Joseph Haydn

Franz Joseph Haydn (he never used the Franz) (1732-1809) was a leading composer of the high classical period, second only to W.A. Mozart. A life-long resident of Austria, he spent most of his career as a court musician, running the orchestra, opera company, etc etc of the wealthy Esterhazy family on their remote estate - for which he had to compose most of the music. Being isolated from other composers and currents of music, he was, as he put it, "forced to become original". Unlike Mozart, he had a quiet and uneventful life.

Haydn is traditionally considered the father of the symphony? and [string quartet]?, and he did write the first well-known works in those genres. His early work is almost Baroque in style, then develops into early classicism. His works of the late 1760s and early 1770s are particularly interesting: they're in a style called "Sturm und Drang" (storm and stress), full of jagged chords, abrupt transitions, and weird minor-key harmonies. Most of the symphonies numbered between 35 and about 55 are of this kind. Abruptly -- some guess his employer objected -- he abandoned this style and became very placid and conventional for a while, gradually developing the civilized, urbane wit for which he would become famous in his last years.

In the 1790s, having become famous for his works distributed throughout Europe, he was invited by [J.P. Salomon]?, an impresario, to visit London. He went twice for periods of over a year each, writing the 12 "London Symphonies", including the "Surprise Symphony" (No. 94), which contains a sudden loud chord in the quiet slow movement.

His best-known vocal work is a very late oratorio?, The Creation.

Haydn was a friend of Mozart, and the two admired each other's work greatly. (Strangely, Haydn looked just like [F. Murray Abraham]? as the jealous, untalented Antonio Salieri in the film Amadeus?, while Salieri in reality didn't look like that at all.) He taught Beethoven briefly, but they didn't get along.