The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1875-11-04
Hayden.

/ AS there mas Oeen some interest ant
thought taken in the Art Of Music dur
ing the few months past, and believing
that all the readers Of the STANDARD have
| not the access to Classical or Historical
Works on Music, we take the privilege
| of narrating short sketch from Moore,
of Hayden's life: as it has been for few
years past, the height of pleasure, in oui
, leisure hours of searching into the depths
of the rules progressions, and resolutions
of Thorough Base, Harmony, Contrapunc
tus, Fugue, Canon, Form, &c, of The
Great tone Poets or Masters of Music.
7 Francis Joseph Hayden was born in
March, 1892, at Rohran, a small town
about fifteen leagues from Vienna. His
father was wheel-wright, and his moth
er, before she married, was cook at the
chateau of Count Harrach. a nobleman
residing in the neighborhood. His pa
rents were lovers of music His father
learned to play the harp; and on holy
days he always amused himself with this
instrument, while his mother sang. Jo-
seph's birth did not in the least change
the peaceful habits of this family. The
little concert was renewed every week,
and the child placing himself before his
parents, with two pieces of wood in his
hands, one for violin, and the other for
bow, accompanied his mothers voice
A school master a cousin of Joseph's
father was present during the perform
ance of one Of these family trios; when
he noticed that the child, then not six
years old beat time with utmost correct
ness and precision. Frank understood
music, and begged his relations to allow
him to take little Joseph to Hamburg
with him and attend to his education
They accepted the proposition. Chance
now brought to Fran Ks house, Reuter-.
chapel-master of st. Stephens Cathedral
| at Vienna, who was searching round the
country for additional voices for his
| choir. The schoolmaster Immediately
| introduced his little relation to him,
when Reuter- gave him canon to sing at
| sight. The precision, distinctness of
| tone and fire with which it was perform
ed by the child astonished Reuter-; but,
above all, he was astonished with the
beauty of the boys voice. Reuter- took
him on his knees, showed him how to
make two sounds succeed each other
quickly "a shake) by holding his breath
and agitating the top of the pallet. The
child succeeded Immediately Reuter-
delighted with the success of his little
pupil took plate of cherries and emp
tied them into the boys pocket. The
Joy of the latter may be conceived. Hay
den often mentioned this incident, and
added, laughing, that whenever he made
shake" he fancied he still saw those
fine cherries. Hayden, at the age of
thirteen began to perceive that a knowl-
edge of ccunterpoint and of the rules of
harmony was requisite; but how was he
to learn them2 Reuter- did not instruct
the children of the choir in composition.
Hayden, all alone without a master, pur-
chased some old books on the theory of
music at q second hand shop, among
others the treatise by Fox, which he be-
gan to study with degree of assiduity,
not to be checked even by the tremend-
Gus obstruseness of Fox's rules Poor,
freezing with cold in his garrett, without
fire. and overcome with sleep, he studied
on, by the side OF his old broken harpis-
chord, and thought himself happy. Thus
days and nights flew rapidly by, and he
has frequently been heard to say, that he !
never in all his life experienced so much !
felicity. His first compositions were some |
little sonatas for the piano, which he sold |
at q moderate price to the few scholars |
whom he had been able to meet He |
then wrote, for his amusement, a ser
enade for three voices, which, with two |
of his friends he used to perform on fine |
n1gnGS III IHe streets OF Jenna. n CelG-
brated butfoon named Curtz commonly /
called Bernardone, was then director of |
the theatre of Carin thia, and was so
struck with the originality of his music |
that he came in to the street to inquire
who was the composer a. answered |
Hayden, confidently. How! you at your
age? Every one must have beginning.
Well, this is singular enough; come in
with me- Hayden followed the harle-
quin, was introduced to his pretty wife,
and took his leave with the poem of an
opera, entitled The Devil on Two
Sticks to which he was to compose the
music. 1t was finished in few days,
was received with applause, and Hayden
received twenty-four sequins for it. But
a nobleman, who had no beauty to boast,
discovering that he was alluded to under
the name of The Devil on Two Sticks,
had the piece prohibited.
"In the composition of this opera,
Hayden often said that it cost him more
trouble to find out way to represent the
movement of the waves in q tempest
than ii afterwards did to write difficult
fugue Curtz, who had much mind and
taste, was very difficult to please about
this tempest, neither he nor Hayden had
ever seen either the sea or storm ,Curtz,
in the greatest agitation, walked to and
iro, and round and round the composer.
Imagine, said he, "a high mountain and
then valley, then another mountain
and another valley; these mountains and
valleys following each other rapidly, alps
and abysses alternately succeeding This
fine description had no effect. In vain
did Curtz add to it thunder and light
ming. Come he necessarily repeated,
now, Hayden, describe all these horrors
distinctly in music, but especially the
mountains and valleys Hayden ran his
fingers rapidly over the keys, then across
the semitones, was prodigal of sevenths,
and modulated i'll an instant from sharp
TO fat; still Bernardone was not satisfied.
At last the young musician completely
out of patience, extended his hands to
the two extremlties OF the instrument
aud drawing them quickly together over
the whole keys, exclaimed, The devil
take the tempest That's It'll that'sit
cried Bernardone, throwing himself on
his neck, and almost smothering him
with his embraces, Hayden some years
afterwards was crossing the straits oi
Calias in bad weather and he could not
help laughingsat the remembrance of the
tempest in The Devil on Two Sticks"
Hayden composed this opera in his nine
teenth year; although his success was
not so great as dramatic writer; yet he
has composed operas which would do
credit to any master; he never attained
to 'Clemenza di Tito or Don Jaun. As
space aud time will not permit, we pass :