Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)

In the early spring of 1739, the small Austrian town of Hainburg was visited by the conductor of the Vienna Cathedral of St. Stefan G. Reiter, who was looking for musically gifted children for his choir. The local priest drew the capital's guest's attention to seven-year-old Joseph Haydn, the son of a cook and carriage maker from Rohrau (Lower Austria). The little singer’s wonderful voice and extraordinary musical abilities captivated Reiter. He enrolled him in his chapel and promised his parents to take care of the boy’s future. And he “took care”: during the 10 years Haydn spent in the chapel (1740 - 1749), he gave him only two lessons in composition. When Haydn turned 17 and lost his voice, the bandmaster threw the young man out into the street.

For a long time, Haydn wandered along the roads of Austria. The famous comedian Kurtz drew attention to the wandering musician, with whom Haydn created the innovative comic opera (Singspiel) “The Lame Demon” at that time.

“The Lame Demon” gave Haydn short-lived fame and 25 guilders, which were soon spent. Haydn was forced to look for new income and found a place as an accompanist with the famous Italian composer N. Porpora. Porpora very soon appreciated Haydn's musical abilities and began to study composition with him.

Joseph Haydn.

Unexpected luck allowed Haydn to begin an independent life. A certain businessman Buchholz lent the young man 150 guilders. Haydn rented a miserable attic under the roof of a six-story building in Vienna. The aspiring composer sat for days at the clavier and proudly said: “I do not envy the happiness of any king!”

In 1759, Haydn entered the service of Count Morcin, and two years later, for a long 30 years, he entered the service of the richest Hungarian princes Esterhazy.

The service of conductor and court composer was difficult. The contract deprived him of the right to leave the prince's possessions; his works also belonged to the princely family. His duties included not only conducting the orchestra and composing music. He was responsible for the safety of musical instruments and notes, made sure that the musicians were dressed cleanly and in uniform, and was responsible for all problems in the chapel. Haydn called himself a serf servant, which he essentially was.

Only after leaving his service with Esterhazy did Haydn gain true freedom. He moved to Vienna, met with friends, made two trips to England, wrote a lot, and revised what he had previously written. Haydn's works were published in Paris, Amsterdam, and London. His concerts, like a holiday, were awaited in all European cities. In 1791, Haydn was awarded an honorary doctorate from Oxford University, he became a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music, an honorary citizen of Vienna, and an honorary member of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Society.

Over 53 years of creativity (the first serious composition, the Mass in F major, dates back to 1750, the last quartet was written by Haydn in 1803), he created about a thousand musical works of various genres: 104 symphonies, 83 string quartets, 24 operas, 3 oratorios, 41 piano and 21 string trios, 52 piano sonatas and much, much more: songs, variations, fantasies, marches, dances.

Haydn is one of the founders of the Viennese classical school (see articles “Classical music of the 17th - 18th centuries”, “Musical genres”). He completed the formation of the symphony orchestra, establishing its classical composition, the strict laws of which are binding to this day. He brought quartet music to complete perfection, ensuring that all instruments (two violins, alas and cello) became equal participants in this still popular ensemble.

Haydn had a lively mind, inexhaustible humor and a penchant for a good joke. There was a lot of witty invention in his symphonies. Either he will depict the dance of a clumsy bear, or the cackling of a chicken (later these symphonies were called “Bear”, “Chicken”). One day Haydn was returning from hunting and on the way he came to a fair. Noticing with what greed the barefoot children were looking at the toy seller's basket, he bought clay owls, cuckoos, whistles, pipes and drums and distributed them to the children. The happy ragamuffins began blowing, whistling and drumming with delight. And Haydn listened to this hubbub with a smile and soon wrote the original, charming “Children’s Symphony” (1794).

No less original is one of Haydn’s London symphonies - “With a Timpani Strike, or Surprise” (1791). Haydn was especially pleased with the slow movement, the andante. But the prim Englishmen found the music boring and drowsy. Then Haydn went and changed something in the score. At the next concert, he asked the musicians to play the andante more and more quietly. And suddenly, in the middle of the movement, a thunderous clap of timpani was heard, causing those who were pretending to be dozing to jump in their seats.

And the story of the creation of the “Farewell Symphony” (“Symphonies by Candlelight”, 1772)?.. Prince Esterhazy did not allow the musicians to rest for a long time. Exhausted by waiting, the choir members fell into despair. Then Haydn wrote a symphony, where, after the usual four movements, the fifth began... The musicians, one after another, left their seats and, extinguishing the candles on the consoles, left. Finally, only two violinists remained in the orchestra, one of them was Haydn himself. Having finished playing the tremulous melody, as if begging for something, they left. The stage remained plunged into darkness. Prince Esterhazy understood Haydn's hint and dismissed the chapel for rest.

Despite the many hardships of life, Haydn always remained a sociable, cheerful,

Thomas Hardy
Portrait of Joseph Haydn

He was called “Papa Haydn” - both in his youth and in his old age. For thirty years he was “dad” for the orchestra members of Prince Esterhazy - the richest man in Austria after the king. The great Mozart called Haydn “Daddy,” who considered him his teacher and first friend. Princes and kings of different countries listened to Haydn's music with delight and commissioned him to create symphonies, quartets, and oratorios. Gilded carriages with intricate coats of arms often drove up to his small house on the outskirts of Vienna. Napoleon himself, they say, wished to hear the oratorio “The Creation of the World” in the concert. From London, Paris, and St. Petersburg they sent Haydn honorary diplomas and medals. He was given so many precious rings, cups, snuff boxes and other strange things that it was difficult to fit them in the house.

Anyone would put on airs! And Father Haydn? Not at all. He gets up at first light and works, writes his music. And he is dressed as if he were not a famous composer, but an inconspicuous musician. He is simple in food and in conversation. He called all the boys from the street and allowed them to eat wonderful apples in his garden. It is immediately clear that his father was a poor man and that there were many children in the family - seventeen! If not for chance, perhaps Haydn, like his father, would have become a carriage master and, like his father, would have worked with song all his life. Maybe I would have composed songs, but I didn’t know how to write them down...

Father Haydn was a good-natured man and a joker. And his music is also kind, simple, playful. Now she tells how the birds sing, now how the stream gurgles, now how a club-toed bear waddles from foot to foot. In Haydn’s music, the sun shines, and the waves roll over the sea, and grass grows, and trees. And sometimes, the music tells, how important ladies and gentlemen dance, but more often, how peasants sing and dance. Haydn calls his symphonies like paintings: “Evening”, “Morning”, “Noon”, “Hunting”, “Bear”, “Chicken”, “Queen”. Who, besides daddy Haydn, could come up with a “Children’s” symphony - for toy instruments - whistles, drums, rattles, children's trumpets, tricorns.

But Haydn also has sad symphonies - “Complaint”, “Farewell”. The “farewell” symphony is also a joke, but it’s a sad joke. It was written when Haydn served as conductor for Prince Esterhazy. He alone could protect the orchestra members from the prince’s whims.

The alarming beginning of the symphony sounds excitedly. Longing, the violins and basses play a sad melody. First, second, third, fourth movement... No signs of joy, fun, jokes, usual for Haydn. Finally, the fifth movement is also a surprise: after all, symphonies usually have only four movements. And suddenly the second horn player and the first oboist get up, extinguish the candles at their music stands and, not paying attention to the orchestra, leave the stage. The orchestra continues to play as if nothing had happened. Soon the bassoon falls silent - the musician also extinguishes the candle and leaves, then the first horn player and the second oboist, the double bassist... Gradually all the orchestra players leave, except for the first and second violins. The melody sounds sadder and slower and finally melts away. The violinists, having extinguished the last candles, silently leave the stage.

This is the joke Haydn came up with to help his fellow court musicians. None of them, and not even Haydn himself, would have dared to directly tell the prince that he was making the orchestra work too hard, that people were tired and wanted to go home to their families.

The composer worked very hard all his life, until he was very old. He left behind many works, many of which have not yet been found. The trouble is that the immortal works that Haydn composed for thirty years at the court of Esterhazy did not belong to him, but to the owner, the prince, and then passed on to his noble heirs. Although they did not really value music, they did not want to part with the manuscripts of the great composer. Therefore, many of his works were not published and remained unknown for a long time.

Only after 1932, when the whole world solemnly celebrated the bicentenary of Haydn’s birth, did the composer’s most remarkable creations see the light of day. In church and princely libraries, collectors of his works discovered more than four hundred previously unknown manuscripts.

