Part 5 (2/2)
English Music about 1791
Haydn caland in 1791 Itin music at that time, and ere the foremost representatives of the art The first question may be partially answered from the literature of the period Thus Jackson, in his Present State of Music in London, published the year after Haydn's arrival, remarks that ”instrumental music has been of late carried to such perfection in London by the consummate skill of the performers that any attempt to beat the time would be justly considered as entirely needless” Burney, again, in his last volureat i the previous twenty years was ”as different as civilized people fro in 1779, tells thateven the Italians themselves” There is a characteristic John Bull complacency about these statements which is hardly borne out by a study of the lives of the leading conte historian of English er works which came from the composers of that ”bankrupt century” Not one of these composers--not even Arne--is a real personality to us like Handel, or Bach, or Haydn, or Mozart The great lish ift, but ”the only strong feeling was patriotic enthusiasm, and the compositions that survive are al this sentiment or connected with it by their nautical subjects” When Haydn arrived, there was, in short, no native coenius, and our ”tardy, apish nation” was ready to welcoher order
Salo-meditated project In 1787 Crae him on his own terms for the Professional Concerts; and Gallini, the director of the King's Theatre in Drury Lane, pressed hi came of these proposals, mainly because Haydn was toohim, even temporarily But the time arrived and the man with it Thefallen out with the directors of the professional concerts, had started concerts on his own account Salomon was a native of Bonn, and had been a member of the Electoral Orchestra there He had travelled about the Continent a good deal, and no one was better fitted to organize and direct a series of concerts on a large scale In 1790 he had gone abroad in search of singers, and, hearing of the death of Prince Esterhazy, he set off at once for Vienna, resolved to secure Haydn at any cost ”My name is Salomon,” he bluntly announced to the co ”I have come from London to fetch you; ill settle terms to-morrow”
The question of terh for Haydn
But it was not the only question The ”heavy years” were beginning to weigh upon hi journey in those days was not to be lightly undertaken Moreover, he was still, nominally at least, the servant of Prince Anton, whose consent would have to be obtained; and, besides all this, he was engaged on various co of Naples, which were probably a burden on his conscience His friends, again, do not appear to have been very enthusiastic about the projected visit There were Dittersdorf and Albrechtsberger, and Dr Leopold von Genzinger, the prince's physician, and Frau von Genzinger, whose tea and coffee he so much appreciated, and who sent him such excellent cream Above all, there was Mozart--”a man very dear to me,” as Haydn hireatly revered Mozart Three years before this he wrote: ”I only wish I could ireat men in particular, the same deep musical sympathy and profound appreciation which I myself feel for Mozart's inimitable music; then nations would vie with each other to possess such a jeithin their frontiers It enrages ed at any Iive ard was reciprocal ”Oh, Papa,” exclaimed Mozart, when he heard of Haydn's intention to travel, ”you have had no education for the wide, orld, and you speak too few languages” It was feelingly said, and Haydn knew it ”My language,” he replied, with a smile, ”is understood all over the world” Mozart was really concerned at the thought of parting with his brother composer, to whom he stood almost in the relation of a son When it ca to his eyes, and he said affectingly: ”This is good-bye; we shall never ain” The words proved prophetic A year later, Mozart was throith a nurave of Moliere Haydn deeply lahts calish visit his saddest reflection was that there would be no Mozart to ainst his friend by writing that Mozart had been disparaging his genius ”I cannot believe it,” he cried; ”if it is true, I will forgive him” It was not true, and Haydn never believed it As late as 1807 he burst into tears when Mozart's na hiive me!
