Sometimes the origin of a nickname is curious. While ?Surprise? is the moniker by which Haydn?s 94th Symphony is known, that subtitle could be equally appropriate for any number of the composer?s works. A particularly strong contender is No. 67 in F, composed during the mid-Esterhazy period and bristling with the unexpected. This would seem curious, given its following the somewhat conventional no. 66, the latter said to have been the result of the Prince ?s expression of displeasure with the Sturm und Drang idiom. In any case, no. 67 finds Haydn again cheerily rattling the fence.

This epicurean work commences with a lithe and rhythmic presto in 6/8, virtually a gigue, and usually the sort of movement to close a symphony of this era. Sturm und Drang, however, is very evident in the development?s processes. The following filigree adagio has a syncopated main theme and uses some unusual string effects, muted violins and (most daring for the time) use of col?legno (wood of the bow) near the movement?s end. The minuet features yet another novel string device, the tuning of the G string down to F to obtain a droning bagpipe effect, although the trio is more sedate and proper, perhaps a deliberate contrast on Haydn?s part. Innovation continues with the finale, this time formal, with a three-part form unlike the expected sonata or rondo. The two vigorous outer sections bookend a reflective central adagio which commences with a string trio and is almost a movement in itself. While Haydn wrote few symphonies below par, one feels that No. 67 is one of the most remarkable given time and circumstance.

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