Music Listening Corner

designed by Cindy C. Chen

University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

 

 Joseph Haydn

(1732-1809) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Haydn as an Austrian Composr

Haydn was born in Rohrau, Austria in 1732 (the same year as George Washington) to a peasant family, a poor, but musical family. Franz Joseph Haydn showed musical talent in his early childhood. He studied music with a relative, Johann Franck, and was playing the violin and organ - and singing in the church choir - by the time he was six. When he was eight, he was recruited by the St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna to sing in their choir.

In Vienna, he continued to study violin and voice, and began to teach himself the rudiments of composition. When his voice broke at seventeen, he was kicked out of the choir. Leaving the choir school and making a living as a musician was difficult and Haydn spent ten long, difficult years trying to scrape together enough money for food and rent. In 1759, Haydn got his first job working for Count Morzin, for whom the composer wrote his first symphony. Less than two years later, Haydn was hired by the Esterhazys, a very wealthy aristocratic family.

Although Haydn was clearly a servant of the Esterhazys, the situation was extremely advantageous for the young composer. Nikolaus Esterhazy was a great music lover, and retained an ensemble of first-rate musicians. Haydn flourished creatively, writing symphonies, string quartets, operas and many other works. He was extremely prolific and appreciated by his employer. Although Haydn spent much of his time at the Esterhazy estate, some thirty miles away from Vienna, he later claimed that the isolation helped him to be original.

Haydn's reputation and influence spread throughout Europe as his music was published and widely circulated. So, when Nikolaus Esterhazy died in 1790, Haydn had little trouble finding work. Haydn was invited to England by the impressario J.P. Salomon. Haydn made two trips to London and composed some of his finest music for the English audiences, including his twelve last symphonies. He spent his last years in Vienna, where he composed a set of magnificent masses and the oratorios, The Creation and The Seasons.

 

Father of the Symphonies

Perhaps Haydn greatest influences on music of the time were his achievements with the symphony, which he helped to standardize during his career. In all, Haydn composed over 100 symphonies. These symphonies became well-known all over Europe already during his lifetime and served as model for many other compositions of that genre. Today, they are for us in a way the example of the classic symphony, the characteristic genre of the Viennese classicism.

About half the symphonies by Haydn were composed for the Prince Esterházy. Haydn showed his sense of humor in some of his symphonic works. For example, as the prince was not willing to leave Esterháza and to move the court to Vienna for winter in autumn 1772, the unease of the lower employees grew every day. The musicians wanted to return to their families in Eisenstadt. So "Papa Haydn", the advocate of the orchestra, composed a symphony in which finale the voices discontinue playing one by one until finally just two violins - probably played by Haydn and concertmaster Tomasini - were left. We do not know, if the musicians blew out their candles and left the stage in turn. However, the Abschiedssymphonie achieved the desired effect and the prince sent the musicians on holiday. Another example is in the soft second movement of his Surprise symphony no. 94.

 

Haydn's Musical Influnces

Haydn was born more than twenty years before Mozart and almost forty years before Beethoven. His influence was crucial for both of these younger composers. Haydn is also important for his instruction of Ludwig Van Beethoven during the late eighteenth century. However, Haydn's achievements have been overshadowed by the colossal figures of Mozart and Beethoven.

Haydn almost single-handedly developed the symphony, the string quartet and the piano sonata into complex and meaningful structures. Many composers still write music based on the models developed by Haydn more than two hundred years ago.

 

Now, go to Surprise Symphony page to prepare yourself for the listening task!

 

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