The Symphony No. 51 in B-flat major, Hoboken I/51, is a symphony by Joseph Haydn, written in either 1773 or 1774,[1] although the exact dating remains ambiguous.[2]
Scored for 2 oboes, 2 horns (B flat alto, E flat), bassoon and strings, The work is in four movements:
Sometimes described as "a concertante piece featuring the two horns, which are given parts of staggering difficulty."[3] The slow second movement contains high notes for the first horn (including an f''' which is considered the highest note ever written for the horn) and very low notes for the second horn.[4] Heartz has noted the character of the fourth movement as reminiscent of the French rondeau[2]. The first contrasting section is an oboe solo in E-flat major and the second contrasting section is fortissimo and in G minor.[4]