About this edition
Composed in 1792 for Haydn's triumphant first London season, Symphony No. 97 in C Major stands among the most brilliantly scored of the twelve "London" symphonies, deploying trumpets and timpani with festive grandeur befitting its celebratory C major character. The work is particularly admired for its witty Adagio ma non troppo — with its haunting muted-strings episodes and Haydn's playful inscription "Salomon Solo ma piano" in the violin part, a personal nod to his London impresario and concertmaster Johann Peter Salomon — and for the irresistible momentum of its Vivace finale, which Donald Francis Tovey memorably described as one of the composer's most exuberant.
This edition reproduces the full score published by August Cranz in Leipzig (plate C.45041, catalog No. 2044), part of the venerable Cranz house's pocket and study score series that brought the standard symphonic repertoire to generations of European musicians and students. Founded in Hamburg in 1814 and later operating from Leipzig as a major center of music publishing, Cranz issued carefully engraved scores of the Haydn symphonies that became reliable working texts for conductors and orchestras throughout the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The clean engraving and standard layout make this a practical, readable score for study and performance reference.
About this edition:
- Full orchestral score (all instrumental parts in score format)
- Page size: 8.5 x 11 inches
- Reproduced from a historical public domain edition
- Source: Leipzig: August Cranz, plate C.45041
- Published by Purple 4R Publishing
This volume makes a classic edition of one of Haydn's late masterpieces readily available again, reproducing a public domain historical score so that conductors, students, and music lovers can enjoy and study this remarkable symphony at an accessible price. We hope it finds a welcome place on your music stand and bookshelf.
