Introducing the Classical Period
and its famous composers
Haydn
Beethoven
Mozart
Music Reviews
Listen to their works
Credits
Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809):
Haydn as a child:
Franz Joseph Haydn was born in 1732 at Rohrau. He is the second of twelve children, but six of his siblings died in infancy. His family has no musical background except the fact that his father sang, but that was not enough to convince anyone that he would beget a son who would be a musical genius. In addition to that, his family was as poor as a church mouse, which proved to be an obstacle in his later life as he was unable to receive adequate music lessons and training to develop his musical talent.
When Haydn was young, he used to play with sticks. He would take two sticks and pretend they were the bow and the violin, and imitate the playing of his school master. Through his creative “game”, he was said to be a born musician by one of his distant relatives, Frankh. Frankh then persuaded Haydn’s parents to let him take Haydn back to his hometown, Hainburg. There, he was groomed to be a musician, as he had many opportunities to hear and practice music, like the church, school and virtually anywhere else.
Haydn as a budding musician:
During his 2-year stay with Frankh, he was hardworking and practiced the clavier and violin regularly. He even sang in church masses. After these two years of hardwork, he was finally spotted by a Viennese composer, who thought that he had a special gift for singing. He then was offered a place in St. Steven’s Cathedral as a chorister, which was in the Austria capital. The offer was accepted joyfully by his parents, who thought that his hardwork finally paid off.
Haydn as a Vienna chorister:
Haydn continued studying at the St. Steven’s Cathedral. He learnt Latin, writing, arithmetic, religion and studied music. He learnt singing, the clavier and violin from good masters, and also tried to compose even though he had no knowledge on how to compose music. He was very determinded and eager to learn, and sacrificed all the money his father gave him to buy new clothes for music notes.
Haydn was soon well-know for his beautiful voice. That aroused the attention of the Imperial family, but the fame did not last for long, as his voice soon broke and he could no longer sing. Also, he was discharged from the Cathedral as he tried to cut of one of his friend’s pigtails. When he left the Cathedral, he was only 17.
Haydn as a struggling youth:
Haydn had to quickly adapt to the harsh world that he was thrown into. He had no source of income, and started giving music lessons for a living. He would also sing or play for weddings, and after saving up he managed to rent a small room in an attic and a worm-eaten clavier. Although he was very poor and could hardly scrape through the days of his life, he was always happy and contented with what he had, and he never envied a king.
Because he was very poor, most of his time was spent at the clavier, and he quickly mastered many of Bach’s sonatas. He also managed to teach himself many skills that a piano teacher could not. It is a great wonder how he managed to groom himself into a professional musician even when he was cut off from developing his talent.
Haydn also debased himself to serve a well-known musician, Porpora. He would often clean his clothes or shine his shoes or play as an accompaniment for Porpora’s performances. In return, Porpora gave him music lessons. While having lessons with Porpora, Haydn also managed to meet great musicians like Dittersdorf, who was considered a greater master than Mozart in his days.
Haydn as an adult:
Haydn quickly managed to get back on his feet. He joined an orchestra and started composing works for the orchestra, who played chiefly for Prince Nicholaus. When he died, the orchestra was disbanded and Haydn moved to Vienna. He composed many new symphonies that were much better than those he composed in his earlier life. He was soon recognized as the music idol of Vienna, along with other composers.
In Haydn’s last days, he grew very wealthy and managed to pay back and return his kindness to those who helped him when he was in need. He also composed “The Creation” and “The Seasons”, which are a few of his well-known pieces.
Haydn died on 31 May, 1809. It was a tragic loss to the musical world, but this loss was compensated with the births of Mendelssohn and Chopin. His life taught the world many lessons, mainly: to be contented with whatever we have now and that impossibly dreams like the ones Haydn had of becoming a professional musician, can be possible.
