About this edition
Composed in 1793–94 during Haydn's triumphant second London visit, the Symphony No. 100 in G major earned its "Military" nickname from the startling percussion battery — triangle, cymbals, and bass drum — that erupts in the second movement, evoking the so-called "Turkish" janissary music that fascinated late eighteenth-century Vienna. The Allegretto's serene C-major theme, drawn from Haydn's earlier Concerto for Two Lirae Organizzate, is shattered by a fortissimo trumpet fanfare and timpani roll that one contemporary London critic described as "the hellish roar of war increasing to a climax of horrid sublimity." Alongside this celebrated movement, the symphony offers one of Haydn's most exuberant opening Allegros, a courtly Menuet, and a finale of irresistible momentum.
This edition reproduces the full score issued by August Cranz of Leipzig (plate number 2045), part of the influential Cranz catalog of orchestral classics that circulated widely throughout German-speaking Europe in the nineteenth century. Cranz, founded in Hamburg in 1814 and later operating from Leipzig and Vienna, was among the principal publishers responsible for disseminating the Viennese Classical repertoire to professional orchestras and conservatories during the great expansion of public concert life. Engraved with the clarity and proportional spacing typical of the finest Leipzig house style, the Cranz score remains highly readable and well-suited to study and performance.
About this edition:
- Full orchestral score (conductor's score), all parts in concert pitch as originally engraved
- Page size: 8.5 x 11 inches, comfortable for desk study and stand use
- Faithfully reproduced from a public domain historical source
- Published by Purple 4R Publishing
We're delighted to bring this historic Cranz engraving back into print so that conductors, players, students, and Haydn enthusiasts can enjoy a classic edition of one of the "London" symphonies in an affordable, well-presented format. The underlying score is in the public domain, and we hope it finds a happy home on your shelf and stand.
