Joseph Haydn - Father of the Symphony and String Quartet Joseph Haydn - Father of the Symphony and String Quartet Hi guest "Young people can learn from my example that something can come from nothing. What I have become is the result of my hard efforts." Haydn, Joseph (1732-1809) Joseph Haydn was one of the most prominent composers of the classical period, and is called by some the "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet". A life-long resident of Austria, Haydn spent most of his career as a court musician for the wealthy Hungarian Esterházy family on their remote estate. Isolated from other composers and trends in music until the later part of his long life, he was, as he put it, "forced to become original". Although Haydn is still often called "Franz Joseph Haydn", the composer did not use the name "Franz" during his lifetime and this misnomer is avoided by modern scholars and historians. Joseph Haydn was the brother of Michael Haydn, himself a highly regarded composer, and Johann Evangelist Haydn, a tenor.

Childhood Joseph Haydn was born in Rohrau, Archduchy of Austria, a village near the border with the Kingdom of Hungary. His father was Mathias Haydn, a wheelwright who also served as "Marktrichter", an office akin to village mayor. Haydn's mother, the former Maria Koller, had previously worked as a cook in the palace of Count Harrach, the presiding aristocrat of Rohrau. Neither parent could read music; however, Mathias was an enthusiastic folk musician, who during the journeyman period of his career had taught himself to play the harp. According to Haydn's later reminiscences, his childhood family was extremely musical, and frequently sang together and with their neighbors. Haydn's parents had noticed that their son was musically talented and knew that in Rohrau he would have no chance to obtain any serious musical training. It was for this reason that they accepted a proposal from their relative Johann Matthias Franck, the schoolmaster and choirmaster in Hainburg, that Haydn be apprenticed to Franck in his home to train as a musician.

Haydn therefore went off with Franck to Hainburg (seven miles away) and never again lived with his parents. He was six years old. Life in the Franck household was not easy for Haydn, who later remembered being frequently hungry as well as constantly humiliated by the filthy state of his clothing. However, he did begin his musical training there, and soon was able to play both harpsichord and violin. The people of Hainburg were soon hearing him sing treble parts in the church choir. There is reason to think that Haydn's singing impressed those who heard him, because two years later (in 1740) he was brought to the attention of Georg von Reutter, the director of music in St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna, who was touring the provinces looking for talented choirboys. Haydn passed his audition with Reutter, and soon moved off to Vienna, where he worked for the next nine years as a chorister, the last four in the company of his younger brother Michael. Like Franck before him, Reutter did not always bother to make sure Haydn was properly fed.

The young Haydn greatly looked forward to performances before aristocratic audiences, where the singers sometimes had the opportunity to satisfy their hunger by devouring the refreshments. Reutter also did little to further his choristers' musical education. However, St. Stephen's was at the time one of the leading musical centers in Europe, with many performances of new music by leading composers. Haydn was able to learn a great deal by observation, simply by serving as a professional musician there. Struggles as a freelancer By 1749, Haydn had finally matured physically to the point that he was no longer able to sing high choral parts. On a weak pretext, he was summarily dismissed from his job. He was sent into the streets with no home to go to. However, he had the good fortune to be taken in by a friend, Johann Michael Spangler, who for a few months shared with Haydn his family's crowded garret room. Haydn was able to begin immediately his pursuit of a career as a freelance musician.

During this arduous time, Haydn worked at many different jobs: as a music teacher, as a street serenader, and eventually as valet–accompanist for the Italian composer Nicola Porpora, from whom he later said he learned "the true fundamentals of composition". When he was a chorister, Haydn had not received serious training in music theory and composition, which he perceived as a serious gap. To fill it, he worked his way through the counterpoint exercises in the text Gradus ad Parnassum by Johann Joseph Fux, and carefully studied the work of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, whom he later acknowledged as an important influence. As his skills increased, Haydn began to acquire a public reputation, first as the composer of an opera, Der krumme Teufel "The Limping Devil", written for the comic actor Johann Joseph Felix Kurz, whose stage name was "Bernardon". The work was premiered successfully in 1753, but was soon closed down by the censors. Haydn also noticed, apparently without annoyance, that works he had simply given away were being published and sold in local music shops.

With the increase in his reputation, Haydn eventually was able to obtain aristocratic patronage, crucial for the career of a composer in his day. Countess Thun, having seen one of Haydn's compositions, summoned him and engaged him as her singing and keyboard teacher. Baron Carl Josef Fürnberg employed Haydn at his country estate, Weinzierl, where the composer wrote his first string quartets. Fürnberg later recommended Haydn to Count Morzin, who in 1757 became his first full time employer. The years as Kapellmeister Haydn's job title under Count Morzin was Kapellmeister, that is, music director. He led the count's small orchestra and wrote his first symphonies for this ensemble. In 1760, with the security of a Kapellmeister position, Haydn married. His wife was the former Maria Anna Aloysia Apollonia Keller (1729–1800), the sister of Therese (b. 1733), with whom Haydn had previously been in love. Haydn and his wife had a completely unhappy marriage, from which the laws of the time permitted them no escape; and they produced no children.

Both took lovers. Count Morzin soon suffered financial reverses that forced him to dismiss his musical establishment, but Haydn was quickly offered a similar job (1761) as Vice Kapellmeister to the Esterházy family, one of the wealthiest and most important in the Austrian Empire. When the old Kapellmeister, Gregor Werner, died in 1766, Haydn was elevated to full Kapellmeister. As a "house officer" in the Esterházy establishment, Haydn wore livery and followed the family as they moved among their various palaces, most importantly the family's ancestral seat Schloss Esterházy in Eisenstadt and later on Eszterháza, a grand new palace built in rural Hungary in the 1760s. Haydn had a huge range of responsibilities, including composition, running the orchestra, playing chamber music for and with his patrons, and eventually the mounting of operatic productions. Despite this workload, the job was in artistic terms a superb opportunity for Haydn.

The Esterházy princes (first Paul Anton, then most importantly Nikolaus I) were musical connoisseurs who appreciated his work and gave him daily access to his own small orchestra. During the nearly thirty years that Haydn worked at the Esterházy court, he produced a flood of compositions, and his musical style continued to develop. His popularity in the outside world also increased. Gradually, Haydn came to write as much for publication as for his employer, and several important works of this period, such as the Paris symphonies (1785–1786) and the original orchestral version of The Seven Last Words of Christ (1786), were commissions from abroad. Haydn also gradually came to feel more isolated and lonely, particularly as the court came to spend most of the year at Esterháza, far from Vienna, rather than the closer-by Eisenstadt (Geiringer 1982, p. 60). Haydn particularly longed to visit Vienna because of his friendships there.