Haydn’s music:
Haydn witnessed many radical changes in music during the course of his long life. He was eighteen when Bach died in 1750, signaling the end of the Baroque era, and seventy-two when Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony was first performed in 1804, ushering in the Romantic period. Old forms of music were superseded by the symphony, sonata and string quartet, patronage moved from the church to the royal court, and public concerts were rapidly becoming immensely popular. Throughout all these changes, Haydn remained a pioneering figure. Other composers had written symphonies, sonatas and string quartets before him, but it was Haydn who first exploited the untapped potential of these forms, expanding and developing them to a hitherto unimagined degree.
Haydn's works:
Orchestral music, including over 100 symphonies (6 "Paris" Symphonies Nos.82-87, 1785-1786; 12 "London" Symphonies Nos.93-104, 1791-1795); concertos for violin, cello, harpsichord and trumpet; divertimentos
Chamber music, including some 68 string quartets, piano trios and divertimenti
Sacred vocal music, including 14 Masses (Mass in Time of War, 1796; Lord Nelson Mass, 1798); oratorios, including The Creation (Die Schöpfung, 1798) and The Seasons (Die Jahreszieten, 1801)
Dramatic music, including about 40 sonatas; songs, including folk song arrangements; secular choral music
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Beethoven as a child:
Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany on 17 December 1770. Although born in Germany, his family was originally from Belgium. Like Bach and Mozart, Beethoven was from a musical family, and it was no surprise that he entered the field of music too. His music, which often reflected nature, is still appreciated by many people today.
As a child, Beethoven was ill-treated by his father, as he wanted his son to become as successful as Mozart and become rich. Thus, young Beethoven was forced to practice long hours on the piano, and was even dragged out of bed sometimes at night when his father wanted him to play for guests.
Beethoven as a budding musician:
As he grew older, he found a piano teacher. He was a fine pianist, and gave his first performance when he was just seven years old, and was well-known for being able to improvise the music as he played it. In addition to that, Beethoven managed to master several instruments, like the violin, viola, clavier and organ.
When he was eleven, he had a very gentle piano teacher, Christian Gobblot Neefe. His teacher groomed him into a professional pianist, and he became his teacher’s assistant organist. Beethoven also composed his first three Trios.
When he was almost seventeen, his teacher suggested that he should start taking lessons from Mozart to be able to soar to greater heights. Thus, Beethoven went to Vienna in 1787, and played for Mozart. Mozart was impressed with his skills of improvising and took him under his care and teachers. Unfortunately, due to his mother’s death, he was unable to continue his lessons with Mozart.
Beethoven in Vienna:
In 1792, Beethoven once again arrived in Vienna and was deeply captivated by the deep and rich music culture that Mozart and Haydn had created. He started to take lessons from Haydn but was not happy and soon sought for other teachers. Finally, he decided to teach himself.
Beethoven turns deaf:
Beethoven started to become deaf when he turned 28. His deafness first showed symptoms when he could not hear the church bells ringing. As his deafness progressed, he was limited to writing messages in notebooks. He also cut the legs of his piano to feel the vibrations on the ground so as to “hear” his music. This is one of the reasons why many of his pieces are quite loud. His deafness also caused him to be very moody and bad-tempered.
Beethoven died on the evening of 26 March 1827, in the midst of admirers and friends. Unlike Mozart, his funeral was grand and was made known to the world. Many people came to pay their last respects to the great composer who composed many great musical works and created the new era: the Romantic Period.
Beethoven’s Music:
Beethoven has composed many famous compositions that are still greatly admired by the modern world. These include: The famous Fur Elise, his Piano Sonata no. 14, Moonlight and his Violin Sonata no. 5, Spring.
But his most outstanding achievement would be in his later life, when he composed his 9th Symphony, the Missa Solemnis. At the period of time, he was already deaf, but his works transcended those that were composed in his earlier life. It would be possible to conclude that the last of his string quartets and piano sonatas were composed in his late life.
