Discusses the life and career of the eighteenth-century Austrian composer.

Franz Joseph Haydn s importance in the history of music is so great that it would be difficult to summarize his achievements in a few paragraphs. He inherited the sonata from Bach and made it into a great form of musical expression. He established the symphony, preparing the way for Mozart and Beethoven. He is often called the father of the string quartet. In fact, Mozart commented that it was from Haydn that he learned how to compose for four-stringed instruments. Haydn possessed a sunny disposition and a lovable nature. He was extremely generous and had a warm heart. He is quoted as saying, Anybody can see by the look of me that I am a good-natured sort of fellow. Much of his good nature can be heard in his music, which lives on nearly 200 years after is death in 1809.

An in-depth look at the great 18th century Austrian composer, derived and adapted from the second edition of The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians.

Franz Joseph Haydn - The Father of the Symphony is the biography of Franz Joseph Haydn. Haydn was one of the most prominent composers of the classical period, and is called by some the "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet." A life-long resident of Austria, Haydn spent most of his career as a court musician for the wealthy Esterhazy family on their remote estate. Isolated from other composers and trends in music until the later part of his long life, he was, as he put it, "forced to become original." Haydn had a robust sense of humour, evident in his love of practical jokes and often apparent in his music; and he had many friends. For much of his life he benefited from a "happy and naturally cheerful temperament." Franz Joseph Haydn - The Father of the Symphony is highly recommended for those interested in learning more about the life of this musical genius."

Presenting a fresh perspective on the life and work of Joseph Haydn, this biography probes the darker side of Haydn's personality, his commercial opportunism and double dealing, his penny-pinching and his troubled marriage.

Franz Joseph Haydn (1732 1809) has been called the father of the symphony and the string quartet. A friend of Mozart and a teacher of Beethoven, "Papa" Haydn composed an amazing variety of music -- symphonies, string quartets, concerti, masses, operas, oratorios, keyboard works -- and his prolific output celebrates both the heights and depths of life. In this fascinating book Calvin Stapert combines his skills as a biographer and a musicologist to recount Haydn's steady rise from humble origins to true musical greatness. Unlike other biographers, Stapert argues that Haydn's work was a product of his devout Catholic faith, even though he worked mainly as a court musician and the bulk of his output was in popular genres. In addition to telling Haydn's life story, Stapert includes accessible listening guides to The Creation and portions of other well-known works to help Haydn listeners more fully appreciate the brilliance behind his music.

A Choral Worship Cantata in SATB voicing composed by Franz Joseph Haydn, edited by Robert Shaw and Alice Parker.