Joseph Haydn, Composer | Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Biography (Born March 31, 1732, Rohrau, Austria—died May 31, 1809, Vienna) Austrian composer. Intended for the priesthood, he was recruited at age eight to the choir at St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna, where he learned violin and keyboard. On leaving the choir, he began supporting himself by teaching and playing violin, while undertaking a rigorous study of counterpoint and harmony. He came to the attention of Pietro Metastasio and through him became factotum to the composer Nicola Porpora in exchange for lessons. Gaining entrée to high society, in 1761 he became head of the musical establishment at the great palace of the Esterházy family, which would support him for most of his career. In this position of artistic isolation but with excellent resources, Haydn felt free to experiment and was forced to become original. By his late years he was recognized internationally as the greatest living composer. He composed important works in almost every genre, and his elegant and ingratiating works balance wit and seriousness, custom and innovation.

The first great symphonist, he composed 106 symphonies, including the popular last 12 “London symphonies” (1791–95). He virtually invented the string quartet, and his 68 quartets remain the foundation of the quartet literature. His choral works include 14 masses and the oratorios The Creation (1798) and The Seasons (1801). He also wrote 47 piano sonatas and more than 125 beautiful works for the cello-like baryton. The principal shaper of the Classical style, he exerted major influence on his friend Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and on his student Ludwig van Beethoven. Haydn: The Genius Who Wrote the Trumpet Concerto Haydn: The Genius Who Wrote the Trumpet Concerto by DavidPaulWagner The Austrian composer, Joseph Haydn (nicknamed "Papa" Haydn), never seems to have stopped working. He produced 104 symphonies, 84 string quartets, and much more.

Many classical music lovers first discover Haydn through his oratorios, such as "The Creation" and "The Seasons", and through his symphonies, such as the "Farewell" and the "Surprise". Haydn is credited with having created the form of the modern symphony and the modern string quartet -- but, equally important for us, Haydn's music is simply enjoyable to listen to! Haydn's Life Franz Joseph Haydn (normally known as Joseph Haydn) was an Austrian composer of classical music, who is often referred to as the "Father of the Symphony" and the "Father of the String Quartet". Born in 1732 into a large family in Rohrau, Austria (he was the second of twelve children), he spent nine years at the Cathedral Choir School of St. Stephens, Vienna. From 1749 he lived a precarious life, earning his keep by teaching music, by playing in street orchestras and for a time working as valet-accompanist for the Italian composer, Nicola Porpora. During this period he taught himself to compose music (partly by study the works of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach).

In the years 1759-60 Haydn worked for Count von Morzin as Kapellmeister (music director) of the Count's court musicians. He directed the orchestra and wrote his earliest symphonies. In 1761 Haydn entered the service of the wealthy aristocratic Esterhazy family. He was their court musician and musical director and he was to remain in their service for many years -- until 1790. He lived on the remote Esterhazy estates (first at their castle in Eisenstadt and then at a new palace in rural Hungary) and, thus isolated from most of the composers and musical trends of his time, Haydn was, as he admitted, "forced to become original". During the almost thirty years that spent with the Esterhazys, who were musical conoisseurs and very supportive of Haydn, the composer produced a vast number of works (by 1790 he had completed more than 70 symphonies and 50 sonatas for the piano, as well as works for the baryton, string quartets, operas and church music). His style developed and he developed an international reputation.

From 1784 Haydn mentored Mozart, who learned much about the symphonic form from Haydn. In return the latter was highly impressed by Mozart's compositions. In 1790 Haydn made the first of two highly successful visits to London, responding to an offer from the German impresario, J. P. Salamon, to come and conduct there. Apart from putting on very successful concerts there, he composed a number of important works in this period, such as the "Surprise" and the "London" symphonies. In 1790 Haydn met Beethoven in London. Later, Beethoven was for a time a pupil of Haydn. Haydn spent his final years in Vienna. During this period he composed two wonderful oratorios, "The Creation" (1798) and "The Seasons" (1801), as well as six important masses, including his Mass in D minor ("The Nelson") (1798).