Beethoven's Works:
Orchestral music, including 9 symphonies: No.1 (1800); No.2 (1802); No.3 "Eroica" (1803); No.4 (1806); No.5 (1808); No.6 "Pastoral" (1808); No.7 (1812); No.8 (1812); No.9 "Choral" (1824); overtures, including Leonore (Nos.1, 2, 3) and Egmont; incidental music
Concertos, including 5 for piano, 1 for violin (1806), and 1 triple concerto (piano, violin, and cello, 1804)
Chamber music, including string quartets, piano trios, quartets, 1 quintet, 1 septet, violin and cello sonatas, serenades, and wind chamber music
32 piano sonatas, including Op.13 "Pathétique" (1806); Op.27, No.2 "Moonlight" (1801); Op.53 "Waldstein" (1804); and Op.57 "Appassionata" (1805)
1 opera, Fidelio (1805)
Choral music, including Missa solemnis (1823)
Songs, including song cycle To the Distant Beloved (An die ferne Geliebte, 1816)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 – 1791)
Mozart as a child:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is born in Salzburg, Austria on Jan. 27, 1756. Mozart is named after his grandfather on his mother's side.
Parents: Leopold Mozart - composer and violinist, concertmaster at the archiepiscopal court, and in 1763, vice-kapellmeister at Salzburg court; and Anna Maria Pertl, daughter of Wolfgang Nikolaus Pertl, an official from Sankt Gilgen.
Sibling: Maria Anna (Nannerl) Mozart
Mozart as a budding musician:
Mozart started to play the keyboard at the age of three. This was when his musical talent was discovered. At the age of 5, he started composing minuets.
At 1763-1766,his father, Leopold brought him and his sister to tour around Europe to play for Louis XV at Versailles and George III in London. At 1764, wrote his first three symphonies and also met Johann Christian Bach. By his teenage years, he mastered the piano, violin, and harpsichord.
Mozart had actually completed first opera at 1768 called the La finta semplice (The Simple Pretense). After a year, he made three trips to Italy.
In Rome, there was a myth that Mozart attended the performance of Allegri's Misere. He wanted the score but when no one agreed to give him the score. He actually wrote down the music from memory.
At 1770, Mitridate, re di Ponte (Mithridates, King of Pontus) performed in Milan, was Mozart's first major opera. After two years, he was appointed as the concertmaster in the orchestra of Archbishop of Salzburg. During this period, he wrote many sacred works.
Mozart as an adult:
At 1777, he toured with his mother hoping to find a court position. They traveled to Mannheim where he met and fell in love with Aloysia Weber
After a year, July Anna Maria Mozart died. Mozart then was unable to find a court position. Therefore he went back to Salzburg and was appointed as the court organist to the Archbishop of Salzburg.
At 1781, he resigned from his position due to increasing tension and disagreements between Mozart and the Archbishop. Mozart stayed in Vienna instead of returning to Salzburg. Mozart's resignation and his move to Vienna put a strain in his relationship with his father.
A year later, he married Constanze Weber in Vienna's St. Stephen's Cathedral. After Mozart's death, Constanze married Danish diplomat Georg Nikolaus von Nissen. In Vienna, Mozart supported his family by performing in public and private, teaching, and composing. His first opera written after his residency in Vienna, Abduction from Seraglio became a success.
At 1786, The Marriage of Figaro, the first of three operas Mozart collaborated with librettist, Lorenza da Ponte, premiered at the Burg Theater.
He became a composer of Imperial and Royal Chamber after a few years with an annual salary of 800fl. His father, Leopold, died on May 28, 1787. Don Giovanni was premiered in Prague at the National Theater.
At 1790, Cosi fan tutte premiered at Burg Theater. Mozart declined an opportunity to compose in London. 1791, he composed dance music for the Vienna Court. From that time onwards, publishers began to pay fees for the rights to publish his works. He was also appointed as an assistant to the Cathedral Kapellmeister at St. Stephens with no pay. At that time, Mozart was
already feeling ill in Prague while finishing La clemenza di Tito.
In December 5th, 1791, a few minutes before 1AM, Mozart died of rheumatic fever.
