Birth

31st March 1732 Rohrau, Austria

Death

31st May 1809 Vienna, Austria aged 77

Musical era

Classical

 

 

Family

Father was a wheelwright and mother was a cook; they could not read music but his father taught himself harp and they both liked to sing folk music. Haydn had no children but he treated Mozart like a son and was affectionately called Papa by Mozart.

 

Important points from his life

• Started musical training aged 6 as an apprentice to a choirmaster

• Became a chorister at St Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna aged 8

• Was sacked from here and became a freelance musician then composer Court musician for the Esterhazy family

 

Best known pieces

• The Creation

• Cello Concerto No 1 and 2

• Emperor String Quartet

• Trumpet Concerto

• 104 symphonies including No. 100 Military No. 101 The Clock and No. 104 London 

 

What has been said

Known as Father of the Symphony and Father of the String Quartet

‘I must have something to do—usually musical ideas are pursuing me, to the point of torture, I cannot escape them, they stand like walls before me. If it's an allegro that pursues me, my pulse keeps beating faster, I can get no sleep. If it's an adagio, then I notice my pulse beating slowly.’

Haydn 1806