Ivo Pogorelich Plays Haydn's Piano Sonata No.46 The Musical Works of Haydn Highlights of Haydn's music works include: Symphonies (104 in all) (Franz) Joseph Haydn - the Austrian composer (Franz) Joseph HAYDN 31 March 1732 - 31 May 1809 (age 77) Austrian composer Josef Haydn. So called "Father of the Symphony" and also "Father of the string quartet". He was an important influence on Mozart, Beethoven and many more. Born: Rohrau, Austria, March 31, 1732 - May 31, 1809 Father: Mathias Haydn, wheelwright Mother: Maria Koller, cook Siblings: Michael Haydn, composer, Johann Evangelist Haydn - tenor Partners: His first great love, Therese Keller, became a nun. He later married her sister Maria Anna - not a happy marriage. He had numerous extra marital affairs. Children: May have had children with his long term mistress singer Luigia Polzelli. Grave: Bergkirche, Eisenstadt, Burgenland, Austria.

Personality A small man with dark, pock marked skin, an ugly big nose, a jutting chin and protruding lower lip. Not a pretty sight - yet he was admired and pursued by women. He had a great sense of humour and was a cheerful soul with a warm heart. He once wrote of himself "As God has given me a cheerful heart, He will forgive me for serving Him cheerfully." He was a very hard worker and very methodical. Every day was full with concerts and rehearsals yet he managed to produce a vast volume of compositions. He put on good clothes before composing because "“I’m going to commune with God and I must be appropriately dressed!” Works A fascinating collection of images - art, portraits, caricatures, cartoons, album covers and postage stamps. Quotes - "Young people can learn from my example that something can come from nothing. What I have become is the result of my hard efforts." - "I was cut off from the world.

There was no one to confuse or torment me, and I was forced to become original." - "I was never a quick writer, but composed with great care and efforts." - “If you want to know whether you have written anything worth preserving, sing it to yourself without any accompaniment." - "Whenever I think of God I can only conceive of Him as a Being infinitely great and infinitely good. This last quality of the divine nature inspires me with such confidence and joy that I could have written even a miserere in tempo allegro." and a joke..... Q: Why couldn't Mozart find his piano teacher? A: He was Haydn! Symphony No. 94 in G 'Surprise' - Andante Guess why it was called 'Surprise'! Cello Concerto played by Rostropovich in 1981 Trumpet Concerto in Eb, 1st mov. played by Alison Balsom now better known as the German national anthem Symphony No 101 D major 'The Clock' The curious case of Haydn's Head Two days after he was buried, phrenologists stole his head!

Links - and where to go for more information Art Alive; An excellent summary of his Life, Times and Music Classical Net - Basic Repertoire List - F.J. Haydn Franz Joseph Haydn (1732 - 1809) Of humble origins, Franz Joseph Haydn (March 31, 1732 - May 31, 1809) was born in the village of Rohrau, near Vienna. When he was eight years old he was accepted into the choir school of Saint Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna, where he received his only formal education. Dismissed from the choir at the age of 17, he spent the next several years as a struggling free-lance musician. He studied on his own the standard textbooks on counterpoint and took occasional lessons from the noted Italian singing master and composer Nicola Porpora. In 1755 Haydn was engaged briefly by Baron Karl Josef von Furnberg, for whom he apparently composed his first string quartets. A more substantial position followed in 1759, when he was hired as music director by Count Ferdinand Maximilian von Morzin.

Haydn's marriage in 1760 to Maria Anna Keller proved to be unhappy as well as childless. The turning point in Haydn's fortunes came in 1761, when he was appointed assistant music director to Prince Pal Antál Esterházy; he became full director, or Kapellmeister, in 1762. Haydn served under the patronage of three successive princes of the Esterházy family. The second of these, Pal Antál's brother, Prince Miklós Jozsef Esterházy, was an ardent, cultivated music lover. At Esterháza, his vast summer estate, Prince Miklós could boast a musical establishment second to none, the management of which made immense demands on its director.

In addition to the symphonies, operas, marionette operettas, masses, chamber pieces, and dance music that Haydn was expected to compose for the prince's entertainment, he was required to rehearse and conduct performances of his own and others' works, coach singers, maintain the instrument collection and music library, perform as organist, violist, and violinist when needed, and settle disputes among the musicians in his charge. Although he frequently regretted the burdens of his job and the isolation of Esterháza, Haydn's position was enviable by 18th-century standards. One remarkable aspect of his contract after 1779 was the freedom to sell his music to publishers and to accept commissions. As a result, much of Haydn's work in the 1780s reached beyond the guests at Esterháza to a far wider audience, and his fame spread accordingly. After the death of Prince Miklós in 1790, his son, Prince Antál, greatly reduced the Esterházy musical establishment. Although Haydn retained his title of Kapellmeister, he was at last free to travel beyond the environs of Vienna.

