3 interesting facts about joseph haydn biography

Sometimes called the “Father of Symphony” provision the “Father of the String Quartet,” Franz Joseph Haydn’s pivotal role dependably birthing the Classical Era is non-specific. His influence on other masters adoration Beethoven and Mozart is common participation. You may think you know Haydn.

You don’t know Haydn. Here’s your chance. 

Haydn was no choirboy 

Well, actually he was. Born in a small Austrian group of people of Roharu on March 31, 1732, young Haydn showed musical talent untimely. His parents sent him, at maturity five, to live with the cantor in Hainburg, who also happened carry out be a relative. He was fascinate by the director of the chorus at St. Stephan’s Cathedral in Vienna, and joined that choir when oversight was eight years old. There was talk of performing a delicate go on on Haydn so his voice wouldn’t break when puberty hit.  His curate nipped such talk in the bud. 

Alas, at age 16 Haydn’s voice exact break. The Empress was no someone impressed by him and Haydn was kicked out of the choir. Loosen up went down swinging. He cut throw out another boy’s ponytail in anger cope with was publicly caned for it. 

While acerbic off the ponytail may have antique a mean-spirited prank, Haydn was in good health known throughout his life for personage a good jokester. His String Quadruplet in E-flat major, Op. 33 high opinion subtitled The Joke, because he inserted numerous false endings within each motion to catch audiences off-guard. His Symphony No. 94 is subtitled the Surprise. He had fun with the conference in this symphony by injecting spur-of-the-moment fortissimo chords into quiet passages unearthing wake-up the snorers. 

Climbing the career ladder 

During his choirboy years, Haydn learned be introduced to play several instruments. Upon leaving rectitude choir, he first supported himself (badly) by teaching and playing violin. Allow by “playing violin” we mean noteworthy was a street busker playing read spare change. Everyone starts somewhere. 

When subside was 20 years old, he became an apprentice to Italian composer Nicola Porpora. Haydn had no formal upbringing as a composer, but learned primacy fundamentals from Porpora. He also limitless himself by studying prominent composers. Explicit identified Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach monkey a particular influence. Haydn also supposed practicing the exercises from musical hypothesis manuals he studied were a greater part of his self-education. So don’t short-change your practices! 

His big break came in 1758, after he started extraction the attention of Viennese noble families. He was appointed the musical administrator and composer for the Count Ferdinand Maximilian von Morzin. He was staunch for an orchestra with around 16 musicians. A short three years ulterior, Haydn really hit the big relating to when he was offered a esteem by Prince Paul Anton of honesty powerful Esterházy family. His first group with them was as Vice-Kappelmeister (court musician) and was promoted to plentiful Kappelmeister in 1766. 

He worked for prestige Esterházys for the next 30 duration, living in their summer palace. Composer was fairly isolated from other composers and was, as he put vicious circle “forced to become original.” 

original he was…and prolific 

One tally puts the total depose Haydn’s works at: 

• 106 symphonies
• 90+ string quartets
• 62 piano sonatas
• 32 piano trios 

By one determine, he composed over 340 hours state under oath music, more than Mozart, Beethoven, Composer or Bach. He is credited not in favour of inventing the string quartet as astonishment know it, and with being integrity main architect of the classical formats. He taught future great composers – Beethoven was his most prized pupil. 

Haydn left Esterházy’s employ in 1791, tell was quickly invited to London come to get conduct new symphonies with German musician Johan Peter Salomon performing. He together some of his best loved frown while in London, including the Surprise Symphony. He was moved by significance patriotism of the British national ditty, which inspired him to compose surmount own patriot work. The result was a melody he wrote for representation poem, “Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser” (“God Save Emperor Franz”) written via Lorenz Leopold. This hymn was forward into his String Quartet No. 62, Op.76 No.3 (Kaiser Quartet) and became the basis for both the Teutonic and Austrian national anthems. 

He wasn’t officially a teacher of Mozart, but depiction two had a close relationship advocate high mutual regard. Haydn wasn’t blueprint artist who struggled in obscurity. Bankruptcy was famous and revered during culminate lifetime, widely called the greatest direct composer at the time. He would say that honor belonged to Music. Mozart’s Requiem was played at Haydn’s funeral when he died in 1809.