1959, the year of Haydn (150 years since his death), was celebrated even more solemnly in many countries around the world. The music of the great composer was heard in all major cities. But the most amazing thing was the celebration in the ancient Esterhazy Castle. Crowds of guests filled the courtyard. First, Haydn’s famous oratorio “The Seasons” was performed, and then... Haydn’s lost and only recently discovered symphony “A Passione” was born many years ago. The symphony, exciting and sad, brought the smiling, good-natured father Haydn closer that day to his younger contemporary, the great fighter and innovator in music Ludwig van Beethoven.

Tchaikovsky said about Haydn: “If it weren’t for him, there would be neither Mozart nor Beethoven.”

A number of researchers believe that the “Children’s Symphony” or “Symphony of Toys” was not written by Haydn at all, but by Leopold Mozart, the father of the great Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Ed. website).

Haydn wrote 104 symphonies, the first of which was created in 1759 for the chapel of Count Morcin, and the last in 1795 in connection with the London tour.

The symphony genre in Haydn’s work evolved from examples close to everyday and chamber music to the “Paris” and “London” symphonies, in which the classical patterns of the genre, characteristic types of thematics and development techniques were established.

The rich and complex world of Haydn's symphonies has the remarkable qualities of openness, sociability, and focus on the listener. The main source of their musical language is genre-everyday, song and dance intonations, sometimes directly borrowed from folklore sources. Included in the complex process of symphonic development, they reveal new imaginative, dynamic possibilities.

In Haydn's mature symphonies, the classical composition of the orchestra is established, including all groups of instruments (strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion).

Almost all of Haydn's symphonies non-programmatic they do not have any specific plot. The exception is three early symphonies, called by the composer himself “Morning”, “Noon”, “Evening” (Nos. 6, 7, 8). All other names given to Haydn's symphonies and established in practice belong to the listeners. Some of them convey the general character of the work (“Farewell” - No. 45), others reflect the features of the orchestration (“With a horn signal” - No. 31, “With tremolo timpani” - No. 103) or emphasize some memorable image (“Bear” - No. 82, “Chicken” - No. 83, “Clock” - No. 101). Sometimes the names of symphonies are related to the circumstances of their creation or performance (“Oxford” - No. 92, six “Paris” symphonies of the 80s). However, the composer himself never commented on the figurative content of his instrumental music.

Haydn's symphony takes on the meaning of a generalized “picture of the world”, in which different aspects of life - serious, dramatic, lyrical-philosophical, humorous - are brought to unity and balance.

Haydn's symphonic cycle usually contains the typical four movements (allegro, andante , minuet and finale), although sometimes the composer increased the number of movements to five (symphonies “Noon”, “Farewell”) or limited himself to three (in the very first symphonies). Sometimes, in order to achieve a special mood, he changed the usual sequence of movements (symphony No. 49 begins with a mournful adagio).

Complete, ideally balanced and logically constructed forms of parts of the symphonic cycle (sonata, variation, rondo, etc.) include elements of improvisation, remarkable deviations and surprises sharpen interest in the very process of thought development, which is always fascinating and filled with events. Haydn’s favorite “surprises” and “practical jokes” helped to perceive the most serious genre of instrumental music.

Among the numerous symphonies created by Haydn for the orchestra of Prince Nicholas I Esterhazy, a group of minor symphonies from the late 60s - early 70s stands out. This is symphony No. 39 ( g-moll ), No. 44 (“Mourning”, e- moll ), No. 45 (“Farewell”, fis-moll) and No. 49 (f-moll, “La Passione” , that is, related to the theme of the suffering and death of Jesus Christ).

"London" symphonies

The highest achievement of Haydn's symphony is his 12 “London” symphonies.

"London" The symphonies (Nos. 93-104) were written by Haydn in England, during two tours arranged by the famous violinist and concert entrepreneur Salomon. The first six appeared in 1791-92, another six - in 1794-95, i.e. after Mozart's death. It was in the “London” symphonies that the composer created his own stable type of symphony, unlike any of his contemporaries. This typical Haydn model of the symphony is different:

All London symphonies open slow intros(except minor 95th). Introductions serve a variety of functions:

• They create a strong contrast in relation to the rest of the material in the first part, therefore, in its further development, the composer, as a rule, does without comparing disparate themes;
• The introduction always begins with a loud statement of the tonic (even the same name, minor - as, for example, in symphony No. 104) - which means that the main part of the sonata allegro can begin quietly, gradually and even immediately deviate into another key, which creates the direction of the music forward to the coming climaxes;
• Sometimes the introduction material becomes one of the important participants in thematic drama. Thus, in symphony No. 103 (Es-dur, “With tremolo timpani”) the major but gloomy opening theme appears both in the development and in coda I part, and in development it becomes unrecognizable, changing tempo, rhythm and texture.

Sonata form in the “London Symphonies” is very unique. Haydn created this type of sonata allegro , in which the main and secondary themes are not contrasting with each other and are often generally based on the same material. For example, the expositions of symphonies No. 98, 99, 100, 104 are monotonous. I parts Symphony No. 104( D-dur ) the song and dance theme of the main part is presented by strings alone p , only in the final cadence does the whole orchestra enter, bringing with them fervent fun (this technique has become an artistic norm in the “London” symphonies). In the side part section, the same theme sounds, but only in the dominant key, and now the woodwinds and woodwinds alternately perform in the ensemble with strings.

In exhibitions I parts of symphonies No. 93, 102, 103 secondary themes are built on independent, but not contrasting in relation to the main topics material. So, for example, in I parts Symphony No. 103 Both themes of the exposition are perky, cheerful, in terms of genre they are close to the Austrian landler, both are major: the main one is in the main key, the secondary one is in the dominant key.

Main party:

Side batch:

In sonatas developments"London" symphonies dominate motive type of development. This is due to the dance nature of the themes, in which rhythm plays a huge role (dance themes are more easily divided into individual motifs than cantilena themes). The most striking and memorable motive of the theme is developed, and not necessarily the initial one. For example, in development I parts Symphony No. 104 The motive of 3-4 bars of the main theme is developed as the most capable of change: it sounds either questioning and uncertain, or menacing and persistent.

Developing thematic material, Haydn shows inexhaustible ingenuity. He uses bright tonal comparisons, register and orchestral contrasts, and polyphonic techniques. Topics are often heavily rethought and dramatized, although no major conflicts arise. The proportions of sections are strictly observed - developments are most often equal to 2/3 of the exhibitions.

Haydn's favorite form slow parts are double variations, which are sometimes called “Haydnian”. Alternating with each other, two themes vary (usually in the same keys), different in sonority and texture, but intonationally close and therefore peacefully adjacent to each other. In this form it is written, for example, the famous Andantefrom 103 symphonies: both of its themes are in folk (Croatian) flavor, both play out the upward movement from T to D , dotted rhythm, alteration present IV fret degree; however, the minor first theme (strings) is focused and narrative in nature, while the major second theme (the whole orchestra) is marching and energetic.

First topic:

Second topic:

There are also ordinary variations in the “London” symphonies, as for example in Andantefrom 94 symphonies.Here we vary a theme that is particularly simple. This deliberate simplicity causes the flow of music to suddenly be interrupted by a deafening blow from the entire orchestra with timpani (this is the “surprise” with which the name of the symphony is associated).

Along with variation, the composer often uses and complex three-part form, as, for example, in Symphonies No. 104. All sections of the three-part form contain here something new in relation to the initial musical thought.

According to tradition, the slow parts of sonata-symphonic cycles are the center of lyrics and melodious melodicism. However, Haydn's lyrics in the symphonies clearly gravitate towards genre. Many of the themes of the slow movements are based on a song or dance basis, revealing, for example, features of a minuet. It is significant that of all the “London” symphonies, the direction “singingly” is present only in the Largo 93rd symphony.

Minuet - the only movement in Haydn’s symphonies where internal contrast is necessarily present. Haydn's minuets became a standard of vital energy and optimism (one could say that the composer's individuality - the traits of his personal character - manifested themselves most directly here). Most often these are live scenes of folk life. Minuets predominate, bearing the traditions of peasant dance music, in particular, the Austrian Ländler (as, for example, in Symphony No. 104). A more gallant minuet in the “Military” Symphony, a fanciful scherzo (thanks to the sharp rhythm) in Symphony No. 103.

Minuet of symphony No. 103:

In general, the emphasized rhythmic sharpness in many of Haydn’s minuets so modifies their genre appearance that, in essence, it directly leads to Beethoven’s scherzos.

