Post a strange, odd or unique fact about music.

[Aristus]

18. Haydn's "Farewell" Symphony was not his final symphony, as one might surmise from its nickname.

It was his 76th, out of an astounding 104 symphonies.

It got its nickname because it was a rather unsubtle poke at Haydn's employer, Baron Esterhaczy, to let the members of his private orchestra (who were considered to be on a level with the servants, like footmen or cooks) go home after weeks of entertaining the baron's guests at the baronial 'hunting lodge' (actually a huge mansion in the woods). As servants, Haydn and the orchestra could not leave unless permitted by the baron, who was having a wonderful time every night, listening to Haydn's music after an enjoyable day of hunting with his guests.

Haydn sat down and wrote a fairly standard, unimpressive symphony, that is distinguished only by its final movement. During its first performance, at a certain point in the final movement, one of the instrumentalists stopped playing, put down his instrument, closed his score, blew out his candle, and walked away with his instrument tucked under his arm. Then another, and another, and another, until finally there was only one player left besides Haydn, who was conducting. Then, abruptly, almost in mid-note, the instrumentalist put down his instrument, closed his score, blew out his candle, and walked off, leaving just Haydn. At that point, Baron Esterhaczy said the 18th Century Hungarian equivalent of "Okay, I get it! You can go home!"

This otherwise unmemorable piece of music has since come to be called "Farewell" for this reason.