Franz Joseph Haydn Free Sheet Music, Program Notes, Recordings and Biography

A Musical Farewell: The Wit of Papa Haydn

In 1772, the musicians in Prince Nikolaus Esterházy's orchestra had spent a much longer season than usual at his remote summer palace, and they were desperate to return home to their families in Eisenstadt. They appealed to their Kapellmeister, Joseph Haydn, for help. Rather than confronting the Prince directly, Haydn composed a new symphony with a clever solution. At the premiere of his Symphony No. 45, the "Farewell," the final movement began as expected, but then took a strange turn. One by one, each musician finished their part, snuffed out the candle on their music stand, and quietly walked off the stage. The orchestra dwindled until only two muted violins remained to play the final, soft notes. The Prince, a man of great understanding, took the hint immediately. "Well," he reportedly said, "if they all leave, we might as well leave too." The court returned home the very next day. This anecdote perfectly captures the essence of Haydn: a man of supreme ingenuity, deep humanity, and a wonderful sense of humor.

From Humble Beginnings to Viennese Choirboy

Franz Joseph Haydn was born in the small Austrian village of Rohrau in 1732. He did not come from a musical family in the professional sense; his father was a wheelwright and his mother a cook. However, his father was a passionate folk musician who played the harp by ear, and music was a constant presence in the Haydn home. A relative spotted the young boy's remarkable musical talent and perfect voice, and at the age of eight, Haydn was sent to Vienna to become a choirboy at the magnificent St. Stephen's Cathedral. For nine years, he received a world-class musical education there, but it was a difficult life with little food and constant work. When his voice broke in his late teens, he was unceremoniously dismissed and turned out onto the streets of Vienna to fend for himself. For several years, he lived a precarious existence as a freelance musician, teaching, accompanying, and playing in street serenades to survive.

The Esterházy Years: A Gilded Cage

Haydn's big break came in 1761 when he was appointed Vice-Kapellmeister (and later full Kapellmeister) to the immensely wealthy and powerful Hungarian noble family, the Esterházys. For nearly thirty years, Haydn served Prince Nikolaus Esterházy, living and working for much of the year at the family's lavish but extremely isolated palace, Esterháza. This "gilded cage" became the laboratory for his genius. As he later famously said, "I was cut off from the world. There was no one to confuse or torment me, and I was forced to become original." His duties were immense: he was responsible for composing a constant stream of new music for the court—symphonies, operas, string quartets, and sacred music—as well as managing the court musicians, maintaining the instrument collection, and rehearsing the orchestra. This demanding environment forced him to be incredibly prolific and inventive, honing his craft day after day.

Father of the Symphony and String Quartet

It was during his time at Esterháza that Haydn made his most monumental contributions to music history. He is rightly known as the "Father of the Symphony." While he did not invent the form, he took the simple, early symphony and developed it into the grand, four-movement structure that would become the standard for the entire Classical era. Over his lifetime, he composed 106 symphonies, each one a step in the evolution of the genre, exploring new orchestral colors, dramatic contrasts, and thematic development. Similarly, he is also the "Father of the String Quartet." He took what was essentially a light diversion and transformed it into the most prestigious genre of chamber music, a sophisticated conversation between four equal instrumental voices. His quartets, particularly the later sets, are masterpieces of wit, emotion, and intricate craftsmanship.

London Calling: A Second Career

In 1790, Prince Nikolaus died, and his successor, who had little interest in music, disbanded the orchestra, though he kept Haydn on a handsome pension. Suddenly free from his courtly duties for the first time in three decades, the nearly 60-year-old Haydn was immediately approached by the German impresario Johann Peter Salomon. "I am Salomon of London and have come to fetch you," he declared, "Tomorrow we will arrange an accord." Haydn was persuaded to travel to England. His two trips to London in the 1790s were the greatest triumphs of his life. He was celebrated as a living legend, feted by royalty, and his concerts were spectacular successes. For these visits, he composed his final twelve symphonies, known as the "London Symphonies" (Nos. 93-104), which include famous works like the "Surprise" (No. 94), "Military" (No. 100), and "London" (No. 104). These symphonies are the glorious culmination of his life's work, full of humor, grandeur, and invention.

The Creation and Final Years

While in London, Haydn was deeply impressed by the power of George Frideric Handel's oratorios. Inspired, he returned to Vienna to compose two great oratorios of his own: The Creation and The Seasons. The Creation, in particular, with its stunning depiction of chaos giving way to light, is considered one of the supreme masterpieces of the choral repertoire. In his final years, Haydn was the most celebrated composer in Europe, affectionately known as "Papa Haydn." He was a friend and mentor to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with whom he shared a deep mutual admiration. He also briefly taught a young, headstrong Ludwig van Beethoven, though their relationship was more difficult. Haydn died in 1809 during Napoleon's siege of Vienna, a revered figure who had laid the foundations for the music of the next generation.

Legacy

Joseph Haydn is one of the pillars of Western music. More than just a prolific composer, he was a chief architect of the Classical style. His development of the symphony and string quartet created the primary forms through which Mozart and Beethoven would express their own genius. His music, filled with endless melodic invention, structural clarity, and a profound sense of optimism and wit, represents the pinnacle of the Enlightenment era.

Section 4: References and Further Reading

• Landon, H. C. Robbins. Haydn: Chronicle and Works. 5 vols. Indiana University Press, 1976–80.

• Geiringer, Karl, and Irene Geiringer. Haydn: A Creative Life in Music. 3rd ed. University of California Press, 1982.

• Larsen, Jens Peter. The New Grove Haydn. W. W. Norton & Company, 1983.

• Jones, David Wyn. The Life of Haydn. Cambridge University Press, 2009.