The form of the minuet is always a complex 3-part da capo with a contrasting trio in the center. The trio usually contrasts gently with the main theme of the minuet. Very often only three instruments actually play here (or, in any case, the texture becomes lighter and more transparent).

The finales of the “London” symphonies are all, without exception, major and joyful. Here Haydn's predisposition to the elements of folk dance was fully demonstrated. Very often the music of finales grows out of truly folk themes, as in Symphony No. 104. Its ending is based on a Czech folk melody, which is presented in such a way that its folk origin is immediately obvious - against the backdrop of a tonic organ point imitating bagpipes.

The finale maintains symmetry in the composition of the cycle: it returns to the fast tempo I parts, to effective activity, to a cheerful mood. Final form - rondo or rondo sonata (in Symphony No. 103) or (less often) - sonata (in Symphony No. 104). In any case, it is devoid of any conflicting moments and rushes by like a kaleidoscope of colorful holiday images.

If in Haydn's earliest symphonies the wind group consisted of only two oboes and two horns, then in the later London symphonies a full pair of woodwinds (including clarinets) is systematically found, and in some cases also trumpets and timpani.

Symphony No. 100, G-dur was called “Military”: in its Allegretto the audience guessed the decorous progress of the guards parade, interrupted by the sound of a military trumpet. In No. 101, D-dur, the Andante theme unfolds against a background of mechanical “ticking” of two bassoons and pizzicato strings, which is why the symphony was called “The Hours”.

Joseph Haydn (1732–1809)

It is no coincidence that Haydn is called the father of the symphony. It was from him that this genre acquired classical perfection and became the basis on which symphonism has grown from Beethoven to the present day. The majority of Haydn’s work was devoted to the symphony: he devoted 35 years to it, creating more than a hundred works (104 were published, the exact number is unknown). It was in the symphonies that the main features of both his creativity and personality were most fully revealed - a strong peasant background, an inextricable connection with the land and people that gave birth to him, an unshakable faith in goodness, inexhaustible patience, cheerfulness, sly humor, and steadily improving skill. Created more than two centuries ago, they still arouse keen interest and emotional response, captivating with their harmony, clarity, and classic form.

Haydn was the first to create complete examples of other leading genres of the era of classicism - the string quartet, the keyboard sonata. He was also the first composer to write secular oratorios in German, which ranked alongside the greatest achievements of the Baroque era - the English oratorios of Handel and the German cantatas of Bach. And Haydn’s spiritual genres are very significant: like Mozart’s earlier masses, Haydn’s masses are one of the peaks of the Viennese classical school. He also paid tribute to other genres of vocal music, but his operas and numerous songs did not leave a significant mark on the history of music.

Listening to Haydn’s works, you imagine the long, happy life of their creator. Indeed, the composer’s life was long: he wrote his last work at the age of 71. However, there was very little happiness in this life. His hungry adolescence, when he wanted to go to a monastery so that he could eat his fill at least once, gave way to a homeless youth. Mature years turned out to be forced. “It’s sad to always be a slave,” we read in a letter from almost sixty-year-old Haydn. Creativity became his salvation, and the composer hoped that it would bring consolation not only to him: “Often, when I struggled with obstacles of various kinds that arose in the way of my work, when I felt a decline in the strength of my spirit and body, and it became difficult for me to stay on. chosen field, - a secret feeling whispered to me: “There are so few contented and happy people in this world, they are pursued everywhere by care and grief; Perhaps your work will sometimes serve as a source from which a person burdened with worries or tired of work will draw rest and vigor.” This served as a powerful impetus for me, forcing me to strive forward, and this is also the reason that I now look back with joyful inspiration at the work I have done for the musical art over such a long string of years with relentless zeal.”

Only at the age of sixty did Haydn, who invariably opened and concluded the scores of his symphonies with the Latin canonical formula of gratitude to the Creator, come to fame, which he rightfully enjoyed for almost twenty years. Haydn was awarded the honorary title of Doctor of Music from the University of Oxford in England (1791), a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music (1798), an honorary member of the Dutch Society of Merit and a member of the French Academy (1801), the Gold Medal of the City of Vienna (1803) and the title of its honorary citizen ( 1804), an honorary member of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Society, who also issued a gold medal on this occasion (1808). At the same time, Vienna solemnly celebrated Haydn’s 76th birthday, and two German and Italian researchers decided to write his biography, for which they met with the composer and respectfully wrote down his statements. One after another, these three biographies came out shortly after Haydn's death. Among his statements is the following: “I communicated with emperors, kings, many great gentlemen and heard from them a lot of flattering things about myself...” The beginning of his life’s journey did not at all foretell such honors for the son of a carriage maker from Lower Austria. Joseph Haydn was born on March 31, 1732 in the village of Rohrau and was the second of ten children in a fairly prosperous carriage-maker family. My father, a skilled craftsman, was also involved in peasant labor and was a market judge. In his youth, he traveled a lot and, not knowing the notes, learned to play the harp. His mother, a cook who lived before her marriage in the house of Count Harrach in Rohrau, where musical gatherings often took place, was also partial to music.

Lower Austria has long been a multinational land. Along with the indigenous population, Hungarians and Gypsies lived here, descendants of German settlers from Swabia, who once fled from religious persecution, and Slavic Croats fleeing from the Turks. It is no coincidence that Haydn’s native village, in addition to its German name, also bore the Slavic name Tretnik. As a child, the future composer listened to a lot of different folk melodies, which he remembered until the end of his life and used until his last symphonies.

The boy's musicality, voice and hearing were discovered very early. In his declining years, he recalled how at the age of five he sang along with his father, who played simple pieces on the harp, and in his sixth year he played the clavier, violin and sang in the church choir that performed masses. In 1737, his father sent him to study with a relative, I.M. Frank, the rector of a school in the neighboring town of Hainburg. He taught the boys not only reading, writing and arithmetic (however, Haydn never wrote a single letter without errors), but also singing and playing the violin. Frank was the director of the parish church choir, which participated in the service, performing not too difficult works, both without accompaniment and with organ, violins, and sometimes with brass instruments and timpani.

Haydn first learned to play the timpani, then mastered wind and string instruments. “To the death I will remain grateful to this teacher for making me learn so much,” said Haydn in his old age, “but I still received more cuffs than food.”

His beautiful treble voice and hard work made the boy famous in the town, and when the Viennese composer, conductor of St. Stephen’s Cathedral G. von Reuter, who was recruiting young singers, came there, he liked Haydn. So at the age of 8 he became a choirmaster at the largest Vienna cathedral and until he was 17 he studied singing, playing the violin and composition. True, Reuter, burdened with many responsibilities and preoccupied with his court career, managed to give him only two lessons during Haydn’s nine years in the chapel. But the boy studied independently and even tried to compose polyphonic spiritual works. He attracted the attention of Empress Maria Theresa herself, which, however, did not prevent him from being thrown out into the street when his voice was breaking.

In November 1749, the most difficult eight years in Haydn's life began. He gave lessons, sang in church choirs, played the violin in ensembles, accompanied singers, but never lost heart and studied greedily: from the Italian opera composer N. Porpora, paying by accompanying his student singers, analyzing the keyboard sonatas of F.E. . Bach, studying books on composition, listening to the music of Vienna. And she was very different. Divertissements and serenades sounded in the streets, Austrian comedies with simple folk songs and lush Italian operas were performed in the theaters. Sacred music sounded not only in cathedrals, but also on the streets.

Haydn, who, in his own words, “composed diligently until late at night,” worked in different genres. The first surviving work is a small mass written around 1750. The following year, his singspiel “The Lame Demon” was staged at the theater of the Vienna suburb “At the Carinthian Gate”. 1755 brought the first string quartet, 1759 the first symphony. These genres, with the exception of the singspiel, would later become the most important in the composer’s work.

Of particular importance was the string quartet, one of the leading genres of classicism. Quartets sounded on the streets of Vienna, in the homes of ordinary citizens, and in the palaces of the nobility. And Haydn created them all his life - his first quartets are marked opus 1, and 43 years later the composer wrote quartet No. 83, opus 103 - it became Haydn’s last work.

The fame that the young musician gradually acquired in Vienna helped him get his first job - with Count Morcin. Haydn wrote the first five symphonies for his chapel (1759–1761). In a year and a half of working for the count, he managed to get married, and in the most unexpected way. The 28-year-old composer was in love with the youngest daughter of the court hairdresser, but she retired to a monastery, and he became the husband of her older sister, 32-year-old Maria Anna Keller. The marriage turned out to be extremely unsuccessful: Haydn’s wife was a grumpy prude, wasteful and did not appreciate her husband’s talent. She used his manuscripts for curlers and stands for pate. Family life - without love, home comfort, desired children - lasted almost forty years.

