The father of the symphony genre: Who is Franz Joseph Haydn?

At age 8, Franz Joseph Haydn was recruited to sing in the choir at St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna, where he learned to play the violin and keyboard. After leaving the choir, he further developed his knowledge of the violin while studying counterpoint and harmony.

Haydn soon agreed to become composer Nicola Porpora's assistant in exchange for tutoring him, and in 1761 he was named Kapellmeister, or "court musician," at the court of the Esterházy family. This position would support him financially for nearly 30 years. In the palace, he was isolated from other composers and musical movements and, in his own words, "was forced to be original."

Franz Joseph Haydn (31 March 1732 – 31 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions to musical form have led him to be called "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet".

He Created Important Works

As the reputation of the Esterházy family grew, Haydn's popularity outside the palace walls increased, and he eventually began to produce music for the public as well as for the family. A few important works of this period were the Paris symphonies (1785-1786) and “The Seven Words of Christ” (1786). During these years Haydn began to feel lonely because he missed friends in Vienna, such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, so in 1791, when a new prince of Esterházy let Haydn go, he immediately accepted an invitation to go to England to make new symphonies in German.

Already well-known and appreciated in England, Haydn's concerts drew large crowds, and during his time in England, the composer created some of his most popular works, including the "Rider" quartet and the Surprise, Military, Drumroll, and London symphonies.

Latest Compositions

Haydn returned to Vienna in 1795 and resumed his old post at Esterházys, although only part-time. At this point, he was a well-known figure in Vienna, and when he was not composing at home, he often appeared in public with his old compositions. This creative soul passed away at 77 because his health was not very good.

Haydn is remembered as the first great symphonist and composer who essentially invented the string quartet.

Works

Franz Joseph Haydn composed more than 800 compositions throughout his 77-year life, and in addition, he arranged more than 450 songs. This has made him one of the most productive and perhaps most important artists in the history of classical music.

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Franz Joseph Haydn: Son of the people, father of the symphony

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