Haydn was born in 1732 in Rohrau, a small village in Lower Austria. The son of a wheelwright, he showed an early aptitude for music and was sent to Vienna as a choirboy at the age of eight. After leaving the choir, he worked independently as a teacher and musician, gradually establishing himself within Vienna’s musical circles. Along with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven, Haydn was one of the principal figures of the ‘Viennese School’.
In 1761, Haydn entered the service of the wealthy and powerful Esterházy family, beginning a relationship that would last decades. As Vice-Kapellmeister and later Kapellmeister, he was responsible for composing, rehearsing and performing music for the court. During these years, he developed the musical forms that would define his reputation, producing an extraordinary sequence of symphonies, string quartets, keyboard sonatas and chamber works.
Haydn’s music was admired for its structural ingenuity and expressive range, moving effortlessly between humour, drama and lyricism. His reputation spread throughout Europe and, from the 1780s, his works were increasingly performed beyond the Esterházy court. The composer's two journeys to London in the 1790s brought him enormous public success and inspired some of his greatest works, including the final twelve ‘London’ Symphonies.
Returning to Vienna, Haydn created renowned pieces including The Creation and The Seasons. He died in 1809, leaving a vast body of music that profoundly influenced subsequent generations of composers.
Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
Dr. Haydn's VI Original Canzonettas for the Voice with an Accompaniment for the Piano-Forte . London: for the Author & Sold by him at No.1 Bury Street, St James's, [c.1794].