Of these, a particularly important one was with Maria Anna von Genzinger (1750–93), the wife of Prince Nikolaus's personal physician in Vienna, who began a close, platonic, relationship with the composer in 1789. Haydn wrote to Mrs. Genzinger often, expressing his loneliness at Eszterháza and his happiness for the few occasions on which he was able to visit her in Vienna; later on, Haydn wrote to her frequently from London. Her premature death in 1793 was a blow to Haydn, and his F minor variations for piano, Hob. XVII:6, may have been written in response to her death. Another friend in Vienna was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, whom Haydn met sometime around 1784. According to later testimony by Michael Kelly and others, the two composers occasionally played in string quartets together. Haydn was hugely impressed with Mozart's work and praised it unstintingly to others. Mozart evidently returned the esteem, as seen in his dedication of a set of six quartets, now called the "Haydn" quartets, to his friend. For further details see Haydn and Mozart.

The London journeys In 1790, Prince Nikolaus died and was succeeded by a thoroughly unmusical prince who dismissed the entire musical establishment and put Haydn on a pension. Freed of his obligations, Haydn was able to accept a lucrative offer from Johann Peter Salomon, a German impresario, to visit England and conduct new symphonies with a large orchestra. The visit (1791–1792), along with a repeat visit (1794–1795), was a huge success. Audiences flocked to Haydn's concerts; Haydn augmented his fame and made large profits, thus becoming financially secure. Charles Burney reviewed the first concert thus: "Haydn himself presided at the piano-forte; and the sight of that renowned composer so electrified the audience, as to excite an attention and a pleasure superior to any that had ever been caused by instrumental music in England." Musically, the visits to England generated some of Haydn's best-known work, including the Surprise, Military, Drumroll, and London symphonies, the Rider quartet, and the "Gypsy Rondo" piano trio.

The only misstep in the venture was an opera, Orfeo ed Euridice, also called L'Anima del Filosofo, which Haydn was contracted to compose, but whose performance was blocked by intrigues. Between visits, Haydn taught Ludwig van Beethoven. Beethoven found him unsatisfactory as a teacher and sought help from others; the relationship between the two was sometimes rather tense. For discussion of their relationship, see Beethoven and his contemporaries. Final years in Vienna Haydn returned to Vienna in 1795, moved into a large house in the suburb of Gumpendorf, and turned to the composition of large religious works for chorus and orchestra. These include his two great oratorios (The Creation and The Seasons) and six masses for the Eszterházy family, which by this time was once again headed by a musically-inclined prince. Haydn also composed instrumental music: the popular Trumpet Concerto and the last nine in his long series of string quartets, including the Fifths, Emperor, and Sunrise quartets.

In 1802, an illness from which Haydn had been suffering for some time had increased in severity to the point that he became physically unable to compose. This was doubtless very difficult for him because, as he acknowledged, the flow of fresh musical ideas waiting to be worked out as compositions did not cease. Haydn was well cared for by his servants, and he received many visitors and public honours during his last years, but they could not have been very happy years for him. During his illness, Haydn often found solace by sitting at the piano and playing Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser, which he had composed himself as a patriotic gesture in 1797 (Geiringer 1982, pp. 161–2). This melody later was used for the Austrian and German national anthems. Haydn died at the end of May in 1809, shortly after an attack on Vienna by the French army under Napoleon. He was 77. Among his last words was his attempt to calm and reassure his servants when cannon shot fell in the neighborhood (Geiringer 1982, p. 189).

"My children, have no fear, for where Haydn is, no harm can fall." Two weeks later, a memorial service was held in the Schottenkirche on June 15, 1809, at which W.A. Mozart’s Requiem K.626 was performed. Character and appearance James Webster writes of Haydn's public character thus: "Haydn's public life exemplified the Enlightenment ideal of the honnête homme (honest man): the man whose good character and worldly success enable and justify each other. His modesty and probity were everywhere acknowledged. These traits were not only prerequisites to his success as Kapellmeister, entrepreneur and public figure, but also aided the favourable reception of his music." Haydn was especially respected by the Eszterházy court musicians whom he supervised, as he maintained a cordial working atmosphere and effectively represented the musicians' interests with their employer; see Papa Haydn and the tale of the "Farewell" Symphony. Haydn had a robust sense of humour, evident in his love of practical jokes and often apparent in his music, and he had many friends.

For much of his life he benefited from a "happy and naturally cheerful temperament" (Dies 1810, 91), but in his later life, there is evidence for periods of depression, notably in the correspondence with Mrs. Genzinger and in Dies's biography, based on visits made in Haydn's old age. Haydn was a devout Catholic who often turned to his rosary when he had trouble composing, a practice that he usually found to be effective. He normally began the manuscript of each composition with "in nomine Domini" ("in the name of the Lord") and ended with "Laus Deo" ("praise be to God"). Haydn was short in stature, perhaps as a result of having been underfed throughout most of his youth. He was not handsome, and like many in his day he was a survivor of smallpox, his face being pitted with the scars of this disease. His early biographer Dies wrote, "he couldn't understand how it happened that in his life he had been loved by many a pretty woman. 'They couldn't have been led to it by my beauty'".

Haydn also suffered from nasal polyposis for much of his adult life; this was an agonizing and debilitating disease in the 18th century, and at times it prevented him from writing music. The treatment for nasal polyps in early medicine lasted for days and was excruciating and bloody, prompting Haydn to say of his physician, "May he rot beneath the earth." Works James Webster summarizes Haydn's role in the history of classical music as follows: "He excelled in every musical genre... He is familiarly known as the 'father of the symphony' and could with greater justice be thus regarded for the string quartet; no other composer approaches his combination of productivity, quality and historical importance in these genres." Structure and character of the music A central characteristic of Haydn's music is the development of larger structures out of very short, simple musical motifs, often derived from standard accompanying figures. The music is often quite formally concentrated, and the important musical events of a movement can unfold rather quickly. Haydn's work was central to the development of what came to be called sonata form.

His practice, however, differed in some ways from that of Mozart and Beethoven, his younger contemporaries who likewise excelled in this form of composition. Haydn was particularly fond of the so-called "monothematic exposition", in which the music that establishes the dominant key is similar or identical to the opening theme. Haydn also differs from Mozart and Beethoven in his recapitulation sections, where he often rearranges the order of themes compared to the exposition and uses extensive thematic development. Haydn's formal inventiveness also led him to integrate the fugue into the classical style and to enrich the rondo form with more cohesive tonal logic (see sonata rondo form). Haydn was also the principal exponent of the double variation form – variations on two alternating themes, which are often major- and minor-mode versions of each other. Perhaps more than any other composer's, Haydn's music is known for its humour. The most famous example is the sudden loud chord in the slow movement of his "Surprise" symphony; Haydn's many other musical jokes include numerous false endings (e.g., in the quartets Op. 33 No. 2 and Op. 50 No.

