto (animation s ...

, In the second movement, the wind instruments are omitted and the violins play in semiquavers from start to finish (a kind of '' perpetuum mobile'') with the pattern frequently broken by the use of trills.H. C. Robbins Landon, ''Haydn: Chronicle and Works'', 5 vols. (Bloomington and London: Indiana University Press, 1976–) v. 1: "Haydn: the Early Years, 1732–1765", . The violas in this slow movement double the bass part throughout at an octave above. (e.g., "col basso," which was common in the period). Also, the first and second violins are the same in the second movement. The last movement is "Haydn's first attempt at a symphonic rondo and is characterized by a preoccupation with imitative processes." It is the only one of Haydn's symphonies that contains no repeat signs.Antony Hodgson, "The Music of Joseph Haydn: The Symphonies", p. 47. It is also one of his shortest symphonies; performances generally last less than ten minutes.

References

Symphony 002 Compositions in C major {{symphony-stub