The enterprising British violinist and impresario Johann Peter Salomon lost no time in engaging the composer for his concert series in London. Haydn's two trips to England for these concerts, in 1791-92 and 1794-95, were the occasion of the huge success of his last symphonies. Known as the "Salomon" or "London" symphonies, they include several of his most popular works: "Surprise" (#94), "Military" (#100), "Clock" (#101), "Drum Roll" (#103), and "London" (#104). In his late years in Vienna, Haydn turned to writing masses and composed his great oratorios, The Creation (1798) and The Seasons (1801). From this period also comes his Emperor's Hymn (1797), which later became the Austrian national anthem. He died in Vienna, on May 31, 1809, a famous and wealthy man. Haydn was prolific in nearly all genres, vocal and instrumental, sacred and secular.

Many of his works were unknown beyond the walls of Esterháza, most notably the 125 trios and other assorted pieces featuring the baryton, a hybrid string instrument played by Prince Miklós. Most of Haydn's 19 operas and marionette operettas were written to accommodate the talents of the Esterháza company as well as the tastes of his prince. Haydn freely admitted the superiority of the operas of his young friend Wolfgang Mozart . In other categories, however, his works circulated widely, and his influence was profound. The 107 symphonies and 68 string quartets that span his career are proof of his ever-fresh approach to thematic materials and form, as well as of his mastery of instrumentation. His 62 piano sonatas and 43 piano trios document a growth from the easy elegance suitable for the home music making of amateurs to the public virtuosity of his late works. Haydn's productivity is matched by his inexhaustible originality. His manner of turning a simple tune or motive into unexpectedly complex developments was admired by his contemporaries as innovative.

Dramatic surprise, often turned to humorous effect, is characteristic of his style, as is a fondness for folkloric melodies. A writer of Haydn's day described the special appeal of his music as "popular artistry", and indeed his balance of directness and bold experiment transformed instrumental expression in the 18th century. Recommended Recordings Franz Joseph Haydn | Biography & History | AllMusic google+ Artist Biography by Rovi Staff Franz Joseph Haydn is the composer who, more than any other, epitomizes the aims and achievements of the Classical era. Perhaps his most important achievement was that he developed and evolved in countless subtle ways the most influential structural principle in the history of music: his perfection of the set of expectations known as sonata form made an epochal impact. In hundreds of instrumental sonatas, string quartets, and symphonies, Haydn both broke new ground and provided durable models; indeed, he was among the creators of these fundamental genres of classical music.

His influence upon later composers is immeasurable; Haydn 's most illustrious pupil, Beethoven , was the direct beneficiary of the elder master's musical imagination, and Haydn 's shadow lurks within (and sometimes looms over) the music of composers like Schubert , Mendelssohn , and Brahms . Part and parcel of Haydn 's formal mastery was his famous sense of humor, his feeling for the unpredictable, elegant twist. In the Symphony No. 94 ("Surprise") (1791), the composer tweaks those audience members who typically fall asleep during slow movements with the sudden, completely unexpected intrusion of a fortissimo chord during a passage of quietude. Haydn 's pictorial sense is much in evidence works like his epic oratorio The Creation (1796-1798), in which images of the cosmos taking shape are thrillingly, movingly portrayed in tones. By one estimate, Haydn produced some 340 hours of music, more than Bach or Handel , Mozart or Beethoven . Few of them lack some unexpected detail or clever solution to a formal problem.

Haydn was prolific not just because he was a tireless worker with an inexhaustible musical imagination, but also because of the circumstances of his musical career: he was the last prominent beneficiary of the system of noble patronage that had nourished European musical composition since the Renaissance. Born in the small Austrian village of Rohrau, he became a choirboy at St. Stephen's cathedral in Vienna when he was eight. After his voice broke and he was turned out of the choir, he eked out a precarious living as a teenage freelance musician in Vienna. His fortunes began to turn in the late 1750s as members of Vienna's noble families became aware of his music, and on May 1, 1761, he went to work for the Esterházy family. He remained in their employ for the next 30 years, writing many of his instrumental compositions and operas for performance at their vast summer palace, Esterháza. Musical creativity may often, it is true, meet a tragic end, but Haydn lived long enough to reap the rewards of his own imagination and toil.