3), and the remarkable rhythmic illusion placed in the trio section of the third movement of Op. 50 No. 1. Much of the music was written to please and delight a prince, and its emotional tone is correspondingly upbeat. This tone also reflects, perhaps, Haydn's fundamentally healthy and well-balanced personality. Occasional minor-key works, often deadly serious in character, form striking exceptions to the general rule. Haydn's fast movements tend to be rhythmically propulsive and often impart a great sense of energy, especially in the finales. Some characteristic examples of Haydn's "rollicking" finale type are found in the "London" symphony No. 104, the string quartet Op. 50 No. 1, and the piano trio Hob XV: 27. Haydn's early slow movements are usually not too slow in tempo, relaxed, and reflective. Later on, the emotional range of the slow movements increases, notably in the deeply felt slow movements of the quartets Op. 76 Nos. 3 and 5, symphony No. 102, and piano trio Hob XV: 23. The minuets tend to have a strong downbeat and a clearly popular character.

As early as Op. 33 (1781) Haydn turned some of his minuets into "scherzi" which are much faster, at one beat to the bar. Evolution of Haydn's style Haydn's early work dates from a period in which the compositional style of the High Baroque (seen in Bach and Handel) had gone out of fashion. This was a period of exploration and uncertainty, and Haydn, born 18 years before the death of Bach, was himself one of the musical explorers of this time. An older contemporary whose work Haydn acknowledged as an important influence was Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach. Tracing Haydn's work over the six decades in which it was produced (roughly, 1749 to 1802), one finds a gradual but steady increase in complexity and musical sophistication, which developed as Haydn learned from his own experience and that of his colleagues. Several important landmarks have been observed in the evolution of Haydn's musical style. In the late 1760s and early 1770s Haydn entered a stylistic period known as "Sturm und Drang" (storm and stress).

This term is taken from a literary movement of about the same time, though it appears that the musical development actually preceded the literary one by a few years. The musical language of this period is similar to what went before, but it is deployed in work that is more intensely expressive, especially in the works in minor keys. James Webster describes the works of this period as "longer, more passionate, and more daring." Some of the most famous compositions of this time are the "Farewell" Symphony No. 45, the piano sonata in C minor (Hob. XVI/20, L. 33), and the six string quartets of Op. 20 (the "Sun" quartets), all from 1772. It was also around this time that Haydn became interested in writing fugues in the Baroque style, and three of the Op. 20 quartets end with such fugues. Following the climax of the "Sturm und Drang", Haydn returned to a lighter, more overtly entertaining style.

There are no quartets from this period, and the symphonies take on new features: the first movements now sometimes contain slow introductions, and the scoring often includes trumpets and timpani. These changes are often related to a major shift in Haydn's professional duties, which moved him away from "pure" music and toward the production of comic operas, which were very popular in 18th Century Italy. Several of the operas were Haydn's own work (see List of operas by Joseph Haydn); these are seldom performed today. Haydn sometimes recycled his opera music in symphonic works, which helped him continue his career as a symphonist during this hectic decade. In 1779, an important change in Haydn's contract permitted him to publish his compositions without prior authorization from his employer. This may have encouraged Haydn to rekindle his career as a composer of "pure" music. The change made itself felt most dramatically in 1781, when Haydn published the six string quartets of Opus 33, announcing (in a letter to potential purchasers) that they were written in "a completely new and special way".

Charles Rosen has argued that this assertion on Haydn's part was not just sales talk, but meant quite seriously; and he points out a number of important advances in Haydn's compositional technique that appear in these quartets, advances that mark the advent of the Classical style in full flower. These include a fluid form of phrasing, in which each motif emerges from the previous one without interruption, the practice of letting accompanying material evolve into melodic material, and a kind of "Classical counterpoint" in which each instrumental part maintains its own integrity. These traits continue in the many quartets that Haydn wrote after Opus 33. In the 1790s, stimulated by his England journeys, Haydn developed what Rosen calls his "popular style", a way of composition that, with unprecedented success, created music having great popular appeal but retaining a learned and rigorous musical structure. An important element of the popular style was the frequent use of folk or folk-like material, as discussed in the article Haydn and folk music. Haydn took care to deploy this material in appropriate locations, such as the endings of sonata expositions or the opening themes of finales.

In such locations, the folk material serves as an element of stability, helping to anchor the larger structure. Haydn's popular style can be heard in virtually all of his later work, including the twelve London symphonies, the late quartets and piano trios, and the two late oratorios. The return to Vienna in 1795 marked the last turning point in Haydn's career. Although his musical style evolved little, his intentions as a composer changed. While he had been a servant, and later a busy entrepreneur, Haydn wrote his works quickly and in profusion, with frequent deadlines. As a rich man, Haydn now felt he had the privilege of taking his time and writing for posterity. This is reflected in the subject matter of The Creation (1798) and The Seasons (1801), which address such weighty topics as the meaning of life and the purpose of humankind, and represent an attempt to render the sublime in music. Haydn's new intentions also meant that he was willing to spend much time on a single work: both oratorios took him over a year to complete. Haydn once remarked that he had worked on The Creation so long because he wanted it to last.

The change in Haydn's approach was important in the history of music, as other composers soon were following his lead. Notably, Beethoven adopted the practice of taking his time and aiming high. For me Haydn's music is less sophisticated than Beethoven's music, but I also find it to be very high quality and particularly good and useful to listen when I need something simple and relaxing, something not demanding however energetic and motivating. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License . It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Joseph Haydn" . Products Which composer was known as the Father of the Symphony Which composer was known as the Father of the Symphony Franz Joseph Haydn was known as the "Father of the Symphony." and Expert answered| piash |Points 3250| Which composer was known as the Father of the Symphony New answers There are no new answers. Comments Updated 78 days ago|10/20/2016 1:30:25 AM 1 Answer/Comment yumdrea M Coda is a term used in music primarily to designate a passage that brings a piece (or a movement) to an end.

Added 78 days ago|10/20/2016 1:30:25 AM This answer has been confirmed as correct, not copied, and helpful. Weegy: what are the options? (More) Question Weegy: American jazz musician Dave Brubeck released the album Bossa Nova U.S.A. in 1962, mixing jazz with bossa nova. (More) Question Weegy: The slope of the line whose equation is 6x - 3y = 12 is: 2 6x - 3y = 12; 6x - 12 = 3y; 3y = 6x - 12; y = (6x ... 1/5/2017 7:16:03 AM| 2 Answers Weegy: Ronald Reagan defeated Jimmy Carter in the 1980 presidential election. User: All of the following ideas ...

