Haydn described his creative process at the Esterházy court by saying, "Cut off from the rest of the world, I had no one to bother me and was forced to become original."
Composer Biography
Joseph Haydn began his duties as deputy chapel-master at the court of the powerful Esterházy dynasty on May 1, 1761, at the age of 29.
Composer Biography
Johann Nepomuk Hummel, a child prodigy on the piano, was taken under the wing of Mozart in Vienna and later admired by Goethe and Beethoven.
Compositional Technique
Haydn ensured the survival of his lira concertos by arranging them for flute and oboe, demonstrating his skill in creating intellectually stimulating entertainment.
Historical Context
Prince Nikolaus I Joseph Esterházy, Haydn's employer, was known as 'The Magnificent' due to his extravagant lifestyle and built Esterháza Palace, known as the 'Hungarian Versailles'.
Composition History
Haydn's five concertos for two lire organizatte, a cross between a string and keyboard instrument resembling a hurdy-gurdy, were commissioned by the court of Naples for King Ferdinand IV.
Instruments
The lira organizzata, for which Haydn composed, produced sound from a crank-activated disc that vibrated strings, and also featured a keyboard connected to organ pipes.
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Mozart: Divertimento, K. 205; March, K. 290; Cassation, K. 99