The year 1761 was a turning point in the composer’s life: on May 1, he entered into a contract with Prince P. A. Esterhazy and for almost thirty years, until the death of his brother and heir (1790), he remained the court conductor of this wealthy aristocratic Hungarian family. The Esterhazy princes lived in Vienna only in winter; their main residences were in the small town of Eisenstadt and the Esterhazy estate. And Haydn had to exchange his stay in the capital, full of many artistic impressions, for a monotonous existence on the estate for six years. After the death of Prince Paul Anton, his brother Nikolaus renovated and expanded the chapel, which now has 16 people. The estate had two theaters - for operas and dramas and for puppet shows. An Italian troupe played there.

The composer's position was quite dependent, which, however, was considered natural until the last decades of the 18th century (on the contrary, Mozart's act of breaking with the Archbishop of Salzburg seemed unusual). Haydn, who experienced poverty in his youth, secured a comfortable, quiet life for himself, although over the course of three decades even this gentle man, hardened by early trials, armed with patience and humor, found himself on the verge of a breakdown: “Here I sit in my desert - abandoned - like a poor orphan - almost without the company of people - sad... for three days I did not know whether I was a bandmaster or a conductor... I slept little, and even dreams haunted me.” “I had a good prince, but at times I was forced to depend on low souls. I often sighed, dreaming of deliverance…” he wrote in his declining years.

The contract stipulated in detail that the composer was obliged to compose such plays as his lordship required, not to show them to anyone, and especially not to make copies, and not to write anything for anyone without the prince’s permission. He had to stay with the prince at his residences and live in Vienna much less than he would have liked. Haydn never had a chance to visit Italy, the classical country of music where, if possible, all musicians went. On the other hand, the absence of everyday worries gave the composer time for creativity, and the orchestra, which was at his complete disposal, gave him room for experimentation. As Haydn himself wrote, “I could, as an orchestra leader, try, observe what made an impression and what weakened it - and therefore improve, add, cut off, take risks... in this way I had to become original.”

Haydn's early symphonies were written for the relatively small composition at his disposal: flute, two oboes, bassoon, two horns and strings. But this did not stop him from creating colorful paintings in a unique program cycle “Time of Day” (1761) - the symphonies “Morning” (No. 6), “Noon” (No. 7), “Evening” (No. 8). Gradually, the composer gets the opportunity to include new instruments in the orchestra - timpani (for the first time in symphony No. 13), two trumpets (No. 20). But he never had the chance to become acquainted with clarinets at that time.

The number of movements of Haydn's symphonies and their character have not yet been established: his early symphonies were three-, four-, five-movement, some began with a slow movement and ended with a minuet. Only from Symphony No. 31 are the mandatory four movements approved, the first of which is a sonata allegro. Haydn wrote quickly: in four years (1762–1765) he created more than twenty symphonies.

But the composer is not only busy creating symphonies and string quartets. He runs the theater in Eszterhaz. Under his leadership, about 90 operas were staged - both his own and the works of his contemporaries edited by him. The composer's late love is connected with the Italian theater troupe. He admitted: “My wife was childless, and therefore I ... became less indifferent to the charm of other females.” One of these charmers was 19-year-old Neapolitan Luigia Polzelli. The singer's husband, much older than her, was a violinist. Their family life did not work out, and Luigia gave preference to 48-year-old Haydn. He had a strong passion for her for many years. He achieved an extension of her contract, simplified the vocal parts and never entrusted the main ones, understanding the limitations of her capabilities. It is unlikely that this long-term relationship brought him real happiness: Luigia was narrow-minded, selfish and constantly demanded money. Haydn took an active part in raising her two sons. However, after the death of his wife, despite Luigi’s insistent demands, he did not marry her (he was then 68 years old) and in the final version of his will, he halved the originally intended pension, because “there are more in need than her.”

The main genre of Haydn's work always remained the symphony. At the turn of the 60-70s, pathetic works appeared one after another, often in a minor key, which were later given appropriate names - not by the author: No. 49 (1768) - “Passion”, No. 44 (presumably - 1771) - Funeral, No. 45 (1772) - Farewell song, which is still popular. They reflected the composer’s difficult experiences, but at the same time one can hear an emotional response to the new style movement emerging in German literature, called “storm and stress” (one of the most famous works of this style is the novel in the letters of J. V. Goethe “Sorrows”) young Werther").

Along with the pathetic ones, symphonies of a different type appeared in the same years. One of the most festive, brilliant, with trumpets and timpani is No. 48, performed in Eszterhaz on September 1, 1773, when the empress visited the estate. The title “Maria Theresa” reminds us of this, while other symphonies were assigned titles given by listeners based on the details of the music that struck them. Thus, No. 55, with clear, pedantic variations of the second movement, is known as “The School Teacher”; No. 73, imitating the sound of hunting horns in the finale - “Hunting”; No. 82, with an imitation in the finale of the tunes of bear guides against the background of humming bagpipes - “Bear”; No. 83, with the cackling side theme of the first movement, “Chicken,” etc.

The last two symphonies are among the Paris symphonies (Nos. 82–87) and testify to Haydn’s popularity, which crossed the borders of Austria in the 70s and 80s. They were written by order of the Parisian concert society, which bore the Masonic name “Olympic Lodge”. At the same time, in the mid-80s, the composer received orders from Madrid (oratorio “The Seven Words of the Savior on the Cross”) and Naples (concerts for a rare instrument - a hurdy-gurdy played by the king), his works were published in London, and competing English entrepreneurs invite him on tour. But the most amazing thing is that on April 27, 1781, two of Haydn’s symphonies were performed in New York! His name is becoming famous in Russia. At the end of 1781, when the future Emperor Paul I was in Vienna, Haydn dedicated 6 quartets opus 33 to him, called “Russian”, and gave his wife lessons in playing the harpsichord.

These years were illuminated by friendship with Mozart, which was never overshadowed by envy or rivalry. Mozart claimed that it was from Haydn that he first learned how to write string quartets, and dedicated six quartets of 1785 to his older friend, whom he usually called “Papa Haydn,” with a touching preface. And Haydn considered Mozart “the greatest composer the world now has” and all his life he recalled the impression that Mozart’s playing made on him. Almost simultaneously, both composers joined the Masonic order: Mozart in the Crowned Hope lodge, Haydn in Towards True Unanimity (1785). However, unlike Mozart, Haydn did not write Masonic music. The last two decades of the composer's life are sharply different from the previous ones. Continuing to be listed as the court conductor of Esterhazy, Haydn finally received his freedom. This happened in 1790, when the heir of Prince Nikolaus dissolved the chapel. At the same time, the composer moved to Vienna, and in 1791 he went on tour to England at the invitation of the London impresario J.P. Salomon. According to the contract, Haydn had to write six symphonies and perform them in London, and, in addition, compose an opera and 20 other works. Salomon placed at the composer's disposal one of the best orchestras of the time, consisting of 40 people and including clarinets, which Haydn had not yet used in symphonies. The year and a half of his stay in London, during which symphonies Nos. 93–98 were written, became truly triumphant for him.

The second London tour was no less successful, which also lasted a year and a half (1794–1795) and brought the last six symphonies (Nos. 99-104), which became the pinnacle of the composer’s work. In total, during two trips to England, Haydn wrote about 280 works. On July 8, 1791, Haydn was awarded the title of Doctor of Music by Oxford, the oldest university in England. On this occasion, Symphony No. 92, written before the trip, and called the Oxford Symphony, was performed.

English life amazed the composer. London, this, in his words, “infinitely large city” with unbearable street noise, more than once made him remember cozy Vienna, where he could work so calmly. Musical life was booming and, being organized on a commercial basis with inevitable advertising and competition, differed sharply from the musical life of Austria. There were many different societies, corporations, academies, foundations that gave symphony, choral, and solo concerts - from Westminster Abbey and theaters to parks and clubs. An unprecedented - more than a thousand - number of performers took part in the regularly held celebrations in honor of Handel. Rival entrepreneurs also dragged Haydn into their struggle: they tried to bribe him, organized hostile speeches in the press, and expelled the rival composer from abroad. However, nothing could shake Haydn's success. Already his first concert became a major social event. The composer was greeted with loud applause and demanded that the slow part of the new symphony be repeated. The benefit brought him almost twice as much income as was provided for in the contract. He did not suffer losses even due to the fact that the opera series “The Soul of a Philosopher” written for London was not staged - the fee was paid to him in advance. Haydn received an offer from the king to stay in England forever, but refused.