1/5/2017 9:26:34 AM| 2 Answers Franz Joseph Haydn: Father of the String Quartet Franz Joseph Haydn: Father of the String Quartet Home / Authors, Artists and Vagrants / Franz Joseph Haydn: Father of the String Quartet Franz Joseph Haydn: Father of the String Quartet Posted on Categories: Authors, Artists and Vagrants Tags: Franz Joseph Haydn Share this: Franz Joseph Haydn (March 31, 1732 – May 31, 1809) was an Austrian composer. He was one of the most important, prolific and prominent composers of the classical period. He is often called the “Father of the Symphony” and “Father of the String Quartet” because of his important contributions to these genres. He was also instrumental in the development of the piano trio and in the evolution of sonata form. A life-long resident of Austria, Haydn spent much of his career as a court musician for the wealthy Hungarian aristocratic Esterházy family on their remote estate.

Isolated from other composers and trends in music until the later part of his long life, he was, as he put it, “forced to become original”. At the time of his death, he was one of the most celebrated composers in Europe. Joseph Haydn was the brother of Michael Haydn, himself a highly regarded composer, and Johann Evangelist Haydn, a tenor. He was also a close friend of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and a teacher of Ludwig van Beethoven. Joseph Haydn was born in Rohrau, Austria, a village near the border with Hungary. His father was Mathias Haydn, a wheelwright who also served as “Marktrichter”, an office akin to village mayor. Haydn’s mother Maria, née Koller, had previously worked as a cook in the palace of Count Harrach, the presiding aristocrat of Rohrau. Neither parent could read music; however, Mathias was an enthusiastic folk musician, who during the journeyman period of his career Want to read the full article?

Sign up for free Jane Austen Membership or if you are an existing user please login Existing Users Log In Classics For Kids 3/31/1732 - 5/31/1809 Born in Austria Franz Joseph Haydn was the most famous composer of his time. He helped develop new musical forms, like the string quartet and the symphony. In fact, even though he didn't invent it, Haydn is known as the "Father of the Symphony." Haydn was born in the tiny Austrian town of Rohrau, where his father made huge wooden carts and wagonwheels. His mother was a cook. When he was 8, Joseph (he didn't go by Franz) went to Vienna to sing in the choir at St. Stephen's Cathedral, and to attend the choir school. His younger brother Michael joined him a short time later. Joseph could never resist a playing a joke, which got him in trouble at school. Since Michael Haydn was much better behaved than his brother, everyone thought he would be the more successful musician. Wrong! At first, Haydn struggled to earn a living as a composer. Then, he got a job with a rich, powerful family named Esterhazy.

It was Haydn's job to write music for the Esterhazy princes, and to conduct their orchestra. Haydn composed symphonies, operas, string quartets, and all kinds of other music for performance at the Esterhazy court. Haydn was also a good businessman. Music publishing made him and his music famous all over Europe. After he retired from working for the Esterhazy family, Haydn made two very successful trips to England, where audiences at concerts of his music treated him like a superstar. Franz Josef Haydn biography - 8notes.com Franz Josef Haydn biography March 31, 1732, Rohrau, Austria Died: May 31, 1809, Vienna Summary: Franz Joseph Haydn, (March 31, 1732 - May 31, 1809) was a leading composer of the Classical period, called the 'Father of the Symphony' and 'Father of the String Quartet'.

Popular Sheet Music: View All Franz Josef Haydn Biography Franz Joseph Haydn, (March 31, 1732 – May 31, 1809) was a leading composer of the Classical period, called the 'Father of the Symphony' and 'Father of the String Quartet'. He used his second name, spelled in German 'Josef'. He was the brother of Michael Haydn , himself a highly regarded composer, and Johann Evangelist Haydn , a tenor singer . A life-long resident of Austria , Haydn spent most of his career as a court musician for the wealthy Eszterh�zy family, though very often the non-Hungarian spelling Esterhazy is used, on their remote estate. Being isolated from other composers and trends in music, he was, as he put it, 'forced to become original'. Portrait by Thomas Hardy, 1792 Contents Life Childhood Haydn was born in 1732 in the Austrian village of Rohrau near the border with Hungary . His father was Matthias Haydn, a wheelwright who also served as 'Marktrichter', an office somewhat akin to village mayor.

Haydn's mother, the former Maria Koller, had previously worked as a cook in the palace of Count Harrach, the presiding aristocrat of Rohrau. Haydn himself was nicknamed Sepperl as a child. Neither parent could read music. However, Matthias was an enthusiastic folk musician , who during the journeyman period of his career had taught himself to play the harp . According to Haydn's later reminiscences, his childhood family was extremely musical, and frequently sang together and with their neighbors. Haydn's parents were perceptive enough to notice that their little son had musical talent, and they also knew that in Rohrau he would have no chance to obtain any serious musical training. It was for this reason that they accepted a proposal from their relative Johann Matthias Franck, the schoolmaster and choirmaster in Hainburg , that Haydn be apprenticed to Franck in his home to train as a musician. Haydn thus went off with Franck to Hainburg (ten miles away) and never again lived with his parents. At the time he was not quite six.

Life in the Franck household was not easy for Haydn, who later remembered being frequently hungry as well as constantly humiliated by the filthy state of his clothing. However, he did begin his musical training there, and soon was able to play both harpsichord and violin . The people of Hainburg were soon hearing him sing soprano parts in the church choir. There is reason to think that Haydn's singing impressed those who heard him, because two years later (1740), he was brought to the attention of Georg von Reutter , the director of music in St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna , who was touring the provinces looking for talented choirboys . Haydn passed his audition with Reutter, and soon moved off to Vienna, where he worked for the next nine years as a chorister, the last four in the company of his younger brother Michael . Like Franck before him, Reutter didn't always bother to make sure Haydn was properly fed. The young Haydn greatly looked forward to performances before aristocratic audiences, where the singers sometimes had the opportunity to satisfy their hunger by devouring the refreshments. Reutter also did little to further his choristers' musical education. However, St.

Stephen's was at the time one of the leading musical centers in Europe, where new music by leading composers was constantly being performed. Haydn was able to learn a great deal by osmosis simply by serving as a professional musician there. Struggles as a freelancer In 1749, Haydn had matured physically to the point that he was no longer able to sing high choral parts. On a weak pretext, he was summarily dismissed from his job. He evidently spent one night homeless on a park bench, but was taken in by friends and began to pursue a career as a freelance musician. During this arduous period, which lasted ten years, Haydn worked many different jobs, including valet–accompanist for the Italian composer Nicola Porpora , from whom he later said he learned 'the true fundamentals of composition'. He labored to fill the gaps in his training, and eventually wrote his first string quartets and his first opera. During this time Haydn's professional reputation gradually increased. The years as Kapellmeister Portrait by Ludwig Guttenbrunn, ca.

