1. Joseph Haydn

2. Life Born on March 31, 1732 in Rohrau, Austria
Family: Haydn did not come from a musical family, but they did recognize his musical talent
1740: His family sent him to Vienna where he sang in the choir at St. Stephen’s Cathedral
Education: while in Vienna, he learned about the music of the Baroque and early Classical eras
Marriage: Haydn never married, and he devoted his entire life to his music career
1801: Suffered the first of several strokes
Died on May 31, 1809 in Vienna, Austria

3. Career
1748: Forced to leave St. Stephen’s because he was too old; made a living by giving music lessons; composed his first works
1758: Appointed music director to Count Morzin in what is now the Czech Republic
1761: Appointed assistant music director to Prince Paul Anton Esterhazy in Eisenstadt
1766: Becomes music director to Prince Nikolaus, Paul Anton’s successor
1790: Prince Nikolaus died and Haydn left for England
: First English tour where he was seen as a genius and received an honorary degree from Oxford University
: Went back to Vienna and gave lessons in harmony, counterpoint, and composition to Beethoven
: Second English tour; finished the last of his twelve “London” symphonies
: Wrote his final works, including the last quartets, two oratorios, and several masses

4. Music
Symphonies: Haydn wrote 106 symphonies throughout his career, including his famous “London” Symphonies (numbers )
String Quartets: Haydn played an important role in the emergence of the string quartet as a genre during the ’s and 1760’s
Keyboard Sonatas: Haydn’s career coincides with the rise of the piano as the principal instrument of home music making, and most of his keyboard music was written specifically for the piano
Sacred Music: He also wrote masses and oratorios

5. Legacy
Haydn was a celebrity during his lifetime due to his connection to the Esterhazy family
To this day, he is remembered as the first great symphonist and the composer who essentially invented the string quartet.
As an important influence on the classical style, Haydn influenced Mozart, his student Beethoven, and composers up to this day