Composer Biography Joseph Haydn
(1732-1809)
 

HAYDN FOR KIDS
Joseph Haydn was born in Rohrau, Austria, just 35 miles southeast of Vienna, in 1732. He was the second of twelve children.
Joseph's father, Mathias, loved music; he sang and played the harp. As a little boy, Joseph sang with his father and pretended to accompany himself
on a violin.
When Joseph was six, his uncle, Johann Mathias Franck, noticed his musical talent and offered to educate him at his school about nine miles away in Hainburg.
Joseph spent two years with his uncle, and he worked hard. Joseph's uncle was a strict teacher. There were hours of school lessons each day, singing in a church service, and violin and harpsichord lessons. When Joseph was eight years old, the choirmaster of St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna heard his voice and accepted him as a choirboy.
The choirmaster's name was Johann Reutter.
These years as a choirboy were very difficult. The choir sang for many occassions. However, Reutter did not take care of the boys or feed them properly. Haydn tried to sing for as many special occasions as he could, because then he could eat the food provided for the occasion. Haydn had some school lessons and singing and violin lessons. Reutter never did teach him composition, so Haydn listened to music as much as possible to learn about composing.

When Joseph was a teenager, his voice began to change. Also, his brother Michael joined the St. Stephen's Cathedral Boys Choir and sang many of the solo parts that Joseph used to sing. Joseph pulled a few pranks to attract attention and was released from the choir with no money and no place to go.		  
A friend of his father's lent him some money, and Haydn was able to rent a tiny apartment in Vienna. He started giving some lessons, singing in a different choir, taught a little, and played the violin.
Slowly, Haydn met other musicians and more influential people. He began writing string quartets, became a music director to a nobleman - Count Morzin -, and wrote his first symphony.

In 1760 Haydn married Maria Anna Keller. It was not a happy marriage.		  
In 1761 Haydn began work for Prince Paul Anton Esterhazy.

 
The Esterhazy Palace was in Eisenstadt, just 40 miles south of Vienna. He wrote music for a small symphony orchestra employed by the Prince.  
Prince Anton died within a year and his brother Nicolaus took over. He demanded even more music from Haydn. Nicolaus played the baryton, an instrument with 6 strings. Haydn wrote over 160 pieces for the baryton.  
The Prince built for himself a huge and beautiful summer palace called Esterhaza. This palace had an opera theater (2 of them, later on), and Haydn regularly had to write many operas to entertain the Prince. He also wrote puppet operas for the Puppet Theater at the palace. The Prince liked living at the summer palace so much that the Prince, his family, and the musicians and servants stayed there for longer periods, sometimes up to 10 months in a year!
Because this summer palace was isolated from the hectic life of a large city, Haydn had time to write a great deal of music. In addition to the operas, he wrote symphonies, concertos, serenades, quartets, trios, and sonatas. Many times he worked on two or more compositions at the same time. Haydn worked long and hard hours.  
In 1779 a very important new contract was signed with the Prince. This
contract gave Haydn the freedom to write music for other people. Haydn also
signed a contract with a publishing company. With publications available to
the public, Haydn's reputation spread all over Europe. His music was
performed more extensively during his lifetime than the music of any other
living composer at the time.		  
Over the years, Haydn and Mozart became good friends and they played chamber music together. Mozart learned much from Haydn's music, especially the string quartets. In 1785, Mozart dedicated six of his quartets to Haydn.
Haydn, in turn, learned much from Mozart.
When Haydn went to London in 1790, Mozart was very sad to see his friend make this long trip. He feared that Haydn would not be able to survive the trip and that they would not see each other again. Ironically, it was Mozart who died the next year before Haydn returned to Austria.
Haydn composed his last 12 symphonies in London, including the famous No. 94, "Surprise" Symphony. He also wrote the Opus 71 string quartets here. The British people called him "the greatest composer in the world."
 		  
In 1795, he returned to Austria as Kapellmeister of the new Prince, Nicolaus II. There he wrote his 6 larger masses, the oratorios "The Creation" and "The Seasons", and many string quartets. He also wrote the Austrian National Anthem that survives today as a popular hymn.  
In his final days he lived in a suburb of Vienna. He became weak and ill. He died on May 31, 1809, and was buried in the local cemetery. Weeks later Vienna paid tribute to him with a beautiful memorial service.  
In 1820, his body was moved to the city of Eisenstadt to this day it rests in the Bergkirche. This was the same church in which he worked for the Esterhazys.
  Compositions: Approximately 107 symphonies, 23 operas, 15 masses, 69 string quartets, 62 piano sonatas (10 are lost), and others. He was one of the few composers to write so many symphonies, and he is best remembered for his role in the rise of importance of the orchestral symphony and string quartet.

(text by Lois Rath; Champagne, Illinois, USA)


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