

He is familiarly known as the ‘father of the symphony’ and could with greater justice be thus regarded for the string quartet no other composer approaches his combination of productivity, quality and historical importance in these genres.

He excelled in every musical genre during the first half of his career his vocal works were as famous as his instrumental ones, although after his death the reception of his music focussed on the latter (except for The Creation). Since the early 19th century he has been venerated as the first of the three ‘Viennese Classics’ (Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven). Famous as early as the mid-1760s, by the 1780s he had become the most celebrated composer of his time, and from the 1790s until his death was a culture-hero throughout Europe. He began his career in the traditional patronage system of the late Austrian Baroque, and ended as a ‘free’ artist within the burgeoning Romanticism of the early 19th century. Neither he nor his contemporaries used the name Franz, and there is no reason to do so today. Austrian composer, brother of Michael Haydn. ( b Rohrau, Lower Austria, Mad Vienna, May 31, 1809).

(i) Ancestry, early years, last years, acquaintances, character.C: Specialist publications, commemorative issues.A: Basic biographies, collected letters, bibliographies.U: Keyboard concertos/concertinos/divertimentos.S: Miscellaneous chamber music for 2–3 string and/or wind instruments.M: Concertos for string or wind instruments.L: Dances, marches for orchestra/military band.H: Miscellaneous vocal works with keyboard.Background, childhood, choirboy, 1732–c1749. Membranophones (Stretched Membrane Percussion) Music Business, Institutions and Organizations
