Joseph Haydn Accomplishments

(Franz) Joseph Haydn was an Austrian composer whose musical works were composed primarily during the age of Classical music. Credited for the development and advancement of chamber music, he wrote 107 symphonies, 68 string quartets, 62 piano sonatas, 45 piano trios, 14 masses, 24 operas as well as oratorios, such as The Creation and The Seasons (Wenborn). The public eye viewed Haydn as the “Father of the Symphony”, while his students preferred calling him “Papa Haydn” due to the father-like nature he expressed toward them while continuing their musical studies (Webster, Intro & Clark, 30). Haydn’s musical career was a depiction of his personal perseverance and dedication toward music, which would impact music forever.

Born March 31, 1732,

Joseph Haydn was the son of Mathias Haydn and Anna Maria Koller and was the second out of five children to survive infancy. Haydn’s father enjoyed music as well as playing the harp while his wife, Anna Maria, sang the melodies (Webster). All of the Haydn children were encouraged to join music in some way and make music an important part of their every day lifestyle as their parents believed music would jumpstart their lives and future careers (Webster). As Joseph’s musical talent began to be acknowledged by the public eye at a young age, many individuals were interested in expanding his overall music education and technique. The Haydn family were devote Catholics and in 1739 after hearing Joseph’s singing voice, George Reutter recruited him at the age of seven, to be Kapellmeister (musical director and choir boy) at St. Stephens Cathedral in Vienna (Clark). While in Vienna, Haydn performed the duties of Kapellmeister and choirboy while furthering his musical studies and general education, which included Latin, religion, arithmetic and writing. As he entered adolescence, Joseph’s voice according to the females within the cathedral had “broken”, and he was soon dismissed from choir school (Webster).
With no where to turn, from 1749-1750, Joseph Haydn was a freelance musician, teacher and budding composer who played in serenades and orchestras to gain some form of wealth that he come depend upon. His compositional activity began to increase and in 1758 he began working as Kapellmeister to Count Morzin, an aristocrat of the Austrian Empire (Clark). While composing his first symphonies for Count Morzin, in November 26, 1760, Haydn married Maria Anna Aloysia Apollonia Keller, but his first true love was her sister, Therese (Wenborn, 22). Many sources stated that Joseph and Maria were unhappily married and since she was unable to bear children, both took new lovers as a form of distraction from one another (Webster & Wenborn). The two remained married as legislation during this period did not allow couples to divorce, forcing them to attempt reconciliation.
As with marriage, Maria traveled with Joseph and in 1761, he was appointed Vice Kapellmeister at the court of Prince Paul Anton Esterhazy (Clark).

As Vice Kapellmeister, he was responsible for instrumental music for all performance purposes, secular vocal and stage music, as well as instruments, musical archives, instruction in singing and most importantly, musical composition. Haydn believed that the primary purpose of composition was to move the listener and capture the audiences’ attention for the entire piece (Webster). He placed emphasis on the feelings and emotions that could be applied to instrumental music in order to move his listeners. The years as Vice Kapellmeister were his most productive as a symphony composer as he composed approximately 25 works (Webster). In 1762, Haydn served under Prince Anton Esterhazy’s successor, Prince Nikolaus, who appointed him Kapellmeister (Webster). During this period, he inherited an orchestra and thus began to compose large scale sacred and secular vocal works and operas for the Prince. His sacred vocal music, such as The Creation and The Seasons were two of his most loved works to date and were considered one of many works that were organized around salvation. Haydn stated, “My Prince was satisfied with all my works; I received approval. As head of an orchestra I could try things out, observe what creates a [good] effect and what weakens it, and thus revise, make additions or cuts, take risks. I was cut off from the world, nobody in vicinity could upset my self-confidence or annoy me, and so I had no choice but to become original”

(Webster).
After serving four princes, in approximately 1780, Haydn gained independence as his musical compositions were growing in popularity and spread worldwide. He began to market his music in other countries, such as introducing and composing symphonies for various countries, which allowed for an substantial increase in his income. With demands from many individuals, Joseph and Maria moved to Vienna in 1795 where Joseph’s duty was to supply Mass each year for performances in conjunction with the celebration of Maria Hermenegild (Webster). While in Vienna, he composed little instrumental music because he was primarily focused on the string quartet, producing 68 string quartets with homophonic and periodic themes. One of his famous string quartets, Op. 76, No. 3 “Emperor”, he played daily at the piano as a form of self entertainment (Webster).
Just as Joseph and Maria grew older with age, they began to discuss their physical and mental weaknesses that would eventually take their lives. Haydn stated in a letter, “Every day the world compliments me on the fire of my recent works, but no one will believe the strain and effort it costs me to produce them. Some days my enfeebled memory and the unstrung state of my nerves crush me to the earth to such an extent that I fall prey to the worst sort of depression, and am quite incapable of finding even a single idea for many days thereafter; until at last Providence revives me, I can sit down at the pianoforte and begin to scratch away” (Webster). As Joseph and his wife’s conditions grew worse, Maria passed away in 1800 from unknown causes. In Haydn’s final years, he made his last public musical function on December 26, 1803 as he conducted Seven Last Words and his last public appearance was March 27, 1808 at a gala performance of his composition, The Creation, in honor of his 76th birthday (Webster). By spring, Joseph became weaker and was determined to play the Emporer’s hymn every day until he was too weak to do so (Wenborn). On May 31, 1809, after years of illness and surrounded by servants, Franz Joseph Haydn took his final breaths in his home.
After his death, Haydn’s legacy continued to touch many lives and inspire musicians around the world. When previously asked about his life story, showing his modesty he summed it up in three words ‘Vixi, scripsi, dixi’— ‘I lived, I wrote, I spoke’(Wenborn). Through the eyes of his followers, that’s exactly what he did and he was later viewed as one of the greatest composers of all time.