Upon returning to his homeland, Haydn saw the first of the monuments erected to him - not far from Rohrau. A concert was held in Vienna, where three of his new symphonies were performed, and the maestro’s student, Beethoven, performed his piano concert. Their meeting took place in Beethoven's hometown, Bonn, which Haydn visited on his way to London. And although the lessons were not without friction, Beethoven treated the old composer with great respect and dedicated three piano sonatas opus 2 to him.

In the last decade of his life, under the influence of the grandiose Handel Festival at Westminster Cathedral, Haydn showed great interest in choral music. He creates six masses and the oratorios “The Creation of the World” and “The Seasons”. Haydn's 76th birthday was celebrated with a performance of "The Creation" in the assembly hall of the University of Vienna. Romain Rolland wrote: “The highest aristocracy, mingling with musicians, waited at the doors of the university for the son of a coachman from Rohrau, who arrived in the carriage of Prince Esterhazy. With the thunder of trumpets and timpani, to the sound of applause, he was carried into the hall. Prince Lobkowitz, Salieri and Beethoven kissed his hand. Princess Esterhazy and two other noble ladies took off their cloaks to wrap the old man's feet. The frenzy of the audience, screams, and enthusiastic tears were beyond the power of the author of “The Creation of the World.” He retired in tears in the middle of his oratorio and blessed Vienna from the threshold...” Haydn died on May 31, 1809 in Vienna, occupied by Napoleonic troops. The French emperor himself, having learned of his death, gave the order to place a guard of honor at the door of his house. The funeral took place on June 1. However, when in 1820 Prince Esterhazy ordered the reburial of Haydn’s remains in the church of Eisenstadt, and the coffin was opened, it turned out that there was no skull under the surviving wig (it was stolen to study the structural features and, moreover, to protect it from destruction). The skull was connected to the remains only in the middle of the next century, on June 5, 1954.

Symphony No. 45, F sharp minor, “Farewell” (1772)

Orchestra composition: 2 oboes, bassoon, 2 horns, strings (no more than 9 people).

At the turn of the 60-70s, a stylistic turning point occurred in the composer’s work. One after another, pathetic symphonies appear, often in a minor key. They represent Haydn's new style, linking his search for expressiveness with the German literary movement of Sturm und Drang.

The name “Farewell” was assigned to symphony No. 45, and there are several explanations for this. One thing, according to Haydn himself, was preserved in the memoirs of his contemporaries. At the time of writing this symphony, Haydn served in the chapel of Prince Esterhazy, one of the Hungarian magnates, whose wealth and luxury rivaled those of the Emperor. Their main residences were located in the town of Eisenstadt and the Esterhaz estate. In January 1772, Prince Nikolaus Esterhazy ordered that during his stay in Esterhazy the families of the chapel musicians (there were then 16 of them) should live there. Only in the absence of the prince could the musicians leave Eszterhaz and visit their wives and children. An exception was made only for the conductor and first violinist.

That year, the prince stayed at the estate for an unusually long time, and the orchestra members, exhausted by their bachelor life, turned to their leader, the bandmaster, for help. Haydn cleverly solved this problem and managed to convey the musicians' request to the prince during the performance of his new, Forty-fifth Symphony. According to another version, the request related to the salary that the prince had not paid to the orchestra for a long time, and the symphony contained a hint that the musicians were ready to say goodbye to the chapel. Another legend is exactly the opposite: the prince himself decided to dissolve the chapel, leaving the orchestra members without a livelihood. And finally, the last, dramatic one, put forward by the romantics in the 19th century: The Farewell Symphony embodies farewell to life. However, the title is missing from the score manuscript. The inscription at the beginning - partly in Latin, partly in Italian - reads: “Symphony in F sharp minor. In the name of God from me, Giuseppe Haydn. 772,” and at the end in Latin: “Praise God!”

The first performance took place in Eszterhaz in the autumn of the same 1772 by the princely chapel under the direction of Haydn.

The farewell symphony stands apart in Haydn's work. Its tonality is unusual - F-sharp minor, rarely used at that time. The eponymous major, in which the symphony ends and in which the minuet is written, is also not typical for the 18th century. But what is most unique is the symphony's slow conclusion, a kind of additional adagio following the finale, which is why the Farewell Symphony is often considered a five-movement symphony.

The pathetic character of the first movement is already determined in the main part, which opens the symphony immediately, without a slow introduction. The expressive theme of the violins, falling along the tones of a minor triad, is aggravated by the characteristic syncopated rhythm of the accompaniment, juxtapositions of forte and piano, and sudden modulations into minor keys. A side part sounds in one of the minor keys, which is unexpected for a classical symphony (the major key of the same name is assumed). The secondary, as usual with Haydn, is not melodically independent and repeats the main one, only with a falling moaning motif of the violins at the end. The short final game, also in a minor key, with winding, seemingly pleading moves, further enhances the woeful pathos of the exposition, almost devoid of major foundations. But the development immediately asserts the major key, and its second section forms a bright episode with a new theme - peaceful, gallantly rounded. After a pause, the main theme is proclaimed with sudden force and the reprise begins. More dynamic, it is devoid of repetitions and is full of active development.

The second part - adagio - is light and serene, refined and gallant. The sound is predominantly of a string quartet (the double bass part is not highlighted), and the violins are muted, the dynamics are within the pianissimo range. A sonata form with similar themes is used, with a development performed by strings alone, and a compressed reprise, in which the main part is decorated with a “golden move” of horns.

The third movement - the minuet - is reminiscent of a village dance with a constant juxtaposition of the effects of piano (only the violin) and forte (the whole orchestra), with a clearly articulated theme and an abundance of repetitions. The trio begins with a “golden move” of horns, and at the end there is an unexpected darkening - the major gives way to the minor, anticipating the mood of the finale. The return of the first section makes one forget about this fleeting shadow.

The fourth part figuratively echoes the first. The side part is again not melodically independent, but, unlike the minor main part, it is colored in carefree major tones. The development, although small, is a truly classic example of the mastery of motivic development. The reprise is gloomy, does not repeat the exposition, but suddenly ends on the rise... After a general pause, a new adagio with variations begins. The gentle theme, presented in thirds, seems serene, but the sonority gradually fades away, and a feeling of anxiety arises. One by one, the instruments fall silent, the musicians, having finished their part, extinguish the candles burning in front of their consoles and leave. After the first variations, the wind instrument players leave the orchestra. The departure of the string section musicians begins with the bass; a viola and two violins remain on stage and, finally, a duet of violins and mutes quietly finishes their touching passages.

Such an unprecedented finale always made an irresistible impression: “When the orchestra members began to extinguish the candles and quietly leave, everyone’s hearts sank... When the faint sounds of the last violin finally died away, the listeners began to leave, silent and moved...” wrote the Leipzig newspaper in 1799. “And no one laughed, because it was not written for fun,” Schumann echoed almost forty years later.

Symphony No. 94, G major, “With a Timpani Strike,” “Surprise” (1792)

Orchestra composition: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, strings.

Symphony No. 98, B-flat major (1792)

Orchestra composition: flute, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, strings.

At the end of 1790, Haydn, who had just been released from almost 30 years of service in the chapel of the Esterhazy princes and was living in Vienna at that time, came to see Haydn, the famous violinist John Peter Salomon, who entered into a contract with him on very favorable terms for a tour in London. . The composer was to write, among other works, six symphonies for Salomon's orchestra - unusually large for the time (40 people) and having only recently included clarinets in the symphony orchestra. Despite the fears of his friends, who were afraid that the almost 60-year-old composer would not survive the voyage and would feel bad in England, not knowing the language, Haydn did not hesitate - he wanted to fully enjoy freedom and glory. He celebrated the New Year 1791 on English soil, where he stayed for a year and a half. Glory was not long in coming. All newspapers reported about his arrival, many people wanted to meet him, he was honored at concerts, received at court balls, and invited to accompany the heir to the throne at the palace. And in July, the forced bandmaster of the princes Esterhazy, who had difficulty writing letters in his native language, became a doctor of music at Oxford, the oldest university in England. In honor of this event, Symphony No. 92, written before the tour, called Oxford, was performed.

