Symphony No.99 in E-flat Major
performed Mar 9, 2003

Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) was born in the Austrian town of Rohrau, and in 1761, after a conspicuously ordinary early life, was engaged as vice-Kapellmeister by Prince Paul Esterházy, a Hungarian nobleman. He remained exclusively in that family's employment for the next thirty years, working for Prince Paul and then for his son Nikolaus. Unlike Mozart, whose relationships with his patrons were neither easy nor consistent, Haydn lived happily within the confines of his master's world and benefited enormously from seclusion and from having a permanent orchestra with which to work. Haydn later remarked, "There was no one there to confuse me, so I was forced to become original." In 1790, Nikolaus died and the court musicians were dismissed by his successor.

Haydn's biggest "break" came in late December 1790, some two months after the death of his famous employer, when the violinist and impresario Johan Peter Salomon, who had often tried to persuade Haydn to visit England, arrived in Vienna and finally succeeded. Haydn traveled with Salomon to England on New Year's Day in 1791 and was to stay there until June 1792. For this visit he composed, among other things, six symphonies (Nos.93-98). Haydn paid a second visit to England between February 1794 and August 1795, again at Salomon's invitation, and again the principal event was a series of new symphonies (Nos.99-104). Experienced symphonies though Haydn was, he had probably had very few opportunities, before traveling to London, of hearing a first-class, fill-sized orchestra, let alone of having one at his disposal.

The Symphony No.99 in E-flat Major received its first performance on February 10, 1794, six days after Haydn's arrival in England on his second visit. It is scored for the same forces as are used in his previous London symphonies, with the notable addition of two clarinets, which were just making their first appears in the symphony orchestra around that time.