Joseph Haydn Overview

Franz Joseph Haydn was an Austrian composer and one of the most important composers in the Classical period. For most of his career, he was Kapellmeister (music director) for the wealthy Esterházy family, writing numerous symphonies and chamber music works. Haydn... [more]

Franz Joseph Haydn was an Austrian composer and one of the most important composers in the Classical period. For most of his career, he was Kapellmeister (music director) for the wealthy Esterházy family, writing numerous symphonies and chamber music works. Haydn epitomized the Classic style, with rigorous structures, lean textures, and memorable melodies. Staid and genteel by today’s standards, his work is not without humor, as exemplified in the Surprise Symphony. Incidentally, he was a good friend of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and a mentor to Ludwig van Beethoven. [show less]