Music

Joseph Haydn

1732–1809 · Austrian

Classical

Haydn spent nearly thirty years as court musician to the Esterházy princes before triumphant visits to London in the 1790s. Called the "father of the symphony" and "father of the string quartet", he wrote 106 symphonies and shaped the Classical style alongside his friend Mozart and his pupil Beethoven.

How to spot them

▸Clear, witty Classical style: tuneful themes, sudden surprises, pauses and jokes, with folk-like dance rhythms
▸A quiet, tiptoeing tune interrupted by a crashing fortissimo chord is the 'Surprise' Symphony, No. 94
▸The hymn tune now used for the German national anthem is his 'Emperor' melody
▸Quiz clues: Esterházy, Eszterháza, 'Papa Haydn', Johann Peter Salomon, London symphonies, Hoboken numbers

Key works — listen

Symphony No. 94 in G major, 'Surprise', Hob. I:94 (1791)

The slow movement's sudden loud chord gives the nickname

Recording: Boston Symphony Orchestra Serge Koussevitzky · Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

Symphony No. 45 in F-sharp minor, 'Farewell', Hob. I:45 (1772)

In the finale the players leave one by one – a hint to Prince Nikolaus that the musicians wanted to go home

Trumpet Concerto in E-flat major, Hob. VIIe:1 (1796)

Written for Anton Weidinger's new keyed trumpet

Recording: Real Filharmonía de Galicia · CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

String Quartet in C major, Op. 76 No. 3, 'Emperor', Hob. III:77 (1797)

Slow movement is variations on his hymn 'Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser'

The Creation (Die Schöpfung), Hob. XXI:2 (1798)

Oratorio opening with 'The Representation of Chaos' and a blazing C major on 'and there was light'

Symphony No. 101 in D major, 'The Clock', Hob. I:101 (1794)

London symphony whose slow movement ticks like a clock

Quick-fire facts

•Haydn was born in Rohrau, Lower Austria, in 1732 and died in Vienna in 1809, during Napoleon's occupation of the city.
•He served the Esterházy family from 1761, mostly at their palace of Eszterháza, for nearly three decades.
•His twelve 'London' symphonies (Nos. 93–104) were written for the impresario Johann Peter Salomon.
•The melody of 'Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser' (1797) is now used for the German national anthem, 'Das Lied der Deutschen'.
•Hob. numbers come from the catalogue by Anthony van Hoboken.
•Other nicknamed symphonies include No. 100 'Military', No. 103 'Drumroll' and No. 104 'London'.
•Beethoven briefly took lessons from Haydn in Vienna in the 1790s.
•His skull was stolen by phrenologists shortly after burial and only reunited with his body in 1954.

Drill it — 10 cards

1 / 10new card

Sources

Encyclopaedia Britannica — Joseph Haydn
Richard Taruskin — The Oxford History of Western Music