Haydn, (Franz) Joseph (1732—1809)-- Austrian composer, recognized as a dominant force in the development of the musical style of the classical era (circa 1750-circa 1820).

Born in the village of Rohrau, near Vienna, on March 31, 1732, Haydn sang in the choir at St. Stephen's, Vienna during his youth. There he received his principal musical training. Poverty-stricken, Haydn struggled for years, earning a paltry living as a teacher and accompanist. After a while, however, his work came to the attention of some of Vienna's aristocrats who appreciated music. Under their benefaction, his career developed swiftly. Most of his remarkable musical output was created in the 29 years of his service to princes Esterházy.

In the 1780s, he received commissions from London and Paris and honors from all over Europe. It was during this time as well that he formed an intimate friendship with Mozart. Each man influenced one another. During the 1790’s, Haydn he wrote the 12 so-called Salomon Symphonies as well as much chamber music, and a large number of songs with English texts. Haydn's works are distinguished for their innovation, vigor, sanguinity, and instrumental brilliance. He created the simple forms of symphonic music and string quartet, which were later to be a model and motivation for the works of Mozart, and of Beethoven. Important in the development of the classic sonata form, his string quartets and symphonies expanded the three-movement sonata form of C. P. E. Bach, adding one or two minuets before the last movement. Two great oratorios, The Creation (1798) and The Seasons (1801), were written in Haydn’s last years. In total, his works comprise over 100 symphonies including Farewell Symphony (1772), the Surprise Symphony (1791), the Military Symphony (1794), and the Clock Symphony (1794).

“Haydn.” Encarta Encyclopedia. CD-ROM. Seattle: Microsoft, 2001.

“Haydn.” Yahoo! Encyclopedia. January 2004. http://education.yahoo.com/referenc.../entry?id=11580

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