Mozart’s Music:
Basically, Mozart’s music are categorized into three stages:
early 1761-1772
middle 1772-1781
late 1781-1791 (best known works)
Mozart composed over 600 works including:
21 stage and opera works
15 Masses
over 50 symphonies
25 piano concertos
12 violin concertos
27 concert arias
17 piano sonatas
26 string quartets
His style was very unique, unlike many of the musical styles of his time. People did not appreciate his radical music because they did not understand Mozart's complex and extraordinary music. In his later years, Mozart incorporates many musical elements and style from different countries into his works. His late works include three of his most famous operas, The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, Cosi fan tutte, written in collaboration with Lorenza da Ponte and his last three church pieces, Mass in C Minor, Ave Verum Corpus, and Requiem. Both the Mass in C Minor and Requiem remain unfinished.
Their Famous Works
Haydn
Symphony No.92 in G major "Oxford"
Symphony No.94 in G major "Surprise"
String Quartet in D minor, Op.76, No.2 "Quinten"
String Quartet in C major, Op.20, No.2, Fuga a 4 Soggetti
Beethoven
Symphony No.5 in C minor
Symphony No.9 in D minor "Choral"
Piano Sonata No.30 in E minor, first movement
Piano Sonata No.8 in C minor "Pathétique", Adagio cantabile
Piano Sonata No.14 in C-sharp minor "Moonlight", Adagio sostenuto
Mozart
Concerto No.3 for Horn, K.447
Piano Concerto No.21 "Elvira Madigan"
Requiem K.626, Kyrie, Confutatis and Tuba mirum
Overture to The Magic Flute
Symphony No.35 "Haffner" K.385, II: Andante
Symphony No.40 K.550, IV: Allegro assai
Symphony No.41 "Jupiter" K.551, I: Allegro
Here are some reviews of the composer's works:
Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata:
The First Movement
The first movement of the Moonlight Sonata is easily the most well known. The famous mysterious, almost haunting melody is dark and whisper like. The form of the first movement is a sort of “condensed” sonata. In other words, it plays the main melody, develops it, and then plays it again very similar to how it was originally played.
The Second Movement
The second movement of the Moonlight Sonata is in the form of a scherzo (a comic composition, usually fast-moving and used in the place of a minuet and trio during Beethoven’s time). The key of the second movement is D flat major, which is unrelated to the overall key of c# minor.
The Third Movement
The third movement is completely different from the previous two movements. Its rapid progressions from note to note are invigorating and powerful. The third movement of the Moonlight Sonata is actually marked piano, but Beethoven’s use of sforzandos and fortissimos make the piece actually sound as if the overall dynamic was fortissimo.
A big thanks to these websites and books for their information provided
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_music_era
http://www.ipl.org/div/mushist/clas/index.htm
http://classicalmusic.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=classicalmusic&zu=http%3A%2F%2Fmembers.tripod.com%2F%7Edorakmt%2Fmusic%2Fclassic.html
http://www.mozartproject.org/biography/bi_56_60.html
http://www.cco.caltech.edu/~tan/Mozartreq/mozartpage.html#2
http://www.wikipedia.com
http://people.morehead-st.edu/students/it/ixtu01/index.html
http://www.web-helper.net/PDMusic/Biographies/HaydnJoseph/page1.asp
http://www.empire.k12.ca.us/capistrano/Mike/capmusic/classical/classical.htm
http://www.town4kids.com/town4kids/kids/music4kids/composers/beethoven.htm
http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/Studio/6917/historypiano.html
http://dorakmt.tripod.com/music/orchest.html
http://members.tripod.com/~dorakmt/music/contents.html
http://www.stmoroky.com/reviews/music/classic.htm
http://www.empire.k12.ca.us/capistrano/Mike/capmusic/classical/classical.htm
http://www.town4kids.com/town4kids/kids/music4kids/composers/beethoven.htm
http://www.web-helper.net/PDMusic/Biographies/HaydnJoseph/page1.asp
History of Music – Roy Bennett (published by the Cambridge University Press)
In Preparation For The Theory Exams - Lee Ching Ching (published by the Rhythm MP)