Which nickname is commonly given to Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No. 94?

Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No. 94 is commonly called the Surprise Symphony.

The nickname comes from a sudden loud chord in the second movement, an Andante. The movement begins quietly with a simple melody, after which the orchestra produces an unexpected fortissimo accent. The effect gave the symphony its enduring English-language nickname.

Haydn composed the symphony in 1791, during his first visit to London. It was first performed at the Hanover Square Rooms in London on 23 March 1792, conducted by Haydn himself. The work belongs to the group of symphonies Haydn wrote for his highly successful London appearances.

The nickname does not mean the entire symphony is comic or startling. Its four movements follow the classical symphonic tradition, and the famous surprise is only one moment in the slow movement. Haydn’s audience and later listeners helped make that moment central to the work’s popular identity.