1770 In 1759, or 1757 according to the New Grove Encyclopedia, Haydn received his first important position, that of Kapellmeister (music director) for Count Karl von Morzin. In this capacity, he directed the count's small orchestra, and for this ensemble wrote his first symphonies. Count Morzin soon suffered financial reverses that forced him to dismiss his musical establishment, but Haydn was quickly offered a similar job (1761) as assistant Kapellmeister to the Eszterh�zy family, one of the wealthiest and most important in the Austrian Empire. When the old Kapellmeister, Gregor Werner , finally died in 1766, Haydn was elevated to full Kapellmeister. As a liveried servant of the Eszterh�zys, Haydn followed them as they moved among their three main residences: the family seat in Eisenstadt , their winter palace in Vienna, and Eszterh�za , a grand new palace built in rural Hungary in the 1760s .

Haydn had a huge range of responsibilities, including composition, running the orchestra, playing chamber music for and with his patrons, and eventually the mounting of operatic productions. Despite the backbreaking workload, Haydn considered himself fortunate to have his job. The Eszterh�zy princes (first Paul Anton, then most importantly Nikolaus I) were musical connoisseurs who appreciated his work and gave him the conditions needed for his artistic development, including daily access to his own small orchestra. In 1760, with the security of a Kapellmeister position, Haydn married. He and his wife, the former Maria Anna Keller, did not get along, and they produced no children. Haydn may have had one or more children with Luigia Polzelli, a singer in the Eszterh�zy establishment with whom he carried on a long-term love affair, and often wrote to on his travels. During the nearly thirty years that Haydn worked in the Eszterh�zy household, he produced a flood of compositions, and his musical style became ever more developed. His popularity in the outside world also increased.

Gradually, Haydn came to write as much for publication as for his employer, and several important works of this period, such as the Paris symphonies ( 1785 – 6 ) and the original orchestral version of The Seven Last Words of Christ ( 1786 ), were commissions from abroad. Around 1781 Haydn established a close friendship with Mozart , whose work he had already been influencing by example for many years. The two composers enjoyed playing in string quartets together. Haydn was hugely impressed with Mozart's work; it has been noted by Mozart scholars that after this time Haydn largely ceased to compose operas and concertos &ndash: two of the genres where Mozart was at his strongest. Mozart spent the better part of three years from 1782 to 1785 to produce a set of six string quartets that he would dedicate to the older man. The London journeys In 1790, Prince Nikolaus died and was succeeded by a thoroughly unmusical prince who dismissed the entire musical establishment and put Haydn on a pension.

Thus freed of his obligations, Haydn was able to accept a lucrative offer from Johann Peter Salomon , a German impresario, to visit England and conduct new symphonies with a large orchestra. The visit (1791- 2 ), along with a repeat visit (1794- 5 ), was a huge success. Audiences flocked to Haydn's concerts, and he quickly achieved wealth and fame: one review called him 'incomparable', and many were filled with gushing language which reflected the acclaim his work received in London. Musically, the visits to England generated some of Haydn's best-known work, including the ' Surprise ', ' Military ', ' Drumroll ', and ' London ' symphonies, the ' Rider ' quartet, and the ' Gypsy Rondo ' piano trio. The only misstep in the venture was an opera which Haydn was contracted to compose, and paid a substantial sum of money for. Only one aria was sung at the time, and 11 numbers were published, the entire opera was not performed until 1950. Final years in Vienna Haydn actually considered becoming an English citizen and settling permanently, but eventually took a different course.

He returned to Vienna, had a large house built for himself, and turned to the composition of large religious works for chorus and orchestra. These include his two great oratorios The Creation and The Seasons and six masses for the Eszterh�zy family, which by this time was once again headed by a musically-inclined prince. Haydn also composed the last nine in his long series of string quartets, including the ' Emperor ', ' Sunrise ', and ' Fifths ' quartets. Despite his increasing age, Haydn looked to the future, exclaiming once in a letter, 'how much remains to be done in this glorious art!' In 1802, Haydn found that an illness from which he had been suffering for some time had increased greatly in severity, to the point that he became physically unable to compose. This was doubtless very difficult for him, because, as he acknowledged, the flow of fresh musical ideas waiting to be worked out as compositions did not cease. Haydn was well cared for by his servants, and he received many visitors and public honors during his last years, but they cannot have been very happy years for him.

During his illness, Haydn often found solace by sitting at the piano and playing Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser , which he had composed himself as a patriotic gesture in 1797. This melody later became used for the Austrian and German national anthems . Haydn died in 1809, following an attack on Vienna by the French army under Napoleon . Among his last words was his attempt to calm and reassure his servants as cannon shots fell on the neighborhood. Character and appearance Haydn was known among his contemporaries for his kindly, optimistic, and congenial personality. He had a robust sense of humor, evident in his love of practical jokes and often apparent in his music. He was particularly respected by the Eszterh�zy court musicians whom he supervised, as he maintained a cordial working atmosphere and effectively represented the musicians' interests with their employer. Haydn was a devout Catholic , who often turned to his rosary when he got stuck in composing, a practice that he usually found to be effective. When he finished a composition, he would write 'Laus deo' ('praise be to God') or some similar expression at the end of the manuscript. His favorite hobbies were hunting and fishing.

Haydn was short in stature, perhaps as a result of having been underfed throughout most of his youth. Like many in his day, he was a survivor of smallpox , and his face was pitted with the scars of this disease. He was not handsome, and was quite surprised when women flocked to him during his London visits. The various portraitists who drew or painted Haydn during his lifetime each took a different path in attempting to portray the attractive personality instead of the ugly face; hence no two surviving portraits of Haydn are alike. Portion of an original manuscript by Haydn, in the British Museum , from a biography of Haydn available from Project Gutenberg Works Haydn is credited as the 'father' of the classical symphony and string quartet , and also wrote many piano sonatas , piano trios , divertmenti and masses , which became the foundation for the Classical style in these compositional types. He also wrote other types of chamber music , as well as operas and concerti , although such compositions are now less known. Although other composers were prominent in the earlier Classical period, notably C.P.E.

