Franz Joseph Haydn was born on the 31st of March (1st of April) 1732 in Rohrau, Austria as son of Matthias Haydn and Maria Koller. He was one of the most prominent composers of the Classical period, called the "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet".

Biography and Career :

The parents realized soon that in their small village their son couldn’t become famous and exercise his talent so they accepted their relative Johann Matthias Franck’s proposal. This way Franz went to Hainburg to study. He learned to play harpsichord and violin very fast.

He sang in churches’ choir and in 1740 Georg von Reutter, the director of music in St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna, heard him and took him to Vienna.

Haydn received his first important position, that of Kapellmei ster (music director) for Count Karl von Morzin in 1759, but was quickly offered a similar job (in 1761) as assistant Kapellmeister to the Eszterházy family, a very famous and important family. Haydn had huge responsibilities, including composition, running the orchestra, playing chamber music for and with his patrons, and eventually the mounting of operatic productions.

In 1760 Haydn married. He and his wife, the former Maria Anna Keller didn’t have any children. Haydn may have had one or more children with Luigia Polzelli, a singer in the Eszterházy with whom he had a long-term love affair.

In 1781 Franz made Mozart his friend Mozart and they were members of the same Masonic lodge.

Haydn developed another friendship in 1789 with Maria Anna von Genzinger, Prince Nicolaus's personal physician’s wife, in Vienna.

In 1790, Prince Nikolaus died and was succeeded by a prince who didn’t like music and dismissed the musical establishment and put Haydn on a pension.

He received an offer from a German impresario, Johann Peter Salomon, to go to England and sing there. He accepted and during his visits in 1791-1792 and 1794-1795 he was very popular there.

Even if he felt like an English citizen he decided to go back to Vienna, build a big house and continue creating religious works for chorus and orchestra.

In 1802 he found out that he was ill and he couldn’t compose anymore. The period of time until his death was very unhappy although he received good care and many honors.

Haydn passed away on May 31, 1809.

Important Works :

1785-1786 Paris symphonies
1786 The Seven Last Words of Christ
1782-1785 quartets (K387, 421, 428, 458, 464 and 465
1793 F minor variations for piano
1791-1792 and 1794-1795:
Surprise
Military
Drumroll,
London symphonies
Rider quartet
Gypsy Rondo piano trio Emperor
Sunrise
Fifths quartets
The Creation
The Seasons
_{Franz Joseph Haydn Image :publicradio.org}

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Category: Musicians  - ( Musicians Archive)

Date Added: 01 November '06

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