The Life of Franz Joseph Haydn and Analysis of Symphony No. 104
University of Arkansas at Monticello
The Life of Franz Joseph Haydn
On March 31, 1732 in Rohrau in Lower Austria, a son was born to Maria Koller Haydn
and Mathias Haydn. He was baptized on April 1, 1732 under the name Franciscus Josephus,
which is the Latinized versions of the German names Franz Joseph. As a child, Haydn’s nick
name was Sepperl.
Although neither of Haydn’s parents could read music, the family often sang together,
and Mathias was a self-taught harp player. From an early age, it was evident that Haydn was
musically gifted. Haydn’s parents, wanting to cultivate his talent, sent him to live with a relative,
Johann Matthias Frankh, to be his apprentice and learn music. Frankh was the schoolmaster and
choirmaster in Hainburg, 7.5 miles from Rohrau. It was here that Haydn learned to play the
violin and the harpsichord. He also sang treble parts in the church choir.
In 1739, the director of music in St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna, Georg von Reutter,
was visiting Hainburg looking for new choirboys. Haydn auditioned for Rutter and passed. In
1740 Haydn moved to Vienna where he spent the next nine years as a chorister. After 1745,
Haydn was joined by his younger brother, Michael. Here the boys went to school and were
taught Latin, voice, violin, keyboard, among other school subjects. At this time, Haydn had not
been given much instruction in music theory.
By 1749, Haydn was 17 and no longer had the sought after treble voice, so when he
pulled a prank on another choirboy, he was dismissed from St. Stephen’s and left homeless.
Luckily, fellow musician, Johann Michael Spangler, let Haydn stay with him and his family until
he was able to support himself. Haydn soon learned that this was not an easy task. As a
freelance musician Haydn worked many jobs to make ends meet. Finally, in 1752, the Italian
composer, Nicola Porpora, took Haydn on as valet-accompanist. Haydn, credits Porpora with
teaching him “the true fundamentals of composition.”
For a short period of time Haydn played the organ in the Bohemian Chancellery Chapel
at the Judenplatz for Count Friedrich Wilhelm von Haugwitz. During this time, Haydn taught
himself counterpoint by working exercises from Johann Joseph Fux’s Gradus ad Parnassum. He
also studied the works of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, oldest son of Johann Sebastian Bach. As
Haydn’s skills increased as a composer, so did his reputation. In 1753 his opera, Der krumme
Teufel, “The Limping Devil” premiered successfully. Haydn also worked freelance for the court
in Vienna during the years 1754 – 1756.
Haydn wrote the first of his string quartets in 1756 while in the employ of Baron Carl
Josef Fürnberg. In his Biographische Notizen über Joseph Haydn, Georg August Griesinger,
wrote, “In the year 1759 Haydn was appointed in Vienna to be music director to Count Morzin
with a salary of two hundred gulden, free room, and board at the staff table. Here he enjoyed at
last the good fortune of a care-free existence; it suited him thoroughly.” This was Haydn’s first
full-time job and he held the title of Kapellmeister, or music director. Here he led a small
orchestra and wrote his first symphonies. Count Morzin had to let his music staff go when he
ran into financial trouble.
In 1761, Prince Paul Anton Esterházy, offered Haydn the position of Vice-Kapellmeister.
The Kapellmeister, Gregor Werner, was only responsible for church music, so when Haydn
accepted the job, he was put in charge of all other musical responsibilities; composition,
directing the orchestra, playing chamber music, heading opera productions, and whatever else
piqued the musical interest of Prince Nikolaus. Haydn was respected by the court musicians that
he supervised. They lovingly referred to him as Papa Haydn. When his contract was
renegotiated in 1779, his Patrons allowed him to sell his music to publishers and write music for
other people. Before this, all his compositions belonged to the Esterházy family. This catapulted
Haydn’s career in a new direction.
Haydn began writing more string quartets and symphonies. In 1785–1786, he was
commissioned by a French nobleman, Claude-François-Marie Rigoley, comte d’Ognyo, to write
six symphonies. These include Symphony No. 82 – 87 and they are known as the Paris
Symphonies. Also in 1786, in response to a commission from Cádiz, Spain, Haydn wrote the
original orchestral version of The Seven Last Words of Christ.
In 1790, after the death of Prince Nikolaus, Anton dismissed the court musicians. He
retained Haydn on payroll and allowed him to travel. In 1791-1792 Haydn traveled to London,
after accepting an offer from Johann Peter Salomon, a German violinist and impresario, to