The Esterházys curtailed their musical activities in 1790, but by that time Haydn was known all over Europe and widely considered the greatest living composer. (He himself deferred to Mozart in that regard, and the friendly competition between the two composers deepened the music of both.) Two trips to London during the 1790s resulted in two sets of six symphonies each (among them the "Surprise" symphony) that remain centerpieces of the orchestral repertoire. Haydn 's final masterpieces included powerful choral works: the Creation and Seasons oratorios and a group of six masses. Haydn stopped composing in 1803, after which he prefaced his correspondence with a little musical quotation (from one of his part-songs) bearing the text "Gone is all my strength; I am old and weak." He died in Vienna on May 31, 1809. Haydn, Franz Joseph | San Francisco Classical Voice San Francisco Classical Voice “Papa” Haydn; the most celebrated composer of his time, developer of the string quartet and a major influence on symphonic composition. Vital Statistics Born: Mar.

31, 1732 in Rohrau, Austria Died: May 31, 1809 in Vienna, Austria Nationality: Austrian Genre: Classical Performed as: Keyboardist During the composer's lifetime: The industrial revolution. Changes in musical patronage: Haydn was the last major composer to be in service to a noble family. Biographical Outline Training: At about seven, Haydn enters the choir school at St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna. He learns singing, harpsichord, violin, and probably some theory. First breaks, 1753: Haydn is introduced to the Italian opera composer Nicola Porpora. Porpora teaches him opera composition and introduces him to noble patrons and famous musicians. In service: Haydn’s first regular employment is with a Count Morzin from about 1757 to 1760. Haydn is then hired as Vice-Kapellmeister (chapel-master) to Prince Paul Anton Esterhazy (and after Paul’s death, in 1762, to his brother, Nikolaus). The Esterhazys are the richest, most powerful noble family in Hungarian nobility.

Opera on demand, 1766-90: Shortly after Haydn becomes full Kapellmeister (1766), Prince Nikolaus’ private opera house is built in his new palace, Esterhaza. By 1778, the Prince is paying for full theater seasons; opera directing and composing become Haydn’s full-time job. Between 1776 and 1790, he produces all the operas there - 88 productions in all - writing six of them himself. Royalties: In 1779, Haydn signs a new contract with the Prince allowing him, for the first time, to sell compositions to publishers. He begins issuing publications right away, mostly chamber music, opera excerpts, and 2 books of lieder. His music is wildly popular. End of an era: In 1790, Prince Nikolaus and his wife both die, and his son, Anton, dismisses the musicians. Haydn continues to receive an annuity from the estate. He moves to Vienna. London calling: Haydn is invited to London for the 1791-92 season, and then returns in 1794-95.

The London visits are the high point of his career. He is received as a celebrity and feted by royalty. He composes a wide variety of music for England, including his last 12 symphonies (nos. 93-104) and his last opera, Orfeo ed Euridice. Vienna again: Haydn is rehired as Kapellmeister by the next Esterhazy prince, Nicolaus II. The new prince lives mainly in Vienna, and only requires one mass composition a year for the name-day of his wife. In addition to this great series of masses, Haydn writes two oratorios for performance in Vienna, The Creation (1798) and The Seasons (1801). The end: In his last years, Haydn receives a stream of important visitors, but ceases to compose. Fun Facts Home away from home: Prince Nicolaus spent up to 10 months a year at his new palace, Esterhaza. But Haydn and his musicians had homes in Eisenstadt, the traditional Esterhazy seat. In order to emphasize the difficulty of being away for so long, Haydn wrote his “Farewell” Symphony (no.

45), which ends with the musicians leaving the stage one by one, during a tearful slow movement. Esterhaza: Haydn said of the years at Esterhaza, “I was cut off from the world … so I was forced to become original.” “Papa” Haydn: Haydn was modest, honest, conservative in his habits, and good-humored. He took care of his musicians, and did favors for friends. Without any sense of jealousy or despair, he wrote that his friend Wolfgang Mozart was “the greatest musician known to me either by name or reputation.” Sharp businessman: Since there were no effective copyright laws at the time, Haydn often managed to sell the same work to several different publishers. He was known to drive a hard bargain, and maximized his income wherever he could. The man: Haydn was short, with a broad forehead, brown skin, lively eyes, and a large nose with a polyp on it (which he eventually had removed.) Recommended Biography Jens Peter Larsen, The New Grove Haydn (Norton, 1997) Karl Geiringer and Irene Geiringer, Haydn: A Creative Life in Music (3rd ed. rev.

