Classical Music / Composers Datebook: March 31
Austrian composer, one of the most prolific and prominent of the Classical period. He was known as the 'Father of the Symphony.'
Franz Joseph Haydn was born on March 31, 1732, in Rohrau, Austria. Along with that of Mozart, he epitomised the early Classical era. The son of a wheelwright, he went to St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna as a chorister. He was mainly self-taught in composition however gained maturity as a composer. Haydn was married to Maria Anna Aloysia Apollonia Keller (m. 1760–1800.) His younger brother, Michael Haydn was also a composer. He was known affectionately as "Papa" Haydn to his young friend Wolfgang Mozart. He was a tutor of
Ludwig van Beethoven for a brief period.In 1761, at the age of 29 (his young friend Mozart was then five years old), Haydn took employment with the Esterhazy family, a post he held for the rest of his life. On the death of Prince Nikolaus in 1790, he accepted an invitation to go to England from the impresario Salomon, where he composed many symphonies.
Joseph Haydn was a major exponent of sonata form in his numerous chamber and orchestral works having written more than 100 symphonies. He was also the first great master of the string quartet.
Haydn is famous for his oratorio "The Creation" (German: Die Schöpfung) and "The Seasons" (German: Die Jahreszeiten). He wrote many symphonies and string quartets. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the piano trio. His contributions to musical form have earned him the epithets "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet". Haydn spent much of his career as a court musician for the wealthy Esterházy family at their remote estate. Until the later part of his life, this isolated him from other composers and trends in music so that he was, as he put it, "forced to become original". Yet his music circulated widely, and for much of his career he was the most celebrated composer in Europe.
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Listening pleasure:
Pianist Martha Argerich performing Haydn's Piano Concerto in D major, Hob. XVIII:11. YouTube, uploaded by Roberto Carvalho de Magalhães. Accessed February 9, 2018. (Added info from Hyperion for those who want to know more about this concerto by Haydn - Here.)
His compositions include: The Creation, Symphony No. 94, Trumpet Concerto, The Seasons, String Quartets, Op. 76, Symphony No. 45, Deutschlandlied, Symphony No. 104, Piano Sonata No. 52 in E-flat major, Cello Concerto No. 1, Missa in Angustiis, The Seven Last Words of Christ, String Quartets, Op. 20, Symphony No. 101, London symphonies, Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser, Cello Concerto No. 2, Missa in tempore belli, Symphony No. 103, Symphony No. 100, String Quartets, Op. 33, Misa brevis Sancti Joannis de Deo, Symphony No. 88, Symphony No. 92 "Oxford", Lo speziale, Il mondo della luna, Piano Trio No. 39, Theresienmesse, Mass No. 12 in Bb major, Orlando paladino, Symphony No. 49, Symphony No. 22, Symphony No. 44, Symphony No. 99, Symphony No. 102, Stabat Mater, Sinfonia Concertante, Paris symphonies, Symphony No. 95, Symphony No. 96, Violin Concerto No. 1, Variations in F minor, Symphony No. 6, Symphony No. 82, La vera costanza, Armida, L'isola disabitata, Symphony No. 60, Symphony No. 93, Symphony No. 85, Symphony No. 83, and many more…
He died in Vienna, May 31, 1809.
Resources:
Chambers Biographical Dictionary, Ninth Edition. (2011). Chambers.
Sadie, Stanley, Ed. (1994). The Grove Concise Dictionary of Music. Macmillan Publishers.
Image Credit:
F. Joseph Haydn, en.wikipedia.org. Public Domain. March 31, 2014.
Note: I wrote and published a longer version of this biography for Suite101.com (publishing media now close) in 2008.
(c) March 2008. Updated March 31, 2018. Tel. Inspired Pen Web. All rights reserved.
Pianist Martha Argerich performing Haydn's Piano Concerto in D major, Hob. XVIII:11. YouTube, uploaded by Roberto Carvalho de Magalhães. Accessed February 9, 2018. (Added info from Hyperion for those who want to know more about this concerto by Haydn - Here.)
His compositions include: The Creation, Symphony No. 94, Trumpet Concerto, The Seasons, String Quartets, Op. 76, Symphony No. 45, Deutschlandlied, Symphony No. 104, Piano Sonata No. 52 in E-flat major, Cello Concerto No. 1, Missa in Angustiis, The Seven Last Words of Christ, String Quartets, Op. 20, Symphony No. 101, London symphonies, Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser, Cello Concerto No. 2, Missa in tempore belli, Symphony No. 103, Symphony No. 100, String Quartets, Op. 33, Misa brevis Sancti Joannis de Deo, Symphony No. 88, Symphony No. 92 "Oxford", Lo speziale, Il mondo della luna, Piano Trio No. 39, Theresienmesse, Mass No. 12 in Bb major, Orlando paladino, Symphony No. 49, Symphony No. 22, Symphony No. 44, Symphony No. 99, Symphony No. 102, Stabat Mater, Sinfonia Concertante, Paris symphonies, Symphony No. 95, Symphony No. 96, Violin Concerto No. 1, Variations in F minor, Symphony No. 6, Symphony No. 82, La vera costanza, Armida, L'isola disabitata, Symphony No. 60, Symphony No. 93, Symphony No. 85, Symphony No. 83, and many more…
He died in Vienna, May 31, 1809.
Resources:
Chambers Biographical Dictionary, Ninth Edition. (2011). Chambers.
Sadie, Stanley, Ed. (1994). The Grove Concise Dictionary of Music. Macmillan Publishers.
Image Credit:
F. Joseph Haydn, en.wikipedia.org. Public Domain. March 31, 2014.
Note: I wrote and published a longer version of this biography for Suite101.com (publishing media now close) in 2008.
(c) March 2008. Updated March 31, 2018. Tel. Inspired Pen Web. All rights reserved.
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