Bach in the field of the keyboard sonata (the harpsichord and clavichord were equally popular with the piano in this era) and J.C. Bach and Leopold Mozart in the symphony, Haydn was undoubtedly the strongest overall influence on musical style in this era. The development of sonata form into a subtle and flexible mode of musical expression, which became the dominant force in Classical musical thought, was based foremost on Haydn and those who followed his ideas. His sense of formal inventiveness also lead him to integrate the fugue into the classical style, and to enrich the rondo form with more cohesive tonal logic, (see sonata rondo form ). Another example of Haydn's inventiveness was his creation of the double variation form , that is variations on two alternating themes. Structure and character of the music A central characteristic of Haydn's music is the development of larger structures out of very short, simple musical motifs , usually devised from standard accompanying figures. The music is often quite formally concentrated, and the important musical events of a movement can unfold rather quickly. Haydn's musical practice formed the basis of much of what was to follow in the development of tonality and musical form.

He took genres such as the symphony , which were, at that time, shorter and subsidiary to more important vocal music, and slowly expanded their length, weight and complexity. Haydn's compositional practice was rooted in a study of the modal counterpoint of Fux , and the tonal homophonic styles which had become more and more popular, particularly the work of Gluck and Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach , of the later Haydn wrote 'without him, we know nothing'. He believed that the search for an appropriate melody was essential to the creation of good music, and carefully constructed his around countrapunctal devices, so that it could be overlayed with itself in a variety of ways, and the fragments could be worked with individually, and still retain some degree of unique character. Haydn's work became central to what was later described as the sonata form , and his work was central to taking the binary schematic of what was then called a 'melodie'. It was a form divided into sections, joined by important moments in the harmony which signalled the change.

One of Haydn's important innovations, one which was adopted by Mozart and Beethoven, was to make the moment of transition the focus of tremendous creativity, instead of using stock devices to make the transition, Haydn would often find inventive ways to make the move between two expected keys. Later musical theorists would codify the formal organization in the following way: Introduction : If present in an extended form, a slower section in the dominant, often with material not directly related to the main themes, which would then rapidly transition to the Exposition : Presentation of thematic material, including a progression of tonality away from the home key. Unlike Mozart and Beethoven , Haydn often wrote expositions where the music that establishes the new key is similar or identical to the opening theme: this is called monothematic sonata form. Development : The thematic material is led through a rapidly-shifting sequence of keys, transformed, fragmented, or combined with new material. If not present, the work is termed a 'sonatina'. Haydn's developments tend to be longer and more elaborate than those of Mozart, for example. Recapitulation : Return to the home key, where the material of the exposition is re-presented.

Haydn, unlike Mozart and Beethoven, often rearranges the order of themes compared to the exposition: he also frequently omits passages that appeared in the exposition (particularly in the monothematic case) and adds codas . Coda : After the close of the recapitulation on the tonic , there may be an additional section which works through more of the possibilities of the thematic material. During this period the written music was structured by tonality , and the sections of a work of the Classical era were marked by tonal cadences. The most important transitions between sections were from the exposition to the development, and from the development to the recapitulation. Haydn focused on creating witty and often dramatic ways to make these transitions, by delaying them, or by having the occur so subtly that it takes some time before it is established that the transition has, in fact happened. Perhaps paradoxically one of the ways in which Haydn did this was by reducing the number of different devices for harmonic transitions between, so that he could explore and develop the possibilities he found in the ones he regarded as most interesting. This is perhaps why more than any other composer, Haydn is known for the jokes that he put into his music.

The most famous example is the sudden loud chord in his 'Surprise symphony|Surprise' symphony, No. 94, but others are perhaps funnier: the fake endings in the quartets Op. 33 No. 2 and Op. 50 No. 3, or the remarkable rhythmic illusion placed in the trio section of Op. 50 No. 1. Haydn's compositional practice influenced both Mozart and Beethoven. Beethoven began his career writing rather discursive, loosely organized sonata expositions; but with the onset of his 'Middle period', he revived and intensified Haydn's practice, joining the musical structure to tight small motifs, often by gradually reshaping both the work and the motifs so that they fit quite carefully. The emotional content of Haydn's music cannot accurately be summarized in words, but one may attempt an approximate description. Much of the music was written to please and delight a prince, and its emotional tone is correspondingly upbeat; this tone also reflects, perhaps, Haydn's fundamentally healthy and well-balanced personality. Occasional minor-key works, often deadly serious in character, form striking exceptions to the general rule.

Haydn's fast movements tend to be rhythmically propulsive, and often impart a great sense of energy, especially so in the finales. Some characteristic examples of Haydn's 'rollicking' finale type are found in the 'London' symphony No. 104, the string quartet Op. 50 No. 1, and the piano trio Hob XV: 27. Haydn's slow movements, early in his career, are usually not too slow in tempo, relaxed, and reflective. Later on, the emotional range of the slow movements increases, notably in the deeply felt slow movements of the quartets Op. 76 Nos. 3 and 5, the Symphony No. 102 , and the piano trio Hob XV: 23. The minuets tend to have a strong downbeat (and upbeat!) and a clearly popular character. Late in his career, perhaps inspired by the young Beethoven (who was briefly his student), Haydn began to write scherzi instead of minuets, with a much faster tempo, felt as one beat to the measure.

Evolution of Haydn's Style Haydn's early work dates from a period in which the compositional style of the High Baroque (seen in Bach and Handel ) had gone out of fashion. This was a period of exploration and uncertainty, and Haydn, born 18 years before the death of Bach, was himself one of the musical explorers of this time. An older contemporary whose work Haydn acknowledged as an important influence was Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach , the third son of Johann Sebastian. Tracing Haydn's work over the five decades in which it was produced (roughly, 1749 to 1802), one finds a gradual but ever increasing complexity and musical sophistication, which developed as Haydn learned from his own experience and that of his colleagues. Several important landmarks have been observed in the evolution of Haydn's musical style. In the late 1760s and early 1770s Haydn entered a stylistic period known as 'Sturm und Drang' (storm and stress).

This term is taken from a literary movement of about the same time, though some scholars believe that Haydn was unaware of this literary development and that the change in his compositional style was entirely of his own making. The musical language of this period is similar to what went before, but it is deployed in work that is more intensely expressive, especially in the works written in minor keys. Some of the most famous compositions of this period are the 'Farewell' Symphony No. 45, the Piano Sonata No. 20 in C minor, and the six string quartets of Op. 20 (the 'Sun' quartets), all dating from 1772. It was also around this time that Haydn became interested in writing fugues in the Baroque style, and three of the Op. 20 quartets end with such fugues. Following the climax of the 'Sturm und Drang', Haydn returned to a lighter, more overtly entertaining style. There are no quartets from this period, and the symphonies take on new features: the first movements now sometimes contain slow introductions, and the scoring often includes trumpets and timpani .

