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Symphony No. 94 "Surprise"
Joseph Haydn

Name: Symphony No. 94 "Surprise"
Description: Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No. 94 "Surprise" (1791) is No. 9 in our Classical Period ranking. The full verdict, and where to hear it.

Released: 1791
On one list: Classical Period
Updated: 2026-08-30

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Ranked No. 9 in Classical Period
A quiet tune, then a fortissimo chord placed purely to startle a London audience. Proof that the period's reputation for politeness was mostly the nineteenth century's idea.

Symphony No. 94 "Surprise"Joseph Haydn

Ranked No. 9 in Classical Period

Symphony No. 94 "Surprise"
Joseph Haydn