Although this movement has strong instrumental elements, it is conceived more with keyboard instruments in mind than string instruments. The marking is Presto, so a very fast tempo is required, but the important thing in this movement is "never to be heavy."

At the beginning, in measures 1-4, the staccato on the off-beat of the first beat in the left hand should be as short as possible. Use almost no force, just a light touch, so that it has no presence. The left hand in measures 5-8 is written in quarter notes, but it seems better to play them slightly shorter. Similarly, in measures 23-25, the left hand can be cut short without sustaining for the full quarter note value.

The sixteenth notes in the left hand from measure 44 onwards are arpeggios, but these should also not be played legato. Instead, use a touch that barely touches the key, rotate the wrist, and ensure each note is short and detached, creating a dry arpeggio.

This movement is full of Haydn's unique humor. You may play it joyfully, as if telling a joke, or surprising the listener.