Part 5 (1/2)

Correspondence

It was about this tian to correspond with Artaria, the Vienna s for lish translation by Lady Wallace [See Letters of Distinguished Musicians Translated from the German by Lady Wallace London, 1867] They treat principally of business ical dates of so way the si nature of the coain, and even particular to a groschen,” wenecessity for economy under which he laboured, and his almost lavish benevolence to straitened relatives and friends In one letter requesting an advance he writes: ”I a to be in debt to tradesreat people keep ot rather into difficulty This letter, however, will be your securityI will pay off the interest withHaydn with avarice, as some writers have done ”Even philosophers,” as he remarked himself, ”occasionally stand in need of ling about prices, there is no reason why the ”true artist” should not be ”honourably paid”

A London Publisher

It was about this time too that Haydn opened a correspondence with William Forster of London, who had added to his business of violin-maker that of a reeht of his cohty-two symphonies, twenty-four quartets, twenty-four solos, duets and trios, and the ”Seven Last Words,” of which we have yet to speak Nothing of the Forster correspondence see the events of 1781-1782 should be noted the entertainiven in connection with two visits which the Emperor Joseph II received from the Grand Duke Paul and his wife The Grand duchess was musical, and had just been present at the faestion of the Emperor She had some of Haydn's quartets played at her house and liked theave him a diamond snuff-box and took lessons from him It was to her that he afterwards--in 1802--dedicated his part-songs for three and four voices, while the Grand Duke was honoured by the dedication of the six so-called ”Russian”

quartets It had been arranged that the Duke and duchess should accoeh, and an opera which Haydn had written for the occasion was only produced at Esterhaz in the autumn of 1782 This was his ”Orlando Paladino,”

better known in its German form as ”Ritter Roland” Another work of this year (1782) was the ”Mariazell” Mass in C major (Novello, No 15), which derives its nain in Styria, the scene of an incident already related The mass ritten to the order of a certain Herr Liebe de Kreutzner, and the composer is said to have taken special pains with it, perhaps because it re days as a chorister in Vienna It was the eighthand difficult ”Cecilia” Mass in C major, now heard only in a curtailed form No other work of the kind was composed until 1796, bethich year and 1802 the best of his s the opera ”Arain in 1797 at Schickaneder's Theatre in Vienna Haydn writes to Artaria in March 1784 to say that ”Ariven at Esterhaz with ”universal applause,” adding that ”it is thought the best work I have yet written” The autograph score was sent to London to make up, in a manner, for the non-performance of his ”Orfeo” there in 1791

The ”Seven Words”

But thework of this period was the ”Seven Words of our Saviour on the Cross,” written in 1785 The circu its composition are best told in Haydn's oords In Breitkopf & Hartel's edition of 1801, he writes:

About fifteen years ago I was requested by a Canon of Cadiz to compose instrumental music on the Seven Words of Jesus on the Cross It was the custom of the Cathedral of Cadiz to produce an oratorio every year during Lent, the effect of the perfor circumstances The walls, s and pillars of the Church were hung with black cloth, and only one large la from the centre of the roof, broke the solemn obscurity At an After a short service the bishop ascended the pulpit, pronounced one of the Seven Words (or sentences) and delivered a discourse thereon This ended, he left the pulpit and knelt prostrate before the altar The pause was filled by the music The bishop then in like manner pronounced the second word, then the third, and so on, the orchestra falling in at the conclusion of each discourse

My composition was to be subject to these conditions, and it was no easy ios to last tenthe listeners; indeed I found it quite impossible to confine myself within the appointed limits

This co extent of Haydn's fame He appears to have been already well known in Spain

Boccherini carried on a friendly correspondence with him from Madrid, and he was actually made the hero of a poem called ”The Art of Music,”

published there in 1779 The ”Seven Words” created a profound impression when performed under the circumstances just detailed, but the as not allowed to reh it was printed in that form by Artaria and by Forster Haydn divided it into two parts, and added choruses and solos, in which foriven for the first time at Eisenstadt in October, 1797, and published in 1801 The ”Seven Words” was a special favourite of the composer himself, who indeed is declared by some to have preferred it to all his other co years of the period covered by this chapter being almost totally devoid of incident, we may pause to notice briefly two of the better-known symphonies of the time--the ”Toy” Symphony and the more famous ”Farewell” The former is a mere jeu d'esprit, in which, with an orchestral basis of two violins and a bass, the solo instruments are all of a burlesque character Mozart atte of a kindred nature in his ”Musical joke,” where instru places, execute inappropriate phrases, and play abo does not require serious notice, especially in the case of Haydn, to whom hu of rattles and penny trumpets and toy drums

The ”Farewell” Symphony

The ”Farewell” Syh the circuenerally mis-stated It has been asserted, for exaainst the dismissal of the Capelle But this, as Pohl has conclusively shown, is incorrect The real design of the ”Farewell” was to persuade the prince to shorten his stay at Esterhaz, and so enable the musicians to rejoin their wives and fah to see the point of the joke As one after another ceased playing and left the orchestra, until only two violinists reo too”

Thus Haydn's object was attained--for the ti! The ”Farewell”

is perfectly complete as a work of art, but its fitness for ordinary occasions is often inal purpose is pointed out to the listener

Free from Esterhaz

Haydn's active career at Esterhaz may be said to have closed with the death, on Septereat importance to his future Had the prince lived, Haydn would doubtless have continued in his service, for he ”absolutely adored him” But Prince Anton, who now succeeded, dis only the fewon of the church service, and Haydn's occupation was practically gone The new prince noht to his services, but there was no reason for his rely took up his residence in Vienna Thus free to employ his time as he considered best, Haydn e-meditated project, and paid the first of his two visits to London With these we enter upon a new epoch in the coreat interest to the student and lover of music

CHAPTER V FIRST LONDON VISIT--1791-1792

English Music about 1791--Salomon--Mozart and Haydn--Terms for London--Bonn and Beethoven--Haydn Sea-Sick--Arrives in London--An Enthusiastic Welco Rivalries--Temporarily eclipsed--Band and Baton--A Rehearsal Incident--Hanover Square Rooms--Hoops and Swords--The ”Surprise”

Symphony--Gallic Excitement--New Compositions--Benefit and Other Concerts--Haydn on Handel--Oxford Doctor of Music--The ”Oxford” Syain--Pleyel--Close of Season--Herschel--Haydn at St Paul's--London Acquaintances--Another Romance--Mistress Schroeter--Love-Letters--Haydn's Note-Book