Published
Trauer – Symphony No. 44
Symphony No. 44 in E minor, Hob. I:44, also known as the Funeral Symphony or Trauer, was composed by Joseph Haydn in 1772. The spurious nickname “Funeral” arose in the nineteenth century, perhaps because the Adagio was performed at a memorial service for Haydn in Berlin in September 1809. The idea that he wanted it played at his own funeral appears to be entirely legendary.
Symphony No. 44 in E minor, Hoboken I/44, was completed in 1772 by Joseph Haydn. It is popularly known as Trauer (English: Mourning). An apocryphal story relates that Haydn asked for the slow movement of this symphony to be played at his funeral.