Following his departure from the Lukavec court, Haydn entered a period when his inventiveness seemingly knew no bounds. Symphony No. 16 in B flat is typical of the works of those years in its untypical stance, when virtually each new symphony brought fresh ideas and new delights.

From the outset Haydn's innovation can be seen in the symphony. In three movements and scored for strings, oboes, horns and continuo, No. 16 opens with, although allegro, a wistful, dark-hued theme which could have come from the pen of one of the early Romantics. The coloration is attributable to lower instruments bearing the theme while the violins provide accompaniment. Later with the reappearance in the recapitulation, the instruments will switch parts in the theme. Following the profundity of the opening movement, Haydn wisely opts for a winsome, less serious, central andante which features a theme distinguished by octave-doubling. The concluding finale, which smacks of the hunt, features the horns crooked in B flat. The joviality of this movement is occasionally clouded by reminiscence of the somber first movement, implied by mood rather than quote, but reverts to its present stance for a merry conclusion.

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