Father of Symphony - Haydn

Author: Chen Meiqi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-09-30
Features: Joseph Haydn (1732—1809), an Austrian composer. Born into a wheelwright family in Rohrau, he was accepted into the choir of St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna at the age of eight due to his sweet voice. The playful sense that would later reappear in his music was already evident at that time. After losing his voice, he left the St. Stephen's Cathedral choir school and became the assistant of Niccolò Porpora, engaging in teaching and performances. With the help of Count von Fienberg, his earliest quartets were composed for the count (1755). In 1759, he became the musical director for Count Morzin, composing his first symphonies. Starting in 1761, he began a long-term position at the Esterházy court; for most of the year, he spent time at Esterháza Palace (built by Prince Nikolaus in 1766), where most of his works were composed. His friendship with Mozart began in 1781. In 1784, he composed the "Seven Last Words" for the Cádiz Cathedral (originally a orchestral work, adapted into a string quartet in 1787 and a vocal work in 1796). In 1786, he composed six symphonies (Nos. 82—87) for the Paris Concert Spirituel. In 1790, Prince Nikolaus passed away, and the Esterházy musical institution dissolved. Haydn retained his position and salary but had no work to do. In 1791, he signed a contract with J.P. Salomon to go to London and compose an opera, six symphonies (Nos. 93—98), and twenty other works. He stayed in London for over a year, where his music was well-received. He attended Handel's music festival in Westminster and was awarded an honorary doctorate in music from Oxford University. From 1794 to 1795, he visited London again, composing his second set of "Salomon Symphonies" (Nos. 99—104). In 1785, Prince Nikolaus II rebuilt his family musical institution, but Haydn's main task was to write one mass each year. From 1796 to 1802, he composed a set of six large masses, which gained widespread recognition only in recent years. During this period, he also completed two large choral works: "The Creation" (1798) and "The Seasons" (1801). In his final years, he lived comfortably in Vienna, composed little, and was not fully aware of his significant role in history. Regarding his work at Esterháza Palace, Haydn wrote, "No one bothered me, so I had to be original." The symphonies, quartets, and dramatic music from 1761 to 1780 show his ingenuity and mastery of technique. In the previous decade, his works imitated those of Vienna composers like R?th, Monn, and Wagenseil, with keyboard music particularly influenced by C.P.E. Bach. In the next decade (1781—1790), partly due to Mozart's influence, Haydn's music reached a level of expressive perfection, achieving a balance between harmony and counterpoint in its structure and composition—key features of the classical style—while retaining the lively, passionate, and humorous qualities unique to his music. His enduring vitality and rich imagination allowed him to compose his most famous twelve symphonies, two oratorios, and six outstanding masses in his later years (1791 onwards), inspired by Handel during his visit to England and written between 1796 and 1802. Although Tovey called him "the inaccessible Haydn" (while also praising him as "unique and admirable"), his music has been performed increasingly in recent years. Thanks to the publication of his complete works, which began in 1907 (though interrupted in 1914) by Breitkopf & H?rtel, and the efforts of the Boston Haydn Society and the leading Haydn authority and musicologist Robbins Landon, we now have access to his vast body of work, from his London symphonies (standard version) to his early symphonies. His operas, though less significant than his symphonies (due to their somewhat rustic nature, placing them below Mozart's operas), have also been explored, including "The Apothecary" (1768), "The Moon World" (1777), "The Constant Marriage Ring" (1779), "The Deserted Island" (1779), "The Reward of Fidelity" (1780), "Almira" (1784), and "The Soul of a Philosopher" (1791). His symphonies and string quartets are renowned for their tight structure (often developing entire movements from a single thematic cell), rich orchestration, and the vitality of their harmony and rhythm, forming the foundation of the classical style. His piano sonatas and piano trios were once considered secondary but have recently been recognized for their unique personality, offering new insights into the composer's character. Indeed, among Haydn's orchestral and instrumental works, only his concertos lack consistent appeal. Although he composed numerous concertos—such as the "D Major Cello Concerto," which was rediscovered in the 1960s and became a familiar counterpart to the less typical "D Major" version— they did not form the central part of his oeuvre as Mozart's did. Perhaps this was because Haydn's musical background was different from Mozart's. He was not an outstanding public soloist; his primary medium was the orchestra, and he composed with effortless inspiration.