Struck by the greatness of London and the noise that reigned on its streets, Haydn was no less surprised by the activity of musical life, the abundance of concert organizations that worked on a commercial basis and used all means of competition. He himself was drawn into it. Salomon's first concert, which was twice postponed, was preceded by a concert by his competitor, the head of the Professional Concerts, who thereby managed to present one of Haydn's symphonies to Londoners earlier. However, this did not prevent the success of the composer’s original concert, in which his new symphony, written especially for London, was performed. He was greeted with loud applause, which was unusual - in Eszterhaz this was how the prince was greeted, not his bandmaster. The new symphony was liked so much that the public demanded a repetition of the slow movement. And this became a tradition: the second movements of Haydn’s symphonies were usually encored in London. Concerts were held every week with a full hall. And Haydn’s benefit performance, which took place two months later, in addition to artistic success, also brought material success - the income turned out to be twice as much as the contract with Salomon provided for.

At the beginning of the next season, representatives of the rival Professional Concertos came to Haydn and tried to lure him away from Salomon by offering more favorable terms. When the composer refused, his former student, composer and conductor I. Pleyel, was invited from Strasbourg, who was supposed to become his rival, confirming the claims of the bribed newspapers that the old master had written himself off. However, Pleyel showed respect for his teacher everywhere and performed his symphony at the very first concert. Nevertheless, the alarmed Salomon asked Haydn to write a new composition for each concert.

In such conditions, the first six symphonies, called London symphonies (Nos. 93–98), were created. They embodied the best features of Haydn's late style and, with the exception of one (No. 95), are similar in character. Pictures of overflowing folk fun, an abundance of dance rhythms and humorous touches, variations on the themes of genuine folk songs or themes composed by the composer in the folk spirit, a classic double orchestra with two pairs of brass (horns and trumpets) and timpani - these are their distinctive features. The first sonata allegro lacks contrast, but is contrasted with the slow introduction.

The premiere of the 94th symphony took place on March 23, 1792 in London in Salomon's concert under the direction of the author and was a resounding success.

The symphony begins with a very slow, adagio-tempo introduction, built on a comparison of phrases of wind and string instruments, which is contrasted by a very fast sonata allegro (vivace assai). The exposition, full of unbridled fun, seems to have been written in one breath. The development captures the mastery of Haydn's motivic development, with minor keys dominating, further enhanced by chromatic harmonies. The return of the bright main part in a reprise is striking in its unexpectedness.

The second, slow movement is variations on the theme of a Moravian children's song. Very simple, with a lot of repetitions, it is instantly remembered, and any listener, leaving the concert, takes it with him. Haydn loved the melody, and a few years later he used it in the plowman's aria in the oratorio The Seasons. In the symphony, the presentation of the theme is accompanied by a humorous effect: after the piano and pianissimo strings, suddenly a thunderous fortissimo chord is heard from the entire orchestra, in which the timpani strike stands out - hence the various names of the symphony, given to it by no means by the author - “With the strike of the timpani”, “Surprise”. Various legends are associated with this effect. According to one of them, the composer noticed that the audience at the concert had dozed off, and decided to wake them up in this way. According to another, the surprise was planned in advance.

The minuet reproduces the images of an unpretentious folk dance. The elastic theme is led by flutes, violins and bassoons in the octave, the texture of the accompaniment anticipates the waltz. In the middle section, development techniques characteristic of the sonata allegro are used. The trio is built on the theme of the minuet, which is entrusted to the first violins and the octave bassoon. This technique, borrowed from the practice of folk music-making, was considered unworthy of a high genre. One of the modern critics wrote: “When I hear Haydn’s minuets in octaves, it seems to me that two beggars - father and son - are singing nasally, begging for alms.” The element of dance also reigns in the finale, which echoes the first part. The lively theme of the violins with sudden rhythmic interruptions is repeated many times, varying, as if all new dancers are joining a common round dance. After a general pause, the main part becomes the background against which the violin, oboe and flute weave their patterns. Between these topics are episodes in which the motives of the main party are developed with the addition of various humorous details. A whirlwind coda completes the picture of folk fun. Symphony No. 98 completes the first series of London symphonies, but its premiere was not the last (the 94th was performed later). The symphony was performed in Salomon concerts conducted by the author on March 2, 1892 and was a great success.

A harsh minor-key slow introduction, built on a sharp juxtaposition of sonorities. The contrast of the main part is due to the fact that it is an unexpected version of the opening theme - danceable, moving, cheerful. The next contrast is formed by the development: in its polyphonic development, gloomy, anxious moods arise. And in the reprise, carefree fun reigns again. The slow movement opens and closes with a smooth, graceful, even gallant theme, intonated either by strings or wind instruments. The middle episode forms a dramatic contrast, bringing to mind the harsh introduction to the first part.

The lively minuet is permeated with humor and paints a picture of common people's fun. In the trio, where woodwinds play an important role, Haydn used his favorite technique, borrowed from the practice of everyday music playing: the melody is played by the violins and bassoon in the octave.

The fast-paced finale echoes the mood of the first part, but the comic effects are even more pronounced here. “It is difficult to resist their sparkling liveliness and infectious humor,” writes the famous Soviet critic A. Rabinovich. - The moments of the return of the main theme are made with inexhaustible inventiveness. It’s wonderful when sometimes two or three characteristic notes of its beginning appear in timid, abrupt figures in the violins alone, against the background of the silence of the rest of the orchestra; the first theme seems to stick its head through the door, and then, making sure that the place is free, jumps back onto the stage and spins in a fascinating dance.” In the development, a contrast emerges for the last time: the solo violin is contrasted with the menacing chords of the orchestra, reminiscent of one of Haydn's most dramatic symphonies - the Farewell. The sound of a solo violin also opens the reprise. The code affirms the inexhaustible joy of life.

Symphony No. 100, G major, Military (1794)

Orchestra composition: flute, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, triangle, cymbals, bass drum, strings.

Symphony No. 101, D major, “The Hours” (1794)

Symphony No. 103, E-flat major, “With tremolo timpani” (1795)

Orchestra composition: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, strings.

Symphony No. 104, D major (1795)

Orchestra composition: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, strings.

In the fall of 1793, the famous London entrepreneur and violinist J.P. Salomon offered Haydn a new contract for a tour to England. The first, which lasted a year and a half (1791–1792), brought the composer great moral satisfaction and considerable income. He had at his disposal one of the best orchestras of that time, consisting of 40 people, and there were from 12 to 16 violins alone, that is, almost the same number as all the musicians in the Prince Esterhazy Chapel, which Haydn led for almost 30 years.

The wind instruments were especially richly represented: in addition to a pair of oboes, bassoons and horns, it included two flutes and trumpets, which the princely bandmaster did not always have at his disposal, as well as two clarinets - this instrument had just entered the symphony orchestra and had never been used by Haydn. The composer wrote many new works for London, including his last opera, “The Soul of a Philosopher,” and six symphonies (Nos. 93–98), immediately performed under the direction of the author and called the London Symphonies. The slow parts, usually repeated at the request of the public, enjoyed particular success. Much - both good and bad - was unusual for Haydn in England. His concerts became a major public event, the composer was greeted with applause - only the prince was greeted in this way in Eszterhaz. The listeners were numerous music lovers from all walks of English society who paid for the pleasure. The scale of London, an “infinitely large city,” according to the composer, the number of various musical societies, corporations, academies, foundations that organized concerts from Westminster Abbey to clubs, the number of performers - everything was amazing.

The second trip, which also lasted a year and a half - from February 4, 1794 to August 15, 1795 - further strengthened Haydn's fame in London. Now Salomon had no competitors; the composer did not have to prove his superiority, as happened during the first tour. His works enjoyed enormous success, and his weekly concerts invariably drew a full house. At the last one, before the summer break - May 12, 1794 - three symphonies of Haydn were performed at once.

All of London was talking about him. According to the recollections of contemporaries, “sometimes it happened that some Englishman would approach Haydn and, having looked him up and down and exclaiming, “You are a great man,” he would leave.” By that time, Haydn had already mastered English so much that he could communicate. He wrote several choral works based on English texts, and also made arrangements of 445 Scottish and Welsh songs. In the summer, the 62-year-old composer went to explore the sights of England. He visited the spa in Bath, where ancient Roman baths were preserved; in the oldest Winchester Cathedral, on the Isle of Wight and on a warship in Plymouth; at Hampton Court Castle and the Bank of England; examined the ruins of a Catholic monastery and quarries where marble was mined; stayed in the country house of an Italian castrato and in the castle of an English lord. Everyone considered it an honor to host the famous composer.

