J. Haydn is rightfully considered the founder of several directions at once: a modern orchestra, quartet, symphony and classical instrumental music.
Haydn's short biography: childhood
Joseph was born in the small Austrian town of Rorau. All his ancestors were artisans and peasants. Josef's parents were also ordinary people. Father hunted in carriage business. Mother served as a cook. The boy inherited musicality from his father. While still a five-year-old child, he attracted attention, as he had a sonorous voice, excellent hearing and a sense of rhythm. First he was taken to sing in a church choir in the town of Gainburg, and from there he fell into a chapel at the S. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna. It was a great opportunity for the boy to get a musical education. He stayed there for 9 years, but as soon as his voice began to break, the young man was fired without any ceremony.
J. Haydn. Biography: composer debut
From that moment, a completely different life began for Joseph. For eight years he interrupted, giving music and singing lessons, playing the violin on holidays, or even just on the road. Haydn understood that without education he could not get further. He independently studied theoretical works. Soon, fate brought him to the famous comic actor Kurtz. He immediately appreciated the talent of Joseph and invited him to write music for the libretto, which he composed for the opera The Curved Demon. The composition did not reach us. But it’s known for sure that the opera was successful.
The debut immediately brought the young composer popularity in democratically minded circles and poor reviews of adherents of old traditions. Important for the formation of Haydn the musician were classes with Nikola Porpora. The Italian composer looked through the works of Joseph and gave valuable advice. Subsequently, the material position of the composer improved, new compositions appeared. Significant support was given to Joseph by the landowner Karl Fürnberg, a music lover. He recommended it to Count Morzine. Haydn stayed with him as a composer and bandmaster for a whole year, but at the same time had free premises, food and received a salary. Moreover, such a successful period inspired the composer to new compositions.
J. Haydn. Biography: Marriage
During the service of Count Morzine, Joseph made friends with the hairdresser I.P. Keller and fell in love with his youngest daughter Teresa. But it didn’t come to marriage. For reasons hitherto unknown, the girl left her father's house. Keller invited Haydn to marry his eldest daughter, and he agreed, which he later regretted more than once.
Josef was 28 years old, Maria Anna Keller - 32. She turned out to be a very limited woman, not at all appreciating her husband’s talent, and was also too demanding and wasteful. Soon, Joseph had to leave the count for two reasons: he accepted only singles into the chapel, and then, having gone broke, he was forced to completely dissolve it.
J. Haydn. Biography: Service at Prince Esterhazy
The threat to remain without a permanent salary did not hang over the composer for long. Almost immediately, he received an offer from Prince P.A. Esterhazy, the patron saint of arts, even richer than the former. Haydn spent 30 years with him as a conductor. His duties included the management of singers and the orchestra. He also had to compose symphonies, quartets and other works at the request of the prince. Haydn wrote most of his operas during this period. In total, he composed 104 symphonies, the main value of which is to organically reflect the unity of the physical and spiritual principles in man.
J. Haydn. Biography: Travel to England
The composer, whose name became known far beyond the borders of his homeland, still has not gone anywhere except Vienna. He could not do this without the permission of the prince, and he could not tolerate the absenteeism of the personal bandmaster. At these moments, Haydn felt his dependence particularly acutely. When he was already 60 years old, Prince Esterhazy died, and his son dissolved a chapel. To his "servant" had the opportunity not to enter the service of someone else, he appointed him a pension. The free and happy Haydn went to England. There he gave concerts in which he was a conductor in the performance of his own works. Absolutely all of them were triumphant. Haydn became an honorary member of the University of Oxford. He visited England twice. During this period he composed 12 London Symphonies.
Haydn's Biography: Recent Years
These works became the pinnacle of his work. After them, nothing significant was written. A busy life took away his strength. He spent his last years in silence and solitude in a small house located on the outskirts of Vienna. Sometimes he was visited by admirers of talent. J. Haydn died in 1809. He was buried first in Vienna, and later the remains were transferred to Eisenstadt - the city in which the composer spent many years of his life.