Embedded Files
Franz Joseph Haydn (1732 – 1809) was one of the greatest and most prolific composers. He composed more than one hundred symphonies, and is often called "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet" because of his important contributions to these forms. He was also instrumental in the development of the piano trio and in the evolution of the sonata form, of which his piano sonatas are brilliant examples.
He was the brother of composer Michael Haydn, and was also a close f
riend of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and a teacher of Ludwig van Beethoven. A lifelong resident of Austria, Haydn spent much of his career as a court musician for the wealthy Esterhazy family on their remote estate. Isolated from other composers and trends in music until the later part of his life, he said that he was "forced to become original". At the time of his death, he was one of the most celebrated composers in Europe.
Perhaps more than any other composer, Haydn is known for his humor. The most famous example is the sudden loud chord in the slow movement of his Surprise Symphony (number 94). Haydn's many other musical jokes include numerous false endings, e.g., in the quartet Opus 33, Number 2, and the quartet Opus 50, Number 3.
In the late 1760s and early 1770s Haydn entered a stylistic period known as "Sturm und Drang" (storm and stress), a term taken from a literary movement of about the same time. The musical language of this period is intensely expressive, especially in the works in minor keys.
In the 1790s, inspired by his journeys to England, Haydn developed a style of composition that yielded music with great popular appeal as well as rigorous musical structure. An important element of this style was the frequent use of folk or folk-like material, which can be heard in virtually all of Haydn's later pieces.
Among Haydn's most famous works are:
- the London Symphonies (numbers 93 to 104)
- the string quartets of opus numbers 20, 33, 50, 54, 55, 64, 71, 74, 76, 77, 103
- the piano-trios number 18 - 45
- the piano-sonatas number 34, 35, and 48 - 62
- the trumpet concerto
- the masses number 10 (Mass in Time of War) and number 11 (the Nelson Mass)
- the oratorios Die Schöpfung (The Creation) and Die Jahreszeiten (The Seasons)
Haydn composed wonderfully fresh, sparkling, and enjoyable music. He said he wrote music so that "the weary and worn, or the man burdened with affairs, may enjoy a few moments of solace and refreshment".
Google Sites
Report abuse