Franz Josef Haydn Biography - A Very Quick Guide
Artist:
Franz Josef Haydn
Born:
March 31, 1732, Rohrau, Austria
Died:
May 31, 1809, Vienna
Who was Franz Joseph Haydn?
Austrian composer Franz Joseph Haydn (1732–1809) is one of the most celebrated in classical music and, along with his contemporary Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the most important of the Classical period.
He was not born into a musical family, his father Mathias Haydn being a wheelwright, his mother a cook. Despite this, his family recognised and nurtured his talents, arranging tuition that would lead to him becoming one of Europe’s foremost composers.
How did he spend his early years?
Born in the small Austrian village of Rohrau in 1732, Haydn was the second of twelve children. Showing early promise, he was sent to live and study with a relative in Hainburg. He subsequently became a choirboy at St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna, where he also continued his musical training.
Where did Haydn work?
After a period of struggle after leaving St. Stephen’s, Haydn secured a position as Kapellmeister for the Esterházy family, one of the wealthiest and most influential in the Austrian Empire. The patronage and security of this position, which he occupied from 1761 to 1790 allowed him to realise his potential as one of the foremost composers of his generation.
As an already established and celebrated musician, he later spent time in London, achieving great success with his symphonies and oratorios.
What genres did he compose in?
Haydn wrote in almost every major musical genre of his time, include symphonies, string quartets, piano sonatas, concertos, operas, masses, and oratorios. He composed over 100 symphonies, around 70 string quartets, and numerous choral works. His music helped define the Classical style, characterised by clarity, balance, and structured form.
Why is he known as “the father of the symphony”?
Haydn played an important role in the development of the symphony, expanding it into a substantial multi-movement work capable of expressing great depth and emotional range. He also contributed to advances in orchestration, thematic development and harmonic organisation, greatly influencing composers such as Mozart and Beethoven. His importance is acknowledged in the unofficial title as ‘the father of the symphony.’
Why is he sometimes known for his humour?
Haydn’s wit is apparent in the sheer verve, energy and playfulness of his musical textures, his use of sudden pauses and crashing tutti and unexpected key changes. An example of this is in his ‘Surprise Symphony’ which includes a sudden fortissimo that was intended to startle, and delight, its audience. His ‘Farewell’ symphony includes a passages at the end where the players gradually stop playing, blow out their candle and leave the stage—a not so subtle hint to his employer that the musicians be allowed to go home after a prolonged summer season.
What are his most famous compositions?
Some of Haydn’s most celebrated works include:
-The London Symphonies (Symphonies Nos. 93–104)
-Symphony No. 94 in G Major (“Surprise”)
-Symphony No. 101 in D Major (“The Clock”)
-The Creation (oratorio)
-The Seasons (oratorio)
-The Emperor’s Hymn (which later became the German national anthem)
-String Quartets, Op. 33 and Op. 76
-His six late masses, which include his celebrated ‘Missa in Angustiis,’ also known as the ‘Nelson Mass.’
Did he get on well with Mozart?
Haydn and Mozart became good friends, a relationship that was borne out of deep artistic mutual respect. They were known to play string quartets together, Mozart dedicating a set of six quartets (the ‘Haydn Quartets’) to his friend. Haydn in turn once told Mozart’s father, Leopold: ‘I tell you before God, your son is the greatest composer known to me.”
How did he die?
Haydn became frail in his later years and was unable to compose by 1803. He remained mentally alert however, remarking in 1806 that ‘musical ideas are pursuing me, to the point of torture, I cannot escape them, they stand like walls before me.’ The months before his death were difficult—Vienna was attacked by the French army in May 1809 and his own neighbourhood bombarded, though he was treated with courtesy by French troops. He collapsed on 26th May, dying peacefully in his bed on May 31, 1809.
Austrian composer Franz Joseph Haydn (1732–1809) is one of the most celebrated in classical music and, along with his contemporary Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the most important of the Classical period.
He was not born into a musical family, his father Mathias Haydn being a wheelwright, his mother a cook. Despite this, his family recognised and nurtured his talents, arranging tuition that would lead to him becoming one of Europe’s foremost composers.
How did he spend his early years?
Born in the small Austrian village of Rohrau in 1732, Haydn was the second of twelve children. Showing early promise, he was sent to live and study with a relative in Hainburg. He subsequently became a choirboy at St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna, where he also continued his musical training.
Where did Haydn work?
After a period of struggle after leaving St. Stephen’s, Haydn secured a position as Kapellmeister for the Esterházy family, one of the wealthiest and most influential in the Austrian Empire. The patronage and security of this position, which he occupied from 1761 to 1790 allowed him to realise his potential as one of the foremost composers of his generation.
As an already established and celebrated musician, he later spent time in London, achieving great success with his symphonies and oratorios.
What genres did he compose in?
Haydn wrote in almost every major musical genre of his time, include symphonies, string quartets, piano sonatas, concertos, operas, masses, and oratorios. He composed over 100 symphonies, around 70 string quartets, and numerous choral works. His music helped define the Classical style, characterised by clarity, balance, and structured form.
Why is he known as “the father of the symphony”?
Haydn played an important role in the development of the symphony, expanding it into a substantial multi-movement work capable of expressing great depth and emotional range. He also contributed to advances in orchestration, thematic development and harmonic organisation, greatly influencing composers such as Mozart and Beethoven. His importance is acknowledged in the unofficial title as ‘the father of the symphony.’
Why is he sometimes known for his humour?
Haydn’s wit is apparent in the sheer verve, energy and playfulness of his musical textures, his use of sudden pauses and crashing tutti and unexpected key changes. An example of this is in his ‘Surprise Symphony’ which includes a sudden fortissimo that was intended to startle, and delight, its audience. His ‘Farewell’ symphony includes a passages at the end where the players gradually stop playing, blow out their candle and leave the stage—a not so subtle hint to his employer that the musicians be allowed to go home after a prolonged summer season.
What are his most famous compositions?
Some of Haydn’s most celebrated works include:
-The London Symphonies (Symphonies Nos. 93–104)
-Symphony No. 94 in G Major (“Surprise”)
-Symphony No. 101 in D Major (“The Clock”)
-The Creation (oratorio)
-The Seasons (oratorio)
-The Emperor’s Hymn (which later became the German national anthem)
-String Quartets, Op. 33 and Op. 76
-His six late masses, which include his celebrated ‘Missa in Angustiis,’ also known as the ‘Nelson Mass.’
Did he get on well with Mozart?
Haydn and Mozart became good friends, a relationship that was borne out of deep artistic mutual respect. They were known to play string quartets together, Mozart dedicating a set of six quartets (the ‘Haydn Quartets’) to his friend. Haydn in turn once told Mozart’s father, Leopold: ‘I tell you before God, your son is the greatest composer known to me.”
How did he die?
Haydn became frail in his later years and was unable to compose by 1803. He remained mentally alert however, remarking in 1806 that ‘musical ideas are pursuing me, to the point of torture, I cannot escape them, they stand like walls before me.’ The months before his death were difficult—Vienna was attacked by the French army in May 1809 and his own neighbourhood bombarded, though he was treated with courtesy by French troops. He collapsed on 26th May, dying peacefully in his bed on May 31, 1809.
Useful recources:
Haydn Society of North America (HSNA)
Joseph Haydn Biography (haydnbio.org)
London Symphony Orchestra—“What you should know about Joseph Haydn”
Kennedy Center—Composer profile: Joseph Haydn
Wikipedia—Joseph Haydn
8notes Haydn Collection—Free Haydn Sheet Music
Top Pieces on 8notes by Franz Josef Haydn