Part 10 (2/2)

The handkerchiefs duly arrived--”nice and large”--and Haydn ments in appropriate terms At the same time (in January 1802) he wrote: ”I send you with this the favourite air 'The Blue Bells of Scotland,' and I should like that this little air should be engraved all alone and dedicated in ift to the renowned Mrs Jordan, who, I esteereat virtue and reputation” Mrs Jordan has been credited with the air of ”The Blue Bells of Scotland” She certainly popularized the song, whether it was her own or not In the note just quoted Haydn must have used the term ”virtue” in the Italian sense

A Hitch

After this a little hitch occurred in the Tho asked by Whyte, the publisher of a rival collection, to do soreed Thomson, not unnaturally, perhaps, felt hurt He h Mr Straton's successor at the Eust 1803 Stuart writes to say that he had broached the matter to Haydn ”in as delicate terht take offence” Haydn frankly admitted that he had done the accompaniments for Whyte, but said the airs were different fro conversation, he infor now seventy-four years of age and extremely infirm, he found himself wholly incapable of further application to study; that heleave to decline all offers, whether on your part or from any other person whatsoever He even declared that notwithstanding the repeated requests of Prince Esterhazy, he felt hi several pieces ofpossessed of a co so much as to pass the short time he has yet to live in repose and quiet” From this letter we learn that Thomson had unluckily sent a present of a handkerchief for Frau Haydn, who had now been dead for three years!

A ”Previous” Letter of Condolence

In spite of the little ht round once more, and on the 20th of December 1803 Thomson sends twenty-four airs, ”which will hts hi an inferior composer to finish a work already so nearly finished by you”

He would pay 4 ducats for each air rather than have the mortification of a refusal After this there is little of interest to note in the correspondence, unless it be a very ”previous” letter of condolence which Thomson sent to Vienna A false ru extract from a note which Haydn dictated to be sent to the friend who received Thomson's letter will explain the matter:

Kindly say to Mr Thomson that Haydn is very sensible of the distress that the news of his alleged death has caused hin of affection has added, if that were possible, to the esteem and friendshi+p he will always entertain for Mr Thomson You will notice that he has put his naive better proof that he is still on this nether world He begs you at the sah to have Mr Thomson's letter of condolence copied and to send him the copy

Haydn's experience in this as perhaps unique Burney says he was reported dead in 1778; and the false rumour which reached Thomson in 1805 led Cherubini to compose a sacred cantata for three voices and orchestra, which was duly performed in Paris when his death actually occurred

Haydn furnished in all some 250 airs with symphonies and accompaniments for Thomson In the packet of letters from the composer, docketed by Tho the various pay to this statement Haydn had 291 pounds, 18s for his work fronificant sum to make out of a side branch of his art

Eventide

This interesting correspondence takes us up to the year 1806, by which time Haydn's as entirely over His eventide, alas! was darkened by the clouds of war The wave of the French Revolution had cast its bloody spray upon the surrounding nations, and 1805 saw the composer's beloved Vienna occupied by the French Haydn was no politician, but love of country lay deep down in his heart, and he watched the course of events, fros

The Last Public Appearance

Once only was he drawn from his seclusion This was on the 27th of March 1808, when he appeared in public for the last time at a performance of ”The Creation” at the University The scene on this remarkable occasion has been described byof it, says that ”such an apotheosis of the master itnessed as has but few parallels,” and this is no exaggeration The performance, which was under the direction of Salieri, had been arranged in honour of his approaching seventy-sixth birthday All the great artists of Vienna were present, a thee to bring the veteran to the hall, and, as he was being conveyed in an ar the princes and nobles, the whole audience rose to their feet in testi near swathed hian, and the audience was hushed to silence When that ht,” they burst into loud applause, and Haydn, overcome with excitement, exclaimed, ”Not I, but a Power from above created that” The performance went on, but it proved too ed to take hi carried out, sohest of the land crowded round to take as felt to be a last farewell; and Beethoven, forgetting incidents of early days, bent down and fervently kissed his hand and forehead Having reached the door, Haydn asked his bearers to pause and turn hi his hand, as if in the act of blessing, he was borne out into the night

Next year Vienna was bombarded by the French, and a cannon-ball fell not far from Haydn's house He was naturally round for the stateht On the contrary, he called out to his servants, ere assisting hihtened; no harm can happen to you while Haydn is here”

The End

But his days were nuround,” he would say, with tears in his eyes And yet it was a French officer who last visited hi then actually occupied by the ene ”In native worth” with such expression that Haydn was quite overco On May 26 he seeathered his household around hi carried to the piano, at his own special request, played the Emperor's Hymn three times over, with an emotion that fairly overpowered himself and all who heard him Five days later, on the 31st of May 1809, he breathed his last

Funeral services were held in all the churches, and on June 15 Mozart's Requieenerals and administrators of the French army were present Many poems were also written in his praise

Haydn was buried as a private individual in the Hundsthurm Churchyard, which was just outside the lines, and close to the suburb of Gurave reuished till 1814--another instance of Vienna's neglect--when Haydn's pupil, Chevalier Neuko inscription, which contains a five-part canon for solution:

HAYDN

NATUS MDCCxxxIII OBIIT MDCCCIX

CAN AENIGM QUINQUE VOC

[figure: a musical score excerpt to the syllables non om - nis mo - ri - ar]

D D D