Haydn and Eszterhaza essays

Haydn and Eszterhaza essays "Not only did I have the encouragement of constant approval, but as the conductor of the orchestra I could experiment, find out what made a good effect and what weakened it, so I was free to alter, improve, add or omit and be as bold as I pleased. Cut off from the rest of the world I had no one to bother me and I was forced to become original." The above quote was said by Franz Joseph Haydn (1732 - 1809) during the later years of his life and it refers to the time he spent in Esterhaza. Haydn was, and still is, considered one of the most famous composers of the classical era. The large amount of compositions that he created, and his many contributions to the classical style, has made Haydn one of the most influential and studied composers of the millennium. As mentioned in the introductory quote, Haydn contributed a large amount of his personal success to the time he spent in the palace of Eszterhaza, A palace of the Esterhazy family. By analysing the time period that Haydn had spen t working for the Esterhazy family, this essay will demonstrate how important these years were to the development of his musical abilities. The reason why this time period has been chosen was that these were the years right before Haydn began to grow in popularity outside the realm of the palace. Haydn's musical career had started when he moved to Vienna, from his rural peasant village, and became a choirboy at the St. Stephen's Cathedral. In 1761 Prince Paul Anton Esterhazy of Vienna hired Haydn, and this was when his relationship with the Esterhazy family had begun. At this point in his career Haydn had served as the assistant musical director for the Prince, as he worked under a man by the name of Werner. During this time Haydn had composed a few symphonies but he was not given much room to grow as he was seen as nothing less than a servant. In the years to come Haydn's situation would change dramatically due to a number of major developments that...