Although the relationship between Haydn and his patron Prince Esterhazy was a congenial, even idyllic, situation, there was a point at which the composer found himself close to being a bone of contention. The prophecy of Romanticism as embodied in the "Sturm und Drang" movement drew the Prince's dismay, as it did for many of the elite who at best sought diversion in the musical art. Thus, the composer drew back the reins and commencing with No. 66 one encounters a series of symphonies comparatively undistinguished. Robbins Landon refers to no. 66 as "insipid", which may be a bit harsh. At the very least one notices a greater activity assigned to the winds, particularly in the robust writing for the horns.



One suspects that a decade or so prior the current work would be of higher stature; in fact it has been speculated that the absence of flutes suggests an earlier date. Whatever the circumstance, the opening allegro is fairly conventional and even utilizes a transposed theme from an earlier overture; one noteworthy feature is the greater variety of instruments participating in the development. The slow movement is likewise a workshop-like theme and variations, although a series of somber grandiloquent chords at the close may have induced the bored elite in the audience to take notice. Somewhat notable is the uncommon power of the minuet owing to the enhanced orchestration, virtually a slowed scherzo. The trio, however, is more of a time marker. The Rondo finale in duple time, is somewhat longer than is common for the period and like the development of the first movement, finds the winds vying with the strings for prominence in the developmental process.



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