Joseph Haydn

Franz Joseph Haydn was born at Rohrau in Austria on the night of the 31st of March 1732, and received his first instruction in Music from a distant relative named Frankh, to whose care his father committed him, when he was only six years old. Frankh lived at Hamburg, where two years later the clear treble voice accidentally attracted the attention of Georg von Reutter, the then Kapellmeister of St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna, who at once admitted him into the Cathedral Choir, and retained him there until the year 1748, when his voice having lost its youthful freshness, he was left to shift for himself as best he could.


Haydn's portrait by Ludwig Guttenbrunn


Though thrown by this misfortune entirely on his own resources, and compelled to starve, in a miserable garret in the Kohlmarkt, he continued his studies with unvarying assiduity; and after receiving the best instruction he could get for nothing (including some lessons from Porpora) obtained a few pupils, made some kind friends, and patiently awaited better times. These came at last. In 1759 he was appointed Musikdirektor to Count Morzin, and in 1701 he obtained a similar, though far more important and influential post in the establishment of Prinz Paul Anton Esterhazy.

Haydn was now well provided for, and devoted the whole of his time to the production of the delightful works which have made his name so deservedly famous. After the death of his kind patron, he remained in the service of his brother, Prinz Nikolaus, whose celebrated diamond suit obtained for him the title of "the Magnificent".



Prinz Nikolaus was a still more liberal patron of art than his brother; and to him Haydn owed the pleasantest of lives, with innumerable opportunities for bringing out his talents to the greatest possible advantage. The Prince died in 1700; and in the following year Haydn visited London for the first time and composed the first six of his Grand Symphonies for Salomon's Concerts. On the 8th of July 1791 the University of Oxford conferred upon him the Degree of Doctor of Music.


In 1704 he came a second time to London; and during that and the following year he produced six new Symphonies to complete his engagement with Salomon. He returned to Vienna in August 1705 and again re-constituted the Esterhazy Orchestra for Prinz Anton, the successor of Prinz Nikolaus. He composed his greatest work The Creation in 1708; and The Seasons in the following year.

This was his last great effort. During the latter years of his life, the infirmities of age increased upon him rapidly. On the 26th of May 1800 he was carried to his pianoforte, and solemnly sang the "Emperor's Hymn" three times with the best voice he could command; and at one o'clock on the morning of the 31st his spirit passed away.

Haydn's life was, on the whole, an exceptionally happy one; though its brightness was marred by the evil tempers of a heartless and unsympathetic wife. The fact, that of Symphonies alone he left behind him no less than a hundred and twenty-five, will serve to give some idea of the fecundity of his genius.