University of California, 1982) H.C. Robbins Landon: Haydn: A Documentary Study (Rizzoli, 1981) Elaine Sisman, ed. Haydn and His World (Princeton University, 1997) David Hurwitz, Exploring Haydn. Unlocking the Masters Series (Amadeus Press, 2005) Explore the Music Music man: Like the man, Haydn’s music was witty and jocular and sublimely serious by turns. Taking requests: Prince Nicolaus played the baryton, a now-disused type of viol. Haydn composed 126 trios for the instrument in the 1760s and played them with the Prince. Later, for the King of Spain, he composed concertos for the hurdy-gurdy, which he called lyra organizzata (organ-lyre). Symphonic thoughts: Haydn didn’t invent the symphony, but his 106 works were the most important stimulus to the genre’s development.

Symphony: Three of Haydn’s earliest works from the Esterhazy period, and several from the early 1770s to 1784, show his intensive development of the genre’s possibilities. The larger, public symphonies, beginning with No. 82, are the more famous ones. Recommended Websites Haydn, Joseph (1732-1809) - Composer - Hyperion Records - CDs, MP3 and Lossless downloads Français Deutsch Most general histories of music emphasise Joseph Haydn’s achievements as a composer of instrumental works, a pioneer of the string quartet genre and the so-called ‘father of the symphony’. In short, he was one of the most versatile and influential composers of his age. After early training as a choirboy at Vienna’s St Stephen’s Cathedral and a period as a freelance musician, Haydn became Kapellmeister to Count Morzin in Vienna and subsequently to the music-loving and wealthy Esterházy family at their magnificent but isolated estate at Eszterháza, the ‘Hungarian Versailles’.

Here he wrote a vast number of solo instrumental and chamber pieces, masses, motets, concertos and symphonies, besides at least two dozen stage works. In old age Haydn fashioned several of his greatest works, the oratorios The Creation and The Seasons, his six Op 76 String Quartets and his so-called ‘London Symphonies’ prominent among them. ‘I am forced to remain at home … It is indeed sad always to be a slave, but Providence wills it thus,’ he wrote in June 1790. Haydn was by now tired of the routine of being a musician in service. He envied his young friend Mozart’s apparent freedom in Vienna, but was resigned to remaining at Eszterháza Castle. The death of Prince Nikolaus prompted unexpected and rapid changes in Haydn’s circumstances. His son and heir, Prince Anton, cared little for what he regarded as the lavish and extravagant indulgence of music. He dismissed all but a few instrumentalists and retained the nominal services of Haydn, who became a free agent again and returned to Vienna.

Haydn was enticed to England by the impresario Johann Peter Salomon, attracting considerable newspaper coverage and enthusiastic audiences to hear his new works for London. Back in Vienna, Haydn, the son of a master wheelwright, was fêted by society and honoured by the imperial city’s musical institutions. from notes by Richard Wigmore ï¿½ 2010 La plupart des histoires générales de la musique insistent sur l’importance de Joseph Haydn comme compositeur d’œuvres instrumentales, pionnier du quatuor à cordes et «père de la symphonie». Pour résumer, il fut l’un des compositeurs les plus divers et les plus influents de son époque.

Après un apprentissage précoce au sein de la Maîtrise de la cathédrale Saint-Etienne de Vienne et une période où il vécut comme musicien indépendant, Haydn devint maître de chapelle du comte Morzin à Vienne, obtenant ensuite le même poste auprès de la famille Esterházy, riche et mélomane, dans leur résidence magnifique mais isolée d’Eszterháza, le «Versailles hongrois». C’est là qu’il composa un nombre considérable d’œuvres instrumentales solistes et de chambre, de messes, de motets, de concertos et de symphonies, en plus d’au moins deux douzaines d’œuvres scéniques. A la fin de sa vie, Haydn composa quelques-unes de ses partitions les plus admirables, les oratorios La Création et Les Saisons, ses six Quatuors op. 76 et les symphonies dites «Londoniennes», pour ne citer que les plus remarquables.

«Je suis obligé de rester à la maison… C’est triste, vraiment, d’être un esclave, mais la Providence le veut ainsi», écrivit-il en juin 1790. A cette époque, Haydn était las de son statut de musicien employé. Il enviait l’apparente liberté dont jouissait à Vienne son jeune ami Mozart, mais s’était résigné à rester au palais d’Eszterháza. La mort du prince Nicolas entraîna des changements rapides et inattendus dans la vie de Haydn. Le fils et héritier de Nicolas, le prince Antoine, montrait peu d’intérêt pour la musique, qu’il considérait comme un péché mignon dispendieux et extravagant. Il renvoya la quasi-totalité des instrumentistes et, tout en maintenant son salaire, rendit sa liberté à Haydn, qui rentra à Vienne.