He repeatedly received invitations from the royal family. He played music at the wedding of the Duke of York, the king’s youngest son: sitting at the clavier, he conducted his symphonies, performed by the heir to the throne, the Prince of Wales, who, according to the composer, “played the cello quite decently.” The same thing was repeated at the prince’s musical evenings, where almost exclusively Haydn’s music was played. And two days after the wedding of the heir to the throne, Haydn sang German and English folk songs with the newlywed. The king convinced him to stay in England forever, the queen tempted him with offers to play music at Windsor Palace. However, the composer refused, citing obligations to Prince Esterhazy, and even remembered his unloved wife left in Vienna (whom he once called a hellish beast).

All of Haydn's last symphonies were created according to a single plan, are similar in character and embody the best features of the composer's late style. The four-part cycle opens with a slow introduction; it contrasts with the sonata allegro, which, on the contrary, lacks the contrast between the main and secondary parts. The full-blooded joy of being reigns in the music; it is nourished by a variety of folklore sources - dance and song, with numerous humorous effects. Inventive motivic, variational, polyphonic development is combined with harmonious harmony and clarity of form. The sonata allegro is followed by slow variations, followed by a lively minuet with a more intimate trio. The conclusion is a rapid finale, combining the features of sonata allegro and rondo. The sound of a classical double orchestra, including a new instrument - the clarinet (it first appeared in Mozart's symphonies in 1788), is striking in its lightness and fullness. And in the Sota, the two movements also feature percussion instruments unusual for 18th-century symphonies, borrowed from a military orchestra (triangle, cymbals, bass drum). It was the appearance of new drums, the strengthening of the role of wind instruments, as well as marching rhythms, that gave it the name (not the author’s) - “Military”.

Symphony No. 100 was composed in 1794 and was first performed with great success under Haydn in Salomon's concert on March 31.

The general character of the symphony is already determined in the slow introduction. The dotted rhythm, the timbre of the bassoons, and the final loud tutti chords with the tremolo of the timpani conceal the melodiousness of the calmly focused theme. And the main theme of the sonata allegro, related to it intonationally, sounds like a brass band (flute and two oboes) and is only presented for the second time with strings. But its character - cheerful, danceable - is typical of Haydn's last symphonies, as is the absence of an independent side part. But the final one attracts attention: very simple, built on constant repetitions, it has the irresistible charm of Viennese everyday music. It is this that forms the basis of the development, which captivates with its continuity of development. The variation of the final theme continues in the reprise, where it occupies a much larger place than the main one, and even opposes it, playing the role of a secondary one.

The music of the second movement was written almost ten years before the symphony, for one of five concerts for a rare instrument - a hurdy-gurdy (it was played by the King of Naples, who commissioned them from Haydn in 1785). The form is the composer's favorite variations, in which his inexhaustible inventiveness and subtle skill are especially clearly demonstrated. The presentation of the melodious, elegant theme is unpretentious - flute and violins, and for the second time - oboes and clarinets sounding for the first time in the symphony. Particularly interesting are the minor variations in the center of the movement. The theme takes on a militant character when performed by a full orchestra with brass and percussion. In the process of further variation, Haydn finds new effects, among which the most unexpected is the militant signal of the solo trumpet, ending with the tremolo of the solo timpani, which grows from pianissimo to fortissimo. The orchestra's alarming, unstable chord is sustained for a long time - like a warning of impending danger. But this is only a moment - the movement ends with the return of graceful initial motives in a jubilant C major. In the Military Symphony, even the minuet takes on a warlike appearance and an unusually energetic sound. The rhythm is played by, among other instruments, horns, trumpets and timpani; in the middle of the minuet the main motive is repeated out of time by the bass. What emerges is a picture of not even a common peasant dance, but a rough soldier’s dance. And the chamber-sounding trio is marked by a dotted rhythm, rare for Haydn, which completely deprives this music of smooth danceability.

But the element of dance reigns in the finale, endlessly varying the light, swirling theme. In its development there are a lot of humorous effects, coloristic comparisons of distant tonalities, contrasts of orchestral groups, unexpected pauses and sforzandos. The main part is so persistent that it completely absorbs the side part: the rapid movement simply subsides for a few bars, the basses of the string group and the violin echo with individual scattered staccato sounds. It is wonderful to carry out a side part in a reprise - against the background of the turns of the main part, accompanied by the “golden move” of the horns, to the sound of all the percussion. And in the coda, on this elegant accompaniment, the jubilant main theme sounds for the last time.

Symphony No. 101 premiered before the Military Symphony, No. 100, on March 3, 1794, in Salomon's concerto conducted by Haydn, and was a great success. The title “The Hours,” not given by the author, arose due to a peculiar effect in the slow movement, as was the case with other titles (“Surprise,” “Military”).

The symphony opens with an introduction at a very slow tempo (adagio). Minor, with an abundance of chromaticisms, with a linear theme presented polyphonically in the middle voices, it develops as if with difficulty and foreshadows music of a completely different type than the carefree sonata allegro that sounds after it, at the fastest tempo (presto). The main part of the strings is staccato - light, rapidly rushing upward - forms a bright contrast to the thoughts of the introduction, although intonationally it grew out of it. What gives it a special piquancy is its division not into four beats, as is typical of classical music, but into five beats. Side parts in Haydn's later symphonies often represent a re-statement of the main dominant in the tonality. In this same symphony, the mood is general, but the themes are independent: the secondary one is not so fast-paced, more intimate and feminine. In development, both themes are dramatized. Lightheartedness returns in a reprise. The coda is another variation of the main theme with a different orchestration.

The slow part is permeated with the incessant ticking of a clock - a measured accompaniment rhythm. Haydn, in his favorite form of variations, amazes with his perfect skill and inexhaustible ingenuity. The melodious theme is saturated with truly vocal coloraturas and an abundance of repetitions, which gives it a resemblance to an Italian opera aria. In the process of variation, it changes the orchestral outfit, becomes dramatized, and acquires tonal freedom, which is not characteristic of the classical type of variations.

A rough minuet is juxtaposed with the exquisite andante. Dynamic and textural contrasts, rhythmic interruptions, jumps at large intervals paint a picture of a peasant holiday. The trio is dominated by a muted sonority, occasionally disturbed by noisy exclamations of tutti. The easily soaring staccato flute playing in the upper register is reminiscent of the main theme of the first movement - a technique rare in the 18th century. The melody sometimes comes into comical contradiction with the harmony, and a humorous dialogue arises - flutes and bassoons at a distance of three octaves. The minuet ends with an exact repetition of the first section (da capo).

The picture of the folk festival unfolds in the finale. In the theme, which constantly returns in various versions, one can hear echoes of the lively passages of the first movement, and the awkward leaps of the minuet, and the humorous dialogues of his trio, and even - in some places - the uniform ticking of the andante clock. In this rondo form the episodes are contrasting. The first is lyrical, with Haydn’s favorite presentation of the theme in octave, borrowed from the practice of everyday music-making. The second is a complex fugato, distinguished by exceptional polyphonic skill. A dizzying coda establishes the main theme in the brilliant sound of horns and trumpets against a backdrop of jubilant passages of strings and woodwork.

Haydn's last London season was no longer associated with the concerts of Salomon (he abandoned his enterprise in January 1795), but with the Opera concerts of G. Viotti, the famous Italian violinist and composer. They opened on 2 February 1795 and were held twice a month at the Theater Royal under the direction of Cramer. The orchestra was even larger than Salomon's, approaching the modern one in size: it consisted of 60 people. The best musicians who were then in London wished to take part in the performance of Haydn’s last three symphonies. The premiere of the 103rd symphony took place on March 2, 1795 under the direction of the author and was a resounding success.

The slow introduction opens with the tremolo of the solo timpani, and this first sound so struck the audience at the premiere that it gave its name to the entire work. The majestic theme, entrusted to the bass instruments, slowly rises up. Stops on unstable harmonies, sudden sforzandos on the weak beat of the bar give it the features of hiddenness and some severity. The sonata allegro, united by a common mood, sounds even more carefree. Both the main and side parts are an elegant light dance, only the main part is intoned by strings, and in the side part the violins and oboe are soloists. In development, motifs isolated from the main theme develop polyphonically; The theme of the introduction suddenly invades, subordinate to the general movement of the main one. Once again, but in its original form, the introduction is repeated in the coda, which is unusual for 18th-century symphonies. At the end, its theme transforms into a cheerful dance and smoothly transitions into the main part in a new orchestral outfit - the solo horns.

