Honens @ Home: Yoon-Jee Kim performs Haydn

This week, we head back to the 2015 Honens International Piano
Competition to a performance from Semifinalist Yoon-Jee Kim. In
her Semifinals Solo Round, Yoon-Jee played Charles-Valentin
Alkan's arrangement of Haydn's Symphony No. 94 in G Major.


There has been lots of speculation about how this piece got its
nickname, "Surprise Symphony." According to one colourful
account, it was during a performance when Haydn, serving as
conductor, impulsively altered the dynamics in the second
movement. "Haydn had already given the downbeat to begin the
movement when the gentle snores of a front-row patron piqued his
sense of humour. He and his musicians forged ahead with the
little theme until reaching its final chord, for which Haydn cued
an immense fortissimo (loud tone) bringing the drowsy patron to
his feet."


Enjoy, but beware of listening while drowsy!


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Watch the video edition of this excerpt at honens.com/home.