Haydn fut attiré en Angleterre par l’organisateur de concerts Johann Peter Salomon, et de nombreux articles de journaux saluèrent la création de ses œuvres nouvelles créées à Londres, lors de concerts où se pressait un public enthousiaste. De retour à Vienne, Haydn, fils d’un maître charron, fut couvert d’honneurs par la société et les institutions musicales de la cité impériale. extrait des notes rï¿½digï¿½es par Richard Wigmore ï¿½ 2010 Franï¿½ais: Claire Delamarche Die meisten allgemeinen Musikgeschichtsbücher betonen Joseph Haydns Leistung als Komponisten instrumentaler Werke, als Pionier des Streichquartettgenres und als den sogenannten „Vater der Symphonie“. Kurz gesagt, er war einer der vielseitig begabtesten und einfl ussreichsten Komponisten seiner Zeit.

Haydn erhielt seine frühe Ausbildung als Chorsänger im Wiener Stefansdom, arbeitete eine Zeit lang als freischaffender Musiker, wurde dann von Graf Morzin zum Kapellmeister ernannt und später Kapellmeister der wohlhabenden und musikliebenden Familie Esterházy auf ihrem prunkvollen, jedoch abgelegenen Landsitz in Estzerháza, dem „ungarischen Versailles“. Hier schrieb Haydn eine Vielzahl von Werken für Soloinstrumente und Kammermusik, Messen, Motetten, Konzerte und Symphonien sowie mindestens zwei Dutzend Bühnenwerke. Im fortgeschrittenen Alter komponierte er etliche seiner größten Werke, wie die Oratorien Die Schöpfung und Die Jahreszeiten, die sechs Streichquartette op. 27 und die sogenannten „Londoner Symphonien“.

Im Juni 1790 schrieb Haydn: „Ich bin dazu gezwungen, zu Hause zu bleiben… Es ist fürwahr schmerzlich, immer ein Diener zu sein, aber die Vorsehung will es so”. Haydn war es überdrüssig, bediensteter Musiker zu sein. Er beneidete die scheinbare Freiheit seines jungen Freundes Mozart, hatte sich aber damit abgefunden, im Schloss Eszerháza zu verbleiben. Fürst Nikolaus’ Tod führte zu einem plötzlichen und unerwarteten Wendepunkt in Haydns Umständen. Nikolaus’ Sohn und Erbe, Fürst Anton, war an Musik gänzlich uninteressiert und betrachtete sie als verschwenderisch und kostspielig. Er entließ alle Musiker außer ein paar Instrumentalisten, und Haydn blieb nur noch nominell auf seinem Posten, war wieder ein freier Mann und kehrte nach Wien zurück. Der Impresario Johann Peter Salomon bewegte Haydn zu Besuchen nach England.

Dort erregte der Komponist erhebliche Aufmerksamkeit bei der Presse und begeisterte das Publikum mit seinen neuen Londoner Werken. Nach seiner Rückkehr nach Wien wurde Haydn, der Sohn eines Wagnermeisters, von der vornehmen Gesellschaft gefeiert und von den musikalischen Institutionen der Reichsstadt geehrt. aus dem Begleittext von Richard Wigmore ï¿½ 2010 Deutsch: Elke Hockings THE CLASSICAL PERIOD (1775-1825) THE CLASSICAL PERIOD (1775-1825) The Baroque period culminated in the masterpieces of J.S. Bach and G.F. Handel. In the middle of the eighteenth century, contemporaneous with the mature years of Bach and Handel, a new musical style developed that is known as Rococo or preclassical style. This style is most evident in keyboard and orchestral music, but it is mentioned here because it represented a transition from the Baroque to the Classical era, occurring between 1725 and 1770.

In the world of painting, Rococo style is characterized by delicate colors, many decorative details, and a graceful and intimate mood. Similarly, music in the Rococo style is homophonic and light in texture, melodic, and elaborately ornamented. In France, the term for this was style galant (gallant or elegant style) and in Germany empfindsamer stil (sensitive style). François Couperin (1668-1733), in France, and two of the sons of J. S. Bach, C. P. E. Bach (1714-1788) and Johann Christian Bach (1735-1782), in Germany, were important composers of music in the Rococo style. In the second half of the eighteenth century, a reaction against Rococo style occurred. There were objections to its lack of depth and to the use of decoration and ornamentation for their own sake. This led to the development of Classical style. The Classical period itself lasted from approximately 1775 to 1825.

