Franz Joseph Haydn

1. Franz Joseph Haydn 1732-1809)

2. Franz Joseph Haydn • Born in Austria, father was a wheel maker and Haydn was one of twelve children. • Haydn showed early musical talent. At age eight, he was accepted as choirboy at St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna. • While at the cathedral, he learned to play the harpsichord and violin. For the next ten years, he made his living teaching harpsichord and playing in local orchestras. • PietroMetastasio, famous poet and opera librettist of his time, lived in the same apartment complex as Haydn. He helped further Haydn’s career by introducing him to Maria Esterhazy, an aristocratic woman.

3. Esterhazy Family • Haydn was hired as assistant music director for the Prince Paul Anton Esterhazy. • The Prince maintained about a 12 piece orchestra. Haydn was responsible for composing music on demand, supervising and rehearsing musicians and caring for the instruments. • Prince Anton dies in 1762 and is succeeded by his brother Nikolaus, who was an avid music lover. He spent a lot of money on entertainment. During his reign, he built a palace, named Esterhaza, with two large music rooms and two small theaters for opera.

4. Life at Esterhaza • In 1766, Haydn was promoted to music director • He was responsible for directing all of the music, which included two full operas and two concerts each week. He also directed extra concerts for special guests. • Music was performed at meals and chamber music was played in the prince’s rooms. • Haydn composed much of the music heard at the palace. • In his lifetime, Haydn wrote around a dozen operas, more than 100 symphonies, almost 70 string quartets, more than 50 keyboard sonatas and a large amount of choral music, songs and other chamber music. • Haydn worked for the family until 1790, when Prince Nikolaus died; Nikolaus II did not like music and disbanded the orchestra.

5. International Reputation • Haydn’s music at this time was internationally known. • In 1791-1792 and then from 1794-1795, Haydn traveled to London • For the trip, Haydn composed his last twelve symphonies, which were well-received. These works are known as the London Symphonies • In his late years, Haydn mainly composed string quartets and vocal music (six Mass settings for chorus and orchestra and two oratorios (The Creation (1798) and The Seasons (1801)). • Haydn died in 1809 at the age of 77. At the time of his death, Vienna was under siege by the French Army, but Napoleon posted a guard of honor outside of Haydn’s home to pay homage.

6. Haydn’s Music • Composed symphonies, string quartets, masses, oratorios • Music is lively, witty and clever • In the Middle of Haydn’s career, 1770’s, Haydn’s style changes and it affected the string quartets, piano sonatas and symphonies. Suddenly, within these works there is a sense of melancholy and longing, as Haydn began composing in unusual minor keys, used sudden changes of dynamics, remote harmonic excursions and burdened, intense slow movements. • This new style was abandoned after only a few years. Perhaps the prince did not care for it.

7. Haydn’s Music and his humor • Haydn’s music adheres to Classic formal structures; however, he exploits fixed forms for his own expressive purposes. • Invented a “false recapitulation” – he liked to pretend that he was beginning the recapitulation in the middle of the development section • In 1781, he published a set of six string quartets, “Joke Quartets”, which contain both serious music and witty moments including: cadences in “wrong” places, oddly shaped melodies, and unexpected rhythms, false endings