Haydn's sixty-odd solo sonatas, more than Mozart's, chart the evolution of the classical sonata, from slender divertimenti for pupils to masterpieces inspired by new instruments.
Composition History
Haydn sometimes reused musical ideas, such as the tune from Sonata No. 36 in Sonata No. 39, and had his publisher Artaria add a note explaining he did this on purpose to demonstrate different methods of treatment.
Composer Biography
Haydn, though not a virtuoso like Mozart or Beethoven, always kept the keyboard central to his creative process, starting his mornings by trying out ideas on the clavichord or fortepiano.
Composition History
The Fantasia in C major, a work of 'scintillating virtuosity' based on an Austrian folksong, was described by Haydn as 'rather long, but by no means too difficult,' though it is harder to play than he implied.
Composition History
The tragic intensity of the coda in the Sonata 'Un piccolo divertimento' (Variations in F minor) may have been prompted by the sudden death of Maria Anna von Genzinger, a close friend of Haydn, in 1793.
Composition History
The 'Auenbrugger' sonatas, dedicated to talented sisters Franziska and Maria Katherina von Auenbrugger, were among the first of Haydn's sonatas designated for either harpsichord or fortepiano, requiring the dynamic flexibility of the newer instrument.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Haydn once told his biographer, Albert Christoph Dies, that his imagination played on him as if he were a keyboard, stating, 'I really am just a living keyboard.'
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Haydn: The Complete Keyboard Sonatas & Works for Solo Piano and Piano 4 Hands