The name classical is applied to the period because in art and literature, there was keen interest in, admiration for, and emulation of the classical artistic and literary heritage of Greece and Rome. Intellectually, this era has also been labeled the Age of Enlightenment. Philosophers such as Rousseau, Voltaire, and Montesquieu wrote of the value of the common person and the power of human reasoning in overcoming the problems of the world. This revolution in thinking inevitably led to conflict between the old order and new ideas. The French and American revolutions in the last quarter of the eighteenth century were stimulated by this new attitude. The musical scene in the classical period reflected the changes occurring in the society in which the music was being written. This was the first era in music history in which public concerts became an important part of the musical scene. Music was still being composed for the church and the court, but the advent of public concerts reflected the new view that music should be written for the enjoyment and entertainment of the common person.

Unlike the Renaissance or Baroque eras, which included many important composers and trends, the choral music of the classical era was dominated by three composers: Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809), Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791), and Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827). For the first time, during the Classical period most of the important stylistic advances that occurred can be observed most clearly in the instrumental forms: the symphony, concerto, sonata, and in instrumental chamber music (e.g., the Beethoven string quartets). Church music tended to be more conservative than secular compositions, which also helps to explain why stylistic innovations were seen most clearly in instrumental music but were less prevalent in the choral music of the period. Choral and instrumental forms overlapped during the Classical period to an unprecedented degree. Forms developed in the instrumental area were appropriated and used to good effect in choral music. Sonata allegro form, for example, often found in sonata or symphony movements, is also used in sections of classical masses. Beethoven included choral sections in two instrumental works, his Choral Fantasia and the Ninth Symphony.

This period in music history is sometimes referred to as "the Viennese Classic period," and it was centered in Vienna. Beethoven, Haydn, and Mozart, though none was a native Viennese, all worked in Vienna for significant periods in their careers. Although Vienna was the focal point for musical activity of the period, classical music is not parochial but universal in spirit and in style. Important Forms Important forms of choral music during the classical period included the following: Mass. The mass continued to be an important form for each of the three primary Classical composers. During the Classical period, masses involved orchestra, soloists, and choir in a fully integrated work, utilizing organizational principles derived from instrumental forms. Missa Brevis. This concise treatment of the mass text may consist of strictly delimited development, simultaneous setting of several lines of text, or the omission of certain sections of the mass. Missa Solemnis. When choral musicians refer to the Missa Solemnis they are usually speaking of Beethoven's Mass in D Major, a milestone in the development of choral music. In a broader sense, however, the term refers to a more elaborate and extended musical treatment of the mass text than that employed in the Missa Brevis.

Oratorio. The Baroque oratorio tradition, begun by Carissimi and culminating in the works of Handel, was continued in the Classical period primarily by Haydn, who wrote two oratorios, The Creation and The Seasons, which have remained an important part of the choral repertoire. Requiem. Although many musical settings of the Requiem were composed during the Renaissance and Baroque periods, the Classical period produced a setting by Mozart (completed by a student following Mozart's death) that has become a staple of the choral repertoire and two settings by Cherubini that are also often performed. Vespers. Mozart wrote two settings of this service each of which includes psalms and the Magnificat, written for choir, quartet of soloists, and orchestra. Choral Symphony. A symphony which includes sections written for choir and orchestra. The earliest and probably best known example of this is Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, incorporating choir and soloists in the fourth movement. Composers Haydn. Franz Joseph Haydn was born in the Rohrau, Austria, in 1732. At age eight he was accepted as a choirboy at St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna.

When he left St. Stephen's in 1749, he became an assistant to Nicola Porpora. In 1759, he worked briefly as musical director for Count Morzin, and in 1761 was employed as assistant music director and then music director for the Esterhazy family, residing at their estate. He remained with the Esterhazys for nearly thirty years, until 1790. During the last decade of the eighteenth century, Haydn made two trips to London. He had been hired by Johann Peter Salomon to compose and conduct six symphonies for his first trip (1791-1792) and six for his second (1794-1795). Haydn's London appearances were highly successful. Upon his return to Vienna in 1795, Haydn composed some of his most significant choral music. The six masses from this period, composed for Prince Nicholas Esterhazy (the son of Haydn's earlier employer), and his two oratorios, The Creation and The Seasons, are his most significant choral works.

