This D minor symphony, Haydn's 26th, was for a time erroneously associated with Christmas, but the liturgical subject it clearly relates to is rather opposite in character: the Passiontide. Indeed, Haydn not only employs themes derived from Gregorian chant, but borrows one for the second movement from the Lamentations used in the Roman Catholic Church for Holy Thursday services.

The first movement is marked Allegro assai con spirito and opens with urgency in its grim and sorrowful music. But the mood soon brightens with a theme of liturgical origin, the music here imparting a sense of lightness and elegance. After a repeat of the exposition, the development section ensues, focusing first on the darker music from the opening and overall conveying a somewhat epic character. The reprise presents the main material, but with changes, and the movement ends with an almost triumphal sense.

The second movement (Adagio) presents the aforementioned "Lamentation" theme in a mood balancing serenity with sadness: the strings sing the melody mournfully and solemnly, but with a sense of consolation, especially in the splendid warmth of the oboe writing. A second theme is soon heard, a spirited, almost playful creation presented by the strings and used mostly as an obbligato accompaniment to the main melody. Some development ensues, as well as a fair, though hardly excessive amount of repetition of previous thematic materials.

The finale is a Minuet and Trio, and would thus normally convey a lighter, brighter mood, but here, the music, while elegant and rhythmic, is a bit more serious in character than the uninitiated listener would expect. The outer Minuet sections often exude an austere manner in their elegance and a restive character in their angularity, while the inner Trio music is somewhat playful and lighter. This Haydn symphony is brief, lasting only about 15 minutes.

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