Haydn's "Surprise" Symphony is so called because, after 15 bars of charming, tinkling music, the whole orchestra suddenly crashes into a shattering fortissimo chord. But as played in a British Columbia album, the symphony contains several surprises not in Haydn's score, including snatches from old-style Chicago jazz records, an ocarina solo and a septet of bottles—five hot-water and two beer.
This remarkable performance must be charged, more or less, to British Cartoonist Gerard Hoffnung, who for years has been satirizing the music business. In his cartoons, tubby Artist Hoffnung has created a wonderfully...
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