The slow movement is one of Haydn's most remarkable andantes. These are variations on two very bright folklore themes. The first, minor, for the strings, coincides with the Croatian folk song “On the Lawn”, although by ear its melodic and rhythmic turns are perceived as Hungarian. The second is a major version of the first. Folklore origins are also clear in its unusual harmonic coloring. Both themes vary consistently, enriched with new colors: either the virtuoso part of the solo violin or the scanned rhythm of the brass and timpani are highlighted.

The minuet is a rough peasant dance, solid, with sharp accents, syncopations and sudden stops. The echo effect in the winds completes the first figure of the dance, and from it the more lyrical second is born, foreshadowing the music of Schubert with its colorful sound. The trio features only strings with a smooth, rounded melody. Interspersed with their canonical roll calls is a bassoon phrase; the original cadence imitates the sounds of bagpipes.

The finale, one of the most complex in Haydn's symphonic work, combines seemingly incompatible, but equally typical features of the composer's style: dance themes in the folk spirit and ancient techniques of polyphonic writing. At the same time, two themes are presented: a strict one, based on the “golden course” of the horns, and a dance folklore theme for the violins, actively developing in canonical imitations. A picture of a folk festival emerges, for the embodiment of which Haydn masterfully combines the principles of sonata form and rondo.

Symphony No. 104 premiered on May 4, 1795. This was Haydn’s farewell benefit performance, about which he wrote in his diary: “The hall was filled with a select group. Everyone was very pleased, and so was I. This evening brought me four thousand guilders."

The 104th Symphony completes not only the 12 London symphonies, but also Haydn’s entire symphonic work, embodying the best features of his late style. Full of the joy of being, with various folklore sources - song and dance - the four-part cycle is based on a contrasting alternation of tempos. The slow introduction is juxtaposed with a sonata allegro, devoid of the contrast of the main and secondary parts. This is followed by slow variations, a lively minuet with a more intimate trio and a rapid finale combining features of sonata form and rondo. Forms with inventive motivic, variational and polyphonic development are characterized by harmonious harmony and clarity, while the sound of the orchestra with numerous humorous effects is characterized by lightness and fullness. The composition of the orchestra is classic: with four pairs of woodwinds, two pairs of brass (horns and trumpets), timpani and strings. This is how the symphony approached the threshold of the new, 19th century, which opened with the first symphonies of Beethoven.

The majestic slow introduction (adagio) is written in a minor key and is distinguished by its pathetic character and gloomy mood, which is rarely found in Haydn’s last symphonies. The opening unisons of the orchestra with a characteristic dotted rhythm evoke associations with a funeral march. Against this background, the short motif of the violins sounds like a bitter complaint. The Adagio, which forms a complete, albeit miniature, three-part form, mysteriously ends with a long pause... And immediately a cheerful, typically Haydn image appears - the main part: perky, light, danceable. It dominates the entire first part: in the dominant key it appears as a secondary part; polyphonically develops in development; twice, as main and side and returns in reprise.

The theme of the slow second movement, light, soft, rounded, is initially presented only by strings. Only when it is repeated does the bassoon enter: Haydn uses a typical technique of everyday music-making - presenting the theme in an octave. The variations are varied and show the different possibilities of the modest theme. Already the first variation, minor, explodes with the intense sound of the entire fortissimo orchestra. In another, the ticking of a clock is heard, reminiscent of Symphony No. 101, known as “The Clock.” Surprisingly for Haydn's style, a declamatory flute solo in a free tempo against the backdrop of a colorful chain of chromatic chords. The final variation is distinguished by gentle, soothing intonations and beautifully ends with the “golden move” of the horns on pianissimo.

The minuet is another rough peasant dance, of which there are many in Haydn's symphonies. At first, everyone dances - with stamping feet, with dashing accents on the last, weak beat of the bar. Then the same theme sounds pianissimo, transparent and smooth, as if a female group were dancing. Then there are humorous lapses in rhythm. In the chamber trio, distant romantic calls with colorful harmonic turns are heard, while Haydn’s favorite implementation of the theme with violins and bassoon in the octave is reminiscent of everyday music-making.

The finale is imbued with the folk spirit and evokes all the more direct associations with the village festival, since it is based on the original Croatian song “Oh, Elena”. Perky and cheerful, it sounds from the violins, then is picked up by the oboe, and the extended basses of the horns and cellos, bassoons and double basses imitate the hum of a peasant bagpipe. As in the first movement, the secondary part’s theme takes the place of the main part in the dominant key and in a new orchestration. Suddenly the dance is interrupted - a strict polyphonic chorale of violins and bassoons sounds (the second secondary theme). It is repeated twice more: at the end of the development in a more complex, polyphonic presentation, and in a reprise. However, the temperamental code is dominated by unbridled fun. It was with this picture of jubilant folk dance that the 63-year-old composer said goodbye to the symphony forever.

Austrian composer, “father” of the symphony and quartet. His compositional heritage includes over 100 symphonies, more than 80 quartets, more than 50 sonatas written for clavier, more than 30 operas, oratorios and many musical works of other genres.

Haydn was born near the Austrian capital of Vienna in the village of Rohrau in 1732. His parents were not rich people; they did not have money for their children’s education. Meanwhile, the family had many children. Is it a joke? Seventeen children!!! Haydn inherited his musical talent from his father, who, without having a musical education, played the harp and sang beautifully. At the same time, the father did not know the notes at all. Franz Haydn, who was fascinated by music, decided to become a singer in a church choir. He was then only eight years old.

The talented boy was noticed. The choir director told his parents that the boy must be sent to Vienna because he had a good voice and outstanding musical abilities. The parents allowed the trip without thinking that when the boy’s voice began to break, he would find himself completely useless and alone in the big city. And so it happened. The boy was asked to leave the church chapel. He was simply put out on the street. Nevertheless, Haydn became an outstanding composer. He got a job with the composer Nicolo Porpora. The work was not related to music: Haydn was a servant, cleaning clothes and shoes. For this, the old composer gave Haydn useful advice on music.

Abilities and perseverance have borne fruit. Haydn in 1759 became bandmaster for the Czech Count Morcin, and later for the Hungarian rich man Prince Esterhazy. The job of the conductor was not only to lead the chapel. Haydn's duties included teaching musicians. Haydn had to monitor the safety of the chapel's inventory, and at the same time the prince demanded that he compose symphonies, quartets and operas. He had to compose musical works in a very short time: Haydn was often given only one day for this. This is how Haydn worked for thirty long years. Moreover, all the composer’s works were the property of the insatiable Prince Nicholas Esterhazy the Magnificent. After the death of the prince, the rights to Haydn’s works began to belong to his heirs, who did not understand anything about music, but did not give up the manuscripts, having lost some of them.

But such work as a bandmaster also had its positive sides for the composer: Haydn constantly listened to his works performed by the orchestra entrusted to him and brought them to perfection. Haydn was given the nickname "Dad". Even the great Mozart called him that, who considered Haydn his mentor.

Haydn was a cheerful, cheerful person and a great joker. And he composed the same music: cheerful, light, playful. He even composed a symphony for children's whistles, drums, trumpets, tricorns and rattles. But he was also a master of soulful lyrical compositions. One day Prince Esterhazy did not leave his palace in the fall. Haydn gave an amazing concert, which helped the prince understand that the musicians of his chapel needed rest. The orchestra played lyrical music. At the same time, the musicians at one point began to take turns getting up from their seats, extinguishing the candles and leaving the hall. The prince was touched. He took the hint and sent the orchestra to rest.

After the death of the prince, his heir disbanded the musicians, but Haydn asked to stay, giving him a pension. During this period of his life, the composer wrote many brilliant works. Among them are the oratorios “The Creation of the World” and “The Seasons”. Haydn visited England twice, where he conducted an orchestra that performed his works. At one of these concerts, the audience stood up from their seats and came closer to the stage to look at the outstanding Austrian composer. And suddenly a huge heavy chandelier fell onto the place where they were sitting. The audience was saved thanks to the genius of Haydn.

While walking around London, Haydn went into a shop that sold sheet music and asked the merchant to recommend him some good musical compositions. The merchant, who did not know that the great Haydn himself was in front of him, gave the composer his own works. Haydn said that he did not need these notes and asked for something else. The seller, disappointed in the buyer's taste, refused to sell him notes at all. But when an acquaintance called Haydn by name, the seller realized that he was facing a genius.