Who composed a symphony with a sudden fortissimo chord at the end of the opening which gives it the nickname Surprise Symphony?
Symphony No. 94 (Haydn) timpani, and the usual string section consisting of violins (first and second), violas, cellos, and double basses. Performances of the Surprise Symphony last about 23 minutes. Haydn's music contains many jokes, and the Surprise Symphony includes probably the most famous of all: a sudden fortissimo chord at the end of the otherwise piano opening theme in the variation-form second movement. The music then returns to its original quiet dynamic as if nothing has happened, and the ensuing variations do not repeat the joke. In German, the work is referred to as the Symphony "mit dem Paukenschlag", or, with the kettledrum
Symphony No. 2 (Rachmaninoff) is a lyrical "cantabile" melody in C major. The central trio section notably begins with a sudden, "tutti", "fortissimo" chord, and is an example of Rachmaninoff's mastery of counterpoint and fugal writing, thanks to his studies with Taneyev, to whom this symphony is dedicated. At the conclusion of the movement, the Dies Irae is again stated, this time by a brass choir. The movement ends "pianississimo" ("ppp"). This movement is in a broad three-part form, and is often remembered for its opening theme, which is played by the first violins and restated both as a melody and as an accompanying