Joseph Haydn first conducted the Symphony No. 92 at the 7 July 1791 concert at Oxford’s Sheldonian Theatre at which he received his honorary Doctor’s degree.
Haydn later told a friend, “I felt very silly in my gown, and I had to drag it around the streets for three whole days. But I have much to thank this doctor’s degree in England; indeed, I might say everything; as a result of it, I gained acquaintance of the first men in the land and had entrance into the greatest houses.”
It is no surprise then that this work later became known as the “Oxford Symphony”, and here it is for your enjoyment:
