Haydn Part 16

Article in Journal des Luxus und Bertuch Weimar, 1805 der Moden

"Brevi notizie istorchie della vita Mayer Bergamo, 1809 e delle opere di Guis. Haydn."

Obituary in the Vaterland. Blatter ... Vienna, 1809 fur den ost Kaiserstaat

"Der Nagedachtenis van J. Haydn" Kinker Amsterdam, 1810

"Biographische Notizen uber Griezinger Leipzig, 1810 Joseph Haydn"

"Biographische Nachrichten von Dies Vienna, 1810 Joseph Haydn"

"Joseph Haydn" Arnold Erfurt, 1810; 2nd ed., 1825

"Notice sur J. Haydn" Framery Paris, 1810

"Notice historique sur la vie et les Le Breton Paris, 1810 ouvrages de Haydn" in the Moniteur.

This was reprinted in the "Bibliographie Musicale," Paris, 1822.

It was also translated into Portuguese, with additions by Silva-Lisboa.

Rio Janeiro, 1820

"Essai Historique sur la vie ... Stra.s.sburg, 1812 de J. Haydn"

"Le Haydine," etc. Carpani Milan, 1812; This work was essentially reproduced, 2nd edition, without acknowledgment, in "Lettres enlarged, ecrites de Vienne en Autriche," etc., Padua, 1823 by L. A. C. Bombet, Paris, 1814; republished as "Vie de Haydn, Mozart et Metastase," par Stendhal, Paris, 1817. Bombet and Stendhal are both pseudonyms of Henri Beyle. An English translation of the 1814 work was published in London by John Murray, in 1817, under the t.i.tle of "The Life of Haydn in a Series of Letters," etc.

"Biogr. Notizen" Grosser Hirschberg, 1826

"Allg. Encyclopadie der Ersch und Gruber Leipzig, 1828 Wissenschaften und Kunste,"

2nd section, 3rd part, with a biographical sketch by Frohlich

"Allg. Wiener Musikzeitung" ... 1843

"J. Haydn in London, 1791 and 1792" Karajan Vienna, 1861

"Joseph Haydn und sein Bruder Michael" Wurzbach Vienna, 1861

"Joseph Haydn" Ludwig Nordhausen, 1867

"Mozart and Haydn in London" Pohl Vienna, 1867

"Joseph Haydn." Pohl ...

This, the first comprehensive biography of Haydn, was published --the first half of Vol. I. in 1875, the second half in 1882.

After the death of Pohl in 1887 it was completed (1890) by E. V. Mandyczewski

Notice in "Biographie Universelle" Fetis ...

APPENDIX D: HAYDN'S BROTHERS

Of the large family born to the Rohrau wheelwright, two, besides the great composer, devoted themselves to music.

The first, JOHANN EVANGELIST HAYDN, made some little reputation as a vocalist, and was engaged in that capacity in the Esterhazy Chapel. His health had, however, been delicate from the first, and his professional career was far from prosperous.

JOHANN MICHAEL HAYDN was much more distinguished. Born in 1737, he became, as we have seen, a chorister and solo-vocalist at St Stephen's, Vienna. He was a good violinist, and played the organ so well that he was soon able to act as deputy-organist at the cathedral. In 1757 he was appointed Capellmeister to the Bishop of Grosswardein, and in 1762 became conductor, and subsequently leader and organist to Archbishop Sigismund of Salzburg. There he naturally came in contact with Mozart, in whose biography his name is often mentioned. Mozart on one occasion wrote two compositions for him which the archbishop received as Michael Haydn's. The Concertmeister was incapacitated by illness at the time, and Mozart came to his rescue to save his salary, which the archbishop had characteristically threatened to stop. Mozart also scored several of his sacred works for practice.

Michael Haydn remained at Salzburg till his death in 1806. He had the very modest salary of 24 pounds, with board and lodging, which was afterwards doubled; but although he was more than once offered preferment elsewhere, he declined to leave his beloved Salzburg. He was happily married--in 1768--to a daughter of Lipp, the cathedral organist; and with his church work, his pupils--among whom were Reicha and Weber--and his compositions, he sought nothing more. When the French entered Salzburg and pillaged the city in 1801 he was among the victims, losing some property and a month's salary, but his brother and friends repaired the loss with interest. This misfortune led the Empress Maria Theresa to commission him to compose a ma.s.s, for which she rewarded him munificently. Another of his ma.s.ses was written for Prince Esterhazy, who twice offered him the vice-Capellmeistership of the chapel at Eisenstadt. Joseph thought Michael too straightforward for this post.

