Franz Joseph Haydn (HY-den)

Born March 31, 1732 in Rohrau, Austria

Died May 31, 1809 in Vienna, Austria

Nationality: Austrian

Period/Style: Classical

About the composer

When Franz Joseph Haydn was a young boy, his family and neighbors and friends often gathered together to play all kinds of music.  From a very early age, he was singing songs and used sticks to pretend he was playing a violin during these "concerts at home".  He was a choirboy at St. Stephen's in Vienna where they taught him a lot about music, but didn’t pay enough money for him to eat or live well during this time of training.  He was always cold and hungry, so he sometimes went out into the streets to sing so people would throw a few coins to him.  That way he could at least get a little more food.  He was always getting into trouble, this fellow named Haydn, and one time he even cut off the long hair of the person seated in front of him in the choir!  In those days, all the royal courts had musicians and Haydn spent over thirty years in the service of Prince Esterhazy.  He wrote music for all special concerts, conducted the rehearsals and performances, and at the same time made sure that all of the musicians were well supervised.  Prince Esterhazy died in 1790 and when he did, Haydn's job was over.  He returned to Vienna and enjoyed his time there very much.  A gentleman from London, England came to visit him and asked Haydn to come to London and write some pieces for them.  Haydn really loved his time in London and went there two different times.  While there, he wrote 12 symphonies, all with the subtitle "The London" on them.

Emperor String Quartet (excerpt)

This is probably Haydn’s most famous quartet because it includes the “Emperor’s Hymn” which Haydn had written earlier. At that time it was the tune of the Austrian National Anthem, and later became Germany’s National Anthem.  Haydn didn’t invent the string quartet, but he made it popular by writing some of the first great music for that combination of instruments.

Farewell Symphony #45

Haydn wrote this piece while he was working for the Esterhazy family, in 1772.  The story about this piece is that the musicians who worked for Haydn and, in turn, the Prince, really needed to have a vacation.  Haydn tried really hard to convince the Prince that everybody needed a break, but the Prince didn't listen. So Haydn wrote this piece so that at the last movement, the musicians ran out of music one by one.  When they were out of notes to play, even though some others were still playing, they got up, put their instruments away and left the stage.  Pretty soon there was only one person left.  He blew out his candle and left too.  The Prince got the hint.

Suggested activities

Create your own orchestra, by placing chairs in rows.  Then listen to the music, and as the instruments drop out (music sounds less busy), start leaving the "group".  Pick one person to be the last one.

Draw a picture of a palace that might look like one the Prince lived in.