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Which unusual percussion instruments did Haydn use in his Military Symphony?
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symphony
Symphony performing a concert at Svetlanov Hall, Moscow International House of Music.
In his Military Symphony (No. 100 in G Major), Joseph Haydn incorporated three percussion instruments that were not standard in the orchestras of the Classical period: the triangle, hand cymbals, and bass drum.3
These instruments, often associated with the "Janissary music" style popular in 18th-century Europe, were used to evoke an exotic, military-inspired color. It is particularly notable that Haydn employed these instruments in the second movement of the symphony, which, according to the Classical tradition, was typically a slow movement.123