These changes are often related to a major shift in Haydn's professional duties, which moved him away from 'pure' music and toward the production of comic operas . Several of the operas, such as Il Mondo della luna (The World of the Moon), were Haydn's own work; these are seldom performed today. Haydn sometimes recycled their overtures as symphony movements, which helped him continue his career as a symphonist during this hectic decade. In 1779, an important change in Haydn's contract permitted him to publish his compositions without prior authorization from his employer. This may have encouraged Haydn to rekindle his career as a composer of 'pure' music. The change made itself felt most dramatically in 1781, when Haydn published the six string quartets of Opus 33, announcing (in a letter to potential purchasers) that they were written in 'a completely new and special way'. Charles Rosen has argued that this assertion on Haydn's part was not just sales talk, but meant quite seriously; and he points out a number of important advances in Haydn's compositional technique that appear in these quartets, advances that mark the advent of the Classical style in full flower.

(See above , for their influence on Mozart.) These include a fluid form of phrasing, in which each motif emerges from the previous one without interruption, the practice of letting accompanying material evolve into melodic material, and a kind of 'Classical counterpoint ' in which each instrumental part maintains its own integrity. These traits continue in the many quartets that Haydn wrote after Opus 33. In the 1790s, stimulated by his England journeys, Haydn developed what Rosen calls his 'popular style', a way of composition that, with unprecedented success, created music having great popular appeal but retaining a learned and rigorous musical structure. An important element of the popular style was the frequent use of folk or folk-like material, as discussed in the article Haydn and folk music . Haydn took care to deploy this material in appropriate locations, such as the endings of sonata expositions or the opening themes of finales. In such locations, the folk material serves as an element of stability, helping to anchor the larger structure. Haydn's popular style can be heard in virtually all of his later work, including the twelve London symphonies , the late quartets and piano trios, and the two late oratorios .

The return to Vienna in 1795 marked the last turning-point in Haydn's career. Although his musical style evolved little, his intentions as a composer changed. While he had been a servant, and later a busy entrepreneur, Haydn wrote his works quickly and in profusion, with frequent deadlines. As a rich man, Haydn now felt he had the privilege of taking his time and writing for posterity. This is reflected in the subject matter of The Creation (1798) and The Seasons (1801), which address such weighty topics as the meaning of life and the purpose of humankind, and represent an attempt to render the sublime in music. Haydn's new intentions also meant that he was willing to spend much time on a single work: both oratorios took him over a year to complete. Haydn once remarked that he had worked on The Creation so long because he wanted it to last. The change in Haydn's approach was important in the history of music, as other composers soon were following his lead. Notably, Beethoven adopted the practice of taking his time and aiming high.

As composers were gradually liberated from dependence on the aristocracy, Haydn's late mode of work became the norm in Classical composition. Books about Haydn Biography: Haydn by Rosemary Hughes (New York: Farrar Strauss and Giroux 1970, out of print) gives a sympathetic and witty account of Haydn's life, along with a survey of the music. Another biography, based on the most recent scholarship, is James Webster and Georg Feder's contribution to The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (New York: Grove, 2001). This article was published separately as a book: The New Grove Haydn (New York: Macmillan 2002, ISBN 0195169042 ). Haydn: Chronicle and Works, by H. C. Robbins Landon (Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1976-1980), is a near-exhaustive compilation of the information we have about Haydn's life.

Criticism and analysis: The Classical Style by Charles Rosen (2nd ed., New York: Norton 1997; ISBN 0393317129 ) is the essential work, covering much of Haydn's output, and explicating Haydn's central role in the creation of the classical style. Catalogs Some of Haydn's works are referred to by opus numbers , but Hob or Hoboken numbers, after Anthony van Hoboken 's 1957 classification, are also frequently used. See also Presto News - Haydn - 'The Father of the Symphony' Presto News - 23rd March 2009 Haydn - 'The Father of the Symphony' Franz Joseph Haydn wrote his first symphony in 1759 (the same year that last week's featured composer - Handel - died). He is often referred to as the ‘Father of the Symphony’ and, although he didn’t strictly speaking invent the form, he was the composer who took it from a fairly insignificant part of musical life to one of the major forms into which composers of the next hundred years would pour many of their best musical ideas.

In total he produced no fewer than 104 symphonies, but he was only able to do this because of the more general changes taking place in how many musicians made a living. Previously, many composers (Bach being an obvious example) had been employed by the church and the majority of their compositions were therefore written for specific liturgical use within it. However, as the eighteenth century wore on, it was the nobility that became the principal employer, and composers therefore had much more freedom to experiment and write what they wanted to. Haydn landed the dream role of Kapellmeister to Prince Esterhazy while still in his late 20s, and this began a long period of financial stability with huge opportunities to refine his craft. Franz Joseph Haydn With the Esterhazy orchestra Haydn was able to experiment with symphonic writing in a way that no composer had previously been able, and it was during his early years there that he produced his first great symphonies, Nos. 6 (Le Matin), 7 (Le Midi), and 8 (Le Soir). His style went through a number of phases as different facets of his musical growth came to the fore.

In the late 1760s and early 1770s for example he entered a stylistic period known as "Sturm und Drang" (a term borrowed from the literary movement of the time). Here, his musical language became much more intensively expressive, and he wrote a greater number of works in minor keys. Symphonies like No. 26 (the Lamentatione) and No. 45 (the Farewell) are obvious examples. After that his symphonies generally returned to a lighter, more overtly entertaining style, but still developing with many new features such as slow introductions to some of the first movements and often including parts for trumpets and timpani. By the end of his life his music had become hugely popular, and his style very sophisticated. In his late Paris and London Symphonies no two movements are alike, there are extensive transition sections and codas, and each instrument shares in the melodic development. We’ve recently started a Haydn Special offer where you can enjoy discounts of up to 50%.

There are some great recordings included, and of particular reference to the above is a very special limited edition box set of the complete Haydn symphonies performed by the Philharmonia Hungarica under Antal Dorati. These recordings, made in the early 1970s, are still regarded as some of the finest in the catalogue and are well worth considering while at such a great price. As mentioned above though this is a limited edition and won’t be around for long so it is worth moving quickly if you are interested. Browse Haydn Special Offer: Haydn: Symphonies Nos. 1 - 104 (complete) Philharmonia Hungarica, Antal Dorati Chris O'Reilly - chris@prestoclassical.co.uk Recent Re-issues With many record companies starting to tighten their belts slightly in terms of new releases it is a great time to pick up some excellent re-issues. Below you'll find some of the more interesting sets to have appeared over the last few weeks. This is just the pick of the recent releases. The New Releases and Future Releases pages are always available for browsing all the new and forthcoming releases.