Haydn's total choral output included twelve masses, three oratorios, a passion, two Te Deums, a Stabat Mater, and a few other smaller works. In his later years, Haydn was a celebrity whose works were widely recognized and appreciated, in contrast to the decades spent in the relative isolation of the Esterhazy estate. He died in 1809 in Vienna. Mozart. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg, Austria, in 1756. At the age of six, he could play the harpsichord and violin, compose, and performed in Munich and Vienna. Between the ages of six and fifteen, Mozart was taken on tours of Europe and England, organized by his father, Leopold Mozart, a Salzburg court composer. Although he was away from home more than half of the time, he produced a steady stream of compositions during this period. In 1781, Mozart left Salzburg and moved to Vienna, teaching, concertizing, traveling, and continuing to compose constantly.

In contrast to Haydn, who worked in the isolation and relative obscurity of the Esterhazy estate for many years and then became an international celebrity in his sixties, Mozart was thrust into international prominence as a child and encountered decreasing public acceptance of his music when he was an adult. By 1791, Mozart's health was failing. He received a commission that resulted in the composition of The Magic Flute. He was also visited by a representative of a Count Walsegg, who commissioned a requiem. Mozart may have believed he was writing a requiem for himself. He died before completing the work, and it was finished by a pupil of Mozart's named Sussmayer, working from Mozart's sketches of the unfinished portion. Mozart's choral output includes eighteen masses, the Requiem, two Vespers settings, and a variety of shorter choral pieces. Beethoven. Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany, in 1770. He came to Vienna in 1792, where he studied with Haydn and Albrechtsberger. His first public performances in Vienna as a pianist and composer came in 1795.

Beethoven protested against the patronage system that bound musicians to the service of an employer. Increasingly deaf, Beethoven eventually was forced to retire from public performance and to concentrate on composition. Unlike Mozart, who seemed to conceive of music in final form and who simply wrote down his conceptions, Beethoven's sketchbooks provide a record of his agonizing struggle to arrive at a composition he felt was satisfactory. Beethoven was primarily a composer of instrumental music, and it is in his symphonies, piano music, and string quartets that the transition from Classic to Romantic style is most clearly discernible. Nevertheless, his choral music is an important part of the repertoire, and his Mass in D Major, the Missa Solemnis, is one of the monuments of Western musical tradition. Beethoven's choral output included two masses, an oratorio, two symphonic works with large choral sections and a few smaller pieces. Classical Style Music from the Classical period is distinctive in style from what preceded and followed it.

Some of the questions related to performance practice in Renaissance and Baroque music are less complex because at this point in Music history we have much clearer and more explicit indications from the composer concerning the tempo, dynamics, and expressive qualities of the Music under consideration. Moreover, there have been public performances of this repertoire from the time of its composition to the present. This is both a help and a hindrance in light of the fact that through the last two centuries, certain Romantic conventions have become an accepted part of the performance of this music, and they are not always appropriate to authentic Classical style (this same Problem of inappropriate performance conventions added during the Romantic period exists with Baroque repertoire and, to a lesser extent, music from the Renaissance). Classical choral music tends to be more homophonic and lighter in texture than that of the Baroque. This lightness needs to pervade the choral lines. There is still rhythmic energy and drive, but without the weightiness of Baroque music. The lighter quality of Classical music also is derived from its slower harmonic movement. Baroque music, with its emphasis on vertical structure and use of figured bass and basso continuo, is characterized by frequent harmonic changes, sometimes on every beat.

Classical music changes chords much less frequently, giving it a more graceful sweep and lightness of phrasing than that created by the pulsating feel of a harpsichordist realizing a Baroque figured bass part, supporting the choral singing with rapidly changing embellished chords. During the Classic period, the keyboard player was no longer typically the composer/ conductor, but instead was simply one of the players in the orchestra. The keyboard part should be much less obtrusive and less highly decorated than that of a Baroque work. The choral music of the Classic period is generally conservative, and therefore often contains sections of free counterpoint, fugue, and use of continuo, reminiscent of the Baroque. This is particularly true in the music written in the early part of the period. The Classical era was an era of formality. The music was characterized by careful attention to form and by elegance and restraint. The formal structure was based on the use of thematic development and harmonic structure. The music of the Classical era is characterized by objectivity. While emotion is an important aspect of all music, in the Classical period, emotions were carefully controlled. This control is evident in the use of dynamics and expressive differences within sections or movements of a composition.

The Baroque notion of terraced dynamics, coupled with the expression of a single emotion in a given section of a composition, was replaced by the classical trait of varying the emotional content of a given movement, section, or even a measure of a piece. Dynamically speaking, this was accomplished through the use of crescendo and decrescendo.

Question: Which composer, born in 1732, wrote the oratorios 'The Creation' and 'The Seasons'?
Answer: (Franz Josef) Haydn