The second of the group of three symphonies Haydn composed for Comte d'Ogny in 1788, the Symphony No. 91 is a veritable tour de force of symphonic writing at its Classical peak, a work full of warmth and good spirits. Haydn shows off a bit more than usual in the impressive opening movement. Following the broad lines of the introduction, the movement proper commences with a theme built in double counterpoint; the contrapuntal complexity of this principal theme increases as the exposition unfolds, adding more strands to the texture, first in the strings, then in the winds. Counterpoint continues to accrue in the development, preparing the listener for the skillful simultaneous combination of all of these lines at the end of the movement—a feat akin to, and perhaps to some degree the inspiration for, the amazing contrapuntal display in the final movement of Mozart's Symphony No. 41 in C major, the "Jupiter" Symphony (1788).

The second movement is an Andante theme and variations. This otherwise typical movement takes a turn towards the unexpected at its end, where a striking, trill-laden burst throughout the orchestra gives the impression of a well-oiled machine breaking down, leaving the players unsure of what to do next. The Menuet and Trio are graceful, danceable and well-mannered; the Trio is in fact a waltz, a dance just coming into its own in the last part of the eighteenth century. The finale, cast as a sonata-allegro, is virtually monothematic; though there is actually a wisp of a second subject, it never takes on real importance. The symphony ends as it began, bathed in sunlight and good humor.

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