Coro - The Sixteen 30th Anniversary series Included in our 25% off Coro Sale which ends this week. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the renowned ensemble, The Sixteen, Coro is re-releasing 10 of the group’s most celebrated recordings in special Limited Edition slipcases. The series includes celebrated recordings such as Allegri Miserere and Spem in Alium to more recent additions to the catalogue such as Brahms Ein Deutsches Requiem. Rautavaara - The 8 Symphonies Mikko Franck, Max Pommer and Leif Segerstam Einojuhani Rautavaara may well be the most popular symphonist alive today. On the occasion of his 80th anniversary, Ondine pays homage to its longtime ‘house composer’ by releasing the first-ever edition of the complete eight symphonies, in a special box set. Purcell Edition, Vol. 1 - Theatre Music William Christie, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, etc. The start of a new re-issues series from Warner celebrating the music of Henry Purcell.

Volume 1 includes outstanding recordings of Dido and Aeneas, King Arthur and The Fairy Queen. Mendelssohn Edition, Vol. 1 - Orchestral Music Kurt Masur, Nikolaus Harnoncourt & Joseph Keilberth, etc. And a new Mendelssohn series also from Warner Classics. Includes the five Symphonies along with the Violin and Piano Concertos. Plenty of big names here like Kurt Masur and Nikolaus Harnoncourt, and the Violin Concerto is provided by Maxim Vengerov. More ... Heritage Masters - A new Decca Re-issues series A new re-issues series from Decca at super budget price including some real classics. The first 5 releases include the Solti Rheingold, the Josef Krips Don Giovanni, Erich Kleiber's Rosenkavalier, the Tebaldi and Bergonzi Madama Butterfly under Serafin, and Clifford Curzon playing the Brahms Piano Concertos. The operas don't have librettos but these are classic recordings at a great price. More ... 10 new EMI Gemini Recordings Some great recordings in the latest set of EMI budget 2 CD sets.

Included are André Previn's Berlioz recordings, Barbirolli and Handley conducting Delius, a superb set of Swiss composer Frank Martin, the Bruch symphonies under James Conlon, and an excellent Martinu 4th Symphony from Walter Weller. More ... Brilliant Classics - The Opera Collection An extensive new Opera series from Brilliant Classics. These first 15 titles are drawn from a wide variety of catalogues including DG and EMI and will appeal to classical collectors as well as new enthusiasts. Many of these titles are award winners. A further 15 are scheduled for release in winter of 2009. More ... Brilliant Classics - 10 new reissues While the major labels are downsizing their catalogues, labels like Brilliant Classics seem to be licensing more and more of them. Titles here like the Eliot Gardiner Stravinsky always sold well on DG while the Concerto Köln's Wilms disc is only a few years old. These are supplemented by some excellent brand new recordings as well such as the Hasse Cantatas. Much to enjoy here - especially at these prices.

BBC Radio 3 CD Review Saturday 21st March 2009 Building a Library - Purcell: Dido and Aeneas First Choice Catherine Bott (Dido), Emma Kirkby (Belinda), John Mark Ainsley (Aeneas), David Thomas (Sorceress), Elizabeth Priday (First Witch), Sara Stowe (Second Witch), Julianne Baird (Second Woman), Daniel Lochmann (First Sailor), Michael Chance (Spirit), Chorus and Orchestra of the Academy of Ancient Music, Christopher Hogwood (conductor) Disc of the Week Ravel - L'Enfant et les sortileges & Mother Goose Magdalena Kozena, Nathalie Stutzmann, Sophie Koch, José van Dam, François Le Roux & Jean-Paul Fouchécourt, Berliner Philharmoniker & Rundfunkchor Berlin, Sir Simon Rattle Joseph Haydn (1732–1809) Musical notes for school children Joseph Haydn (1732–1809) How to say the name: ‘Haydn’ is said like High-din. ‘Joseph’ is easy to say.

Hadyn’s grave in Eisenstadt Born: 31st March 1732 in Rohrau, Austria. Died: 31st May 1809 in Vienna, Austria. Buried: Bergkirche in Eisenstadt, Burgenland, Austria. Type of Music: The ‘Surprise’ Symphony (actually the second movement of this symphony). ( See below for a video.) ‘The heavens are telling the glory of God’ (from Die Schöpfung or ‘The Creation’). Some great pieces: Many symphonies, especially the ‘Surprise’ Symphony (No. 94), ‘London’ Symphony (No. 104), ‘Military’ Symphony (No. 100) and the ‘Clock’ Symphony (No. 101). Many string quartets. Nelson Mass (or Missa in Angustiis—‘Mass for troubled times’). The Seven Last Words of Christ. Some interesting facts: He was one of the greatest composers of the classical period . He is often known as the ‘father of the symphony’. He is sometimes known by the nickname ‘Papa’ Hadyn. Unlike Mozart , he became very rich from composing music.

He taught Beethoven for a short while. He often thought his operas were some of his best music, but nobody thinks that now. He liked making practical jokes! The ‘surprise’ in the ‘Surprise’ Symphony was the biggest musical joke of its time! The joke is simply a loud note when the audience is expecting a quiet one. This joke doesn’t seem much of a joke at all today. ( See below for a video.) He was quite ugly, so he could never understand why so many pretty women liked him! His younger brother, Michael Haydn (1737–1806), is also a well-known composer. He has been re-buried many times—the latest in 1954! Here is a video of part of Haydn’s ‘Surprise’ Symphony. Can you spot the surprise? The &#8216surprise’ in the Haydn’s ‘Surprise’ Symphony (If you didn’t spot the surprise, it’s 42 seconds into the video.) Here is a video of part of Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto. First movement of Hadyn’s Trumpet Concerto Choose another composer of classical music . Picture credits: Joseph Haydn.

This is a painting by Thomas Hardy. The image is in the public domain. Click here for the source of this image, along with the relevant copyright information. Haydn’s grave in Eisenstadt. This photograph was taken by Jerzy F. Gierula. I have obtained permission from him to use the image here. Click here for the source of this image. Video credits: Haydn Surprise Symphony Movement 2. Franz Joseph Haydn, Surprise Symphony, Movement 2, The Baroque Orchestra of New Jersery, Robert W. Butts, Conductor, 2009 Summer Festival of Baroque Music, August 16, 2009, College of St Elizabeth, Brian Foran, Producer. Jeroen Berwaerts plays Haydn (excellent video quality). Jeroen Berwaerts plays Joseph Haydns trumpet concert. The Symphonic Orchestra of Flanders and trumpet soloist Jeroen Berwaerts made music perfectly together. There is more information about this one on the video’s YouTube page . There is more about Jeroen Berwaerts at: .

{ 10 comments… read them below or add one } 1 nicole vellon 22nd June 2012 awesome site amazing

Question: Who was known as the Father of the Symphony?
Answer: Haydn