The Toy Symphony is a short, cheerful piece for string instruments and a set of toys. A toy trumpet toots, a rattle clacks, a drum taps, and three bird whistles sing. It lasts about ten minutes. No one is sure who wrote it.
Quick facts
- Written: in the 1700s
- Composer: not certain
- Length: about 10 minutes
- Movements: three
- Played by: violins, a bass, and toy instruments
- Also known as: the Children’s Symphony
The toys
| Toy | What it does |
|---|---|
| Cuckoo whistle | Two notes, high and low: “cuck-oo” |
| Quail whistle | A short, pecking call |
| Nightingale whistle | A warble. The player blows through a whistle filled with water. |
| Toy trumpet | One note, tooted in rhythm |
| Rattle | A wooden clacker that spins on a handle |
| Toy drum | A light tap on the beat |
Some versions add a triangle.
Who wrote it?
No one knows for sure. Three names have been attached to the piece, and a fourth turned up in 1992.
| Name | Who he was | The case |
|---|---|---|
| Joseph Haydn | The famous composer of 104 numbered symphonies | His name was printed on early copies. Scholars found no proof that he wrote it. |
| Michael Haydn | Joseph’s younger brother, a composer in Salzburg | His name appears on some old copies. |
| Leopold Mozart | The father of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | The three movements are in a longer piece that carries his name. |
| Edmund Angerer | A monk and composer in the Austrian mountains | A copy found in 1992 names him. Some scholars now think he is the most likely author. |
On a recording, the piece may be listed under any of these names.
Where the toys came from
The mountain town of Berchtesgaden, in the south of Germany, was famous for its wooden toys. Its craftsmen made bird whistles, rattles, and toy trumpets and sold them across Europe. An old title for the piece means “Berchtesgaden music.”
The three movements
| Movement | What to listen for |
|---|---|
| First: fast | The strings play a bright tune. The cuckoo, the trumpet, and the drum answer. |
| Second: a minuet | A dance in three, with the toys joining in |
| Third: fast | A short, quick tune. In many performances, it is played more than once, faster each time. |
The same three birds
Beethoven put a cuckoo, a quail, and a nightingale into his Pastoral Symphony. He gave them to the clarinets, the oboe, and the flute. Read the guide to the Pastoral Symphony.
Play along at home
The toy parts are simple, and a family can play them along with a recording.
- Cuckoo: sing two notes, high and low
- Rattle: shake a jar of dry beans
- Drum: tap a pot with a wooden spoon
- Trumpet: toot through a paper tube
- Nightingale: blow a water whistle, or whistle a warble
Listen once to learn where each toy comes in. Then play along, and stop when the toys stop.
Things to do together
Count the cuckoos. Keep a tally of every “cuck-oo” in the first movement.
One toy each. Give each person a toy. Play only when you hear your own.
Name the toy. Raise a card with a picture of the toy that is playing.
Faster and faster. Clap along with the last movement. Try to keep up when the speed changes.
Be the detective. Read the four names in the table. Ask your child which clue seems the strongest.
Write a toy part. Play any calm piece, and add a rattle or a drum where it fits.
Questions to ask
- Which toy is the easiest to hear?
- Why would a composer write for toys?
- Does it matter who wrote a piece of music?
- Which toy would you add?
Words to know
- Symphony: a piece for orchestra in several movements
- Minuet: a dance with three beats in a bar
- Rattle: a noisemaker that clacks when it spins
- Attribution: the name of the person said to have made a work
Print and play
Tick each sound on a listening journal page. Read Haydn for kids, Mozart for kids, and the guide to the Surprise Symphony.
More from this guide
This article is part of Classical music listening guides for kids: famous pieces, one at a time.
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A parent's listening guide to Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony: five scenes from the countryside, the birds by the brook, the storm, and things to do.
Use it with your kids
Print a listening page, a practice chart, or a composer fact sheet. Or try a tool, such as the composer timeline or the piece picker.