"Ours is a court life," he said, "but a very different one from yours at Salzburg. It is uncommonly hard to do what you want." If any appointment could have drawn him away from Salzburg it was this; and it is said that he refused it only because he hoped that the chapel at Salzburg would be reorganized and his salary raised.

Michael Haydn is buried in a side chapel of St Peter's Church, Salzburg.

A monument was erected in 1821, and over it is an urn containing his skull. He is described by Pohl as "upright, good-tempered and modest; a little rough in manners, and in later life given to drink." His correspondence shows him to have been a warm-hearted friend; and he had the same devout practice of initialing his ma.n.u.scripts as his brother.

The latter thought highly of him as a composer, declaring that his Church compositions were superior to his own in earnestness, severity of style and sustained power. When he asked leave to copy the canons which hung in Joseph's bedroom at Vienna, Joseph replied: "Get away with your copies; you can compose much better for yourself." Michael's statement has often been quoted: "Give me good librettos and the same patronage as my brother, and I should not be behind him." This could scarcely have been the case, since, as Pohl points out, Michael Haydn failed in the very qualities which ensured his brother's success. As it was, he wrote a very large number of works, most of which remained in ma.n.u.script. A Ma.s.s in D is his best-known composition, though mention should be made of the popular common-metre tune "Salzburg," adapted from a ma.s.s composed for the use of country choirs. Michael Haydn was nominated the great composer's sole heir, but his death frustrated the generous intention.

APPENDIX E: A SELECTION OF HAYDN LETTERS

The greater number of Haydn's extant letters deal almost exclusively with business matters, and are therefore of comparatively little interest to the reader of his life. The following selection may be taken as representing the composer in his more personal and social relations.

It is drawn from the correspondence with Frau von Genzinger, which was discovered by Theodor Georg von Karajan, in Vienna, and published first in the Jahrbuch fur Vaterlandische Geschichte, and afterwards in his J.

Haydn in London, 1791 and 1792 (1861). The translation here used, by the courtesy of Messrs Longman, is that of Lady Wallace.

The name of Frau von Genzinger has been mentioned more than once in the biography. Her husband was the Esterhazy physician. In that capacity he paid frequent visits to Eisenstadt and Esterhaz (which Haydn spells Estoras) and so became intimate with the Capellmeister. He was fond of music, and during the long winter evenings in Vienna was in the habit of a.s.sembling the best artists in his house at Schottenhof, where on Sundays Mozart, Haydn, Dittersdorf, Albrechtsberger, and others were often to be found. His wife, Marianne--nee von Kayser--was a good singer, and was sought after by all the musical circles in Vienna. She was naturally attracted to Haydn, and although she was nearly forty years of age when the correspondence opened in 1789, "a personal connection was gradually developed in the course of their musical intercourse that eventually touched their hearts and gave rise to a bright bond of friendship between the lady and the old, though still youthful, maestro." Some brief extracts from the letters now to be given have of necessity been worked into the biography. The correspondence originated in the following note from Frau von Genzinger:

January 1789.

DEAR M. HAYDN,

With your kind permission I take the liberty to send a pianoforte arrangement of the beautiful adagio in your admirable composition. I arranged it from the score quite alone, and without the least help from my master. I beg that, if you should discover any errors, you will be so good as to correct them. I do hope that you are in perfect health, and nothing do I wish more than to see you soon again in Vienna, in order to prove further my high esteem.

Your obedient servant,

MARIA ANNA V. GENZINGER.

To this Haydn replies as follows:

ESTORAS, Janr. 14, 1789.

DEAR MADAM,

In all my previous correspondence, nothing was ever so agreeable to me as the surprise of seeing your charming writing, and reading so many kind expressions; but still more did I admire what you sent me--the admirable arrangement of the adagio, which, from its correctness, might be engraved at once by any publisher. I should like to know whether you arranged the adagio from the score, or whether you gave yourself the amazing trouble of first putting it into score from the separate parts, and then arranging it for the piano, for, if the latter, such an attention would be too flattering to me, and I feel that I really do not deserve it.

Best and kindest Frau v. Genzinger! I only await a hint from you as to how, and in what way, I can serve you; in the meantime, I return the adagio, and hope that my talents, poor though they be, may ensure me some commands from you.