200 Years, Anniversary Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
haydnmania: the 2009 anniversaryArchive for Haydnportrait
the Haydn Church
Here a video introducing the Haydn Church in Eisenstadt, where Haydn worked – and, at least is buried in the “Haydn Mausoleum”:
visiting Esterhàza Palace (Fertöd, Hungary)
Whow, what an impressive ensemble: Esterháza Castle, at Fertöd, Hungary (google map) – just half an hour to go, from the Austria-Hungarian border at Sopron!
1767 Prince Nikolaus (later called “the Magnificent”) visited Versailles and became inspired to build this Castle – on a place that, at this time, was “in the middle of nowhere”.
1768 also a Opera house was built there – the first performance was Haydn’s opera “Lo speciale”.
the 2 scultptures (here the model) of Haydn (left) and the Prince Esterházy (up on the balcony) will be built in bronce next year.
The most famous and importend people of the aera have spent time here, e.g. Empress Maria Theresia loved to be a guest in Esterháza, ’cause “…if you want to listen to the best music you have to go to Esterháza…”.
the male’s (prince’s) bedroom with the “secret” door:
What I have to mention: all the people working in Esterháza were overwhelming friendly and gracious (special thanks to Erna and Tünde!), tried very patiently to answer all our questions and celebrated great hospitality. At least we spent more than 5 hours (!) there – and did not see yet the gigantic historic gardens!
Prince Paul Anton still lives there, although the Esterháza Palace today belongs to the National Administration Departement of Historical Buildings.
Enjoy a visit there! And one of the exhibitions or one of the many concerts during the Haydn-anniversary-year!
On saturday, august 8, 2009 the opening event of an extraordinary exhibition of contemporary art starts at Esterháza Castle:
Andreas Roseneder: “Haydn reloaded” – a modern painters view on the genius, his life and works and his surrounding. New paintings and objects as result of Roseneder’s artwork about Haydn.
link: www.mag.hu
international fame at lifetime: J.H.!
One of the most eloquent visual illustrations of Joseph Haydn’s international fame was Goya’s magnificent portrait of the Spanish Duke of Alba holding a book of Haydn’s Four Songs with Pianoforte Accompaniment, now in the Prado.
Haydn & Bach
Haydn ventured into a bookshop and asked for a good textbook on theory. The bookseller named the writings of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach as the best and most recent. Haydn wanted to look and see for himself. He began to read, he understood, found what he was looking for, paid for the book, and took it away thoroughly pleased. That Haydn sought to make Bach’ s principles his own, that he studied them untiringly, is apparent even in his youthful works from that period. From his nineteenth year Haydn wrote quartets which gave him a reputation among lovers of music as a profound genius, so quickly had he learnt. As time went on, he acquired Bach s later writings. In his opinion Bach’s writings form the best, most thorough and most useful textbook ever published.
As soon as Haydn s musical output became available in print, Bach noted with pleasure that he could count Haydn among his pupils. He later paid Haydn a flattering compliment; that Haydn alone had understood [Bach’s] writings completely and had known how to make use of them.
from: AC Dies, Biographische Nachrichten von Joseph Haydn, Vienna, 1810, R/Berlin, 2nd edition, 1962, pp. 40f.
The dark, dramatic, improvisation-like passages that appear in some of Mozart’s and Haydn’s works are due in part to the influence of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach’s work.
on arte-tv: Haydn, the misjudged genius
Yesterday, at 6 a.m (!), in the early sunday morning, arte-tv showed a great documentation about Joseph Haydn.
The stream is no longer online, but during the next time there’ll be other Haydn-films and Haydn-concerts on arte-tv, and audio-music files to listen.
Link: Hommage an Joseph Haydn (german & francais)
The next 6 a.m. (!) – concert will be on friday, may 29:
“Haydn der Symphoniker” – all about Haydn’s Symphonies, with music from Haydn, performed by the RSO Stuttgart, conducted by Sir Roger Norrington.
HAYDN – DOCTOR OF MUSIC
HAYDN – DOCTOR OF MUSIC was the title of a concert review in an english newspaper on 11 July 1791.
“Doctor of Musick” conferred upon Haydn at Oxford:
“… At the Theatre that night the audience were in excellent humour; and when Haydn appeared, and, grateful for the applause he received, seized hold of, and displayed, the gown he wore as a mark of the honour that had in the morning been conferred upon him, the silent emphasis with which he thus expressed his feelings, met with an unanimous and loud clapping”…… (13” Page 3 Col 1)
When he came to London Haydn wrote to a friend:
“Everyone wants to know me. I had to dine out six times up to now. I could have an invitation everyday…”
Haydn was the 1st musician who was honoured with the title “doctor” from the Oxford University during his lifetime.
J.H.’s “La fedeltà premiata” now at the Opera in Zürich
Adam Fischer (picture), founder of the “Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra” and familiar to all Haydn works, is the musical director of Haydn’s opera “La fedeltà premiata” which is now played at the Zürich Opera house.
The Zürich-production is a very modern version of Haydn’s opera, which he composed once for the Opera House at Schloss Eszterháza, where it was played for the first time on 25 February 1781.
Haydn: “…Now something about Paris. They were very surprised that my vocal composition should be so exceedingly complaisant; but I was not at all surprised, as they have not yet heard anything. If they were only to hear my operetta “L’isola disabitata” and my last opera for Shrovetide, “La fedeltà premiata”, I assure you that nothing has yet been heard like them in Paris, and perhaps not even in Vienna. My misfortune is only that I have to stay in the country..” — Joseph Haydn, 27 May 1781
haydn reloaded II – a modern painter’s view
Maybe you ask yourself, what kind of portrait should this be?
The Austrian painter Andreas Roseneder (alias “René Desor”, here his blog) was in search of clues to between Haydn’s and today’s “affecting” surrounding – after numerous visits at the Esterházy Castle in Eisenstadt with his Leica. His new artworks are the result of a 2 years research about Haydn and the people and faces around him: a contemporary view in brilliant artwork quality, made with the newest materials (the paintings here are made with a special kind of acrylic and vinylic colors).
If you visit Esterházy Castle have a look at the “visages” up at the wall of the Castle and courtyard there!
pictures © Andreas Roseneder, 2007+2008
You feel encircled by curious, funny faces that make grimaces and all are different! Already Joseph Haydn was surrounded by this grimaces when he lived and worked there for 30 years. Andreas Roseneder was inspired by those faces, remarkable characters to his “haydn_ sketch series”.
(more about the “haydn _portrait series”, the “haydn_muses series” of Andreas Roseneder soon!)
related article: “haydn reloaded” (with a picture of the “haydn-portrait series” of Andreas Roseneder
200 Years, Anniversary Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) 