I must ever weep at the name of my Mozart”
Terth carried the day, and everything was arranged for the London visit Haydn was to have 300 pounds for six syht of them; 200 pounds for twenty new compositions to be produced by himself at the same number of concerts; and 200 pounds fro expenses hi assisted in that matter by an advance of 450 florins from the prince, which he refunded within the year In order to provide for his wife during his absence he sold his house at Eisenstadt, the gift of Prince Nicolaus, which had been twice rebuilt after being destroyed by fire
Saloement to London, and on the 30th of Dece Chronicle that, iuest, ”Mr Salo to all lovers of ramme for a series of subscription concerts, the success of which would depend upon their support and approbation” Before leaving for London Haydn had a tiff with the King of Naples, Ferdinand IV, as then in Vienna The composer had taken him some of the works which he had been co him for the favour, remarked that ”We will rehearse them the day after to-morrow”
”The day after to-land” ”What!” exclai, ”and you promised to come to Naples!” With which observation he turned on his heel and indignantly left the room Before Haydn had time to recover from his astonishment Ferdinand was back with a letter of introduction to Prince Castelcicala, the Neapolitan Ambassador in London; and to show further that theaffair he sent the composer later in the day a valuable tabatiere as a token of esteeard
Bonn and Beethoven
The journey to London was begun by Haydn and Salomon on the 15th of December 1790, and the travellers arrived at Bonn on Christood reason, that Haydn here met Beethoven, then a youth of twenty, for the first time Beethoven was a member of the Electoral Chapel, and we know that Haydn, after having one of hiscomplimented by the Elector, the musical brother of Joseph II, entertained the chiefdescription of the regale raphy of Beethoven From Bonn the journey was resumed by way of Brussels to Calais, which was reached in a violent storm and an incessant downpour of rain ”I aer, ”although so and drinking so s”
Haydn Sea-Sick
Nextearly mass, he embarked at 7:30, and landed at Dover at five o'clock in the afternoon It was his first acquaintance with the sea, and, as the weather was rather rough, he makes no little of it in letters written froe,” he says, ”in order to gazeas there was a calan to blow, rising everyon, I was seized with a little alarm and a little indisposition likewise” Thus delicately does he allude to a painful episode
Arrives in London
Haydn reached London in the opening days of 1791 He passed his first night at the house of Bland, the h Holborn, which now, rebuilt, forms part of the First Avenue Hotel Bland, it should have been mentioned before, had been sent over to Vienna by Saloement in 1787 When he was admitted on that occasion to Haydn's roo the while of the bluntness of his razor ”I would give ood razor,” he exclaih for Bland, who is and fetched a ood as his word: he presented Bland with his latest quartet, and the work is still familiarly known as the ”Rasirmesser” (razor) Quartet The incident was, no doubt, recalled when Haydn renewed his acquaintance with the uest of Bland Next day he went to live with Salomon, at 18 Great Pulteney Street, Golden Square, which--also rebuilt--is now the warehouse of Messrs Chatto & Windus, the publishers
[See Musical Haunts in London, by FG Edwards, London, 1895] He described it in one of his letters as ”a neat, co of his Italian landlord, ”who gives us four excellent dishes” But his frugalis terribly dear here,” he wrote ”We each pay 1 florin 30 kreuzers [about 2s 8d] a day, exclusive of wine and beer” This was bad enough
An Enthusiastic Welco way in which it received the visitor People of the highest rank called on hi musical societies vied with each other in their zeal to do hi their lyres in his praise Thus Burney, who had been for some time in correspondence with him, saluted him with an effusion, of which it will suffice to quote the following lines:
Welcoreat master! to our favoured isle, Already partial to thy na may thy fountain of invention run In streaun; While skill for each fantastic whiuides! Oh, lory and felicity, With full fruition, to a distant hour, Of all thy ic and creative pow'r! Blest in thyself, with rectitude of , with thy talents, all mankind!
Like ”the man Sterne” after the publication of Tristraements for weeks ahead ”I could dine out every day,” he informs his friends in Germany Shortly after his arrival he was conducted by the Acade the Freemasons' Hall, and placed at a table where covers were laid for 200 ”It was proposed that I should take a seat near the top, but as it so happened that I had dined out that very day, and atevery well; but in spite of this, I could not get off drinking the health, in Burgundy, of the harentleo hoely contrasted with the quiet, drowsy life of Esterhaz; and although Haydn evidently felt flattered by so ht escape in order to have more peace for work
Ideas of London
His ideas about London wereHe was chiefly impressed by the size of the city, a fact which the Londoner of to-day can only fully appreciate when he reent Street had not been built and Lisson Grove was a country lane