On the morning of Friday 8 July 1791, at the University of Oxford, Haydn was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Music. That same evening his Symphony No. 92 was performed at the Sheldonian Theatre. Though not composed expressly for the occasion – it was one of a set of three (Nos 90, 91 and 92) commissioned by, and dedicated to, the Comte d’Ogny in 1788–89 — it would be difficult to disagree with H. C. Robbins-Landon that ‘Haydn was quite right to pick this Symphony for the concert [...] f...