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Joseph Haydn

Joseph Haydn (d. 1809), born in 1732 at Rohrau, a village not far from Vienna on the Hungarian border, was a wagon-maker's son, the second of twelve children. His parents were simple folk, industrious, upright and devout (Catholics). From his father he derived a taste for rustic music, from his mother practical habits of order and thoroughness. Evincing early a passion for music, when 6 years old he was sent to the near-by town of Hainburg to study with a musical relative, J. M. Frankh, a good but severe master. Here in 1740 he was discovered by Reutter, the Viennese organist, and taken into the choir of St. Stephen's, where for 9 years he had constant practice in singing, both at the cathedral and often at the court, with free support and instruction of a sort at the choir-school. He supplemented the meagre school training by much independent study. In 1745 his brother Michael came into the choir and, when the elder boy's voice broke, succeeded him as chief soloist. In November, 1749, Joseph was abruptly dismissed and literally turned out into the city streets. Kept from starving by a few kind friends, he began to secure some means of self-support. He drilled himself assiduously in playing the clavichord and the violin and in composition, using at first a set of six sonatas by K. P. E. Bach as models. In 1751 he wrote his first mass, in 1752 a comic opera (music now lost), and in 1755 his first quartet. He learned to know Metastasio the poet, Porpora the singing-master and composer (whom he served as valet in return for instruction), Gluck the opera-writer, and Dittersdorf the young violinist. Some teaching and irregular work as a player brought money for music and theoretical books, and the process of tireless self-discipline went on. Among his early patrons were the amateur Von Fürnberg, for whom he wrote 18 quartets, the cultivated Countess Thun, who became his pupil, and in 1759 Count Morzin of Bohemia, who made him his choirmaster. Here he had a good orchestra, for which in 1759 he wrote his first symphony. At this juncture (1760) he married a wig-maker's daughter, whose extravagance and bad temper caused him infinite irritation for 40 years.

His powers as composer and conductor being now matured, in 1761 he became assistant choirmaster to Prince Paul Esterhazy, the head of a family long famous for wealth, culture and musical enthusiasm. At his country-seat at Eisenstadt the Prince maintained a small but choice musical establishment. In 1762 Prince Nicholas ('the Magnificent') succeeded his brother and greatly improved the musical forces, of which Haydn became director in 1766. Soon after this the Prince built a new palace at Esterház, whose furnishings and surroundings were so superb that it was called 'the second Versailles.' Here till the death of the Prince in 1790 Haydn lived and worked. For the