Haydnhaus

This is the house where Joseph Haydn spent the last twelve years of his life. It is located in an area that was once an outer village of Vienna called Gumpendorf. Haydn composed The Creation and The Seasons while living in this home, but he was unable to continue composing as his health declined later in life.

Franz Joseph Haydn was born in the Austrian village of Rohrau in 1732. His family enjoyed singing folk songs, and they noticed his remarkable talent for singing at a young age. Haydn was sent to the Church of Hainburg for further training at the age of 6. Later, Haydn joined the choir at St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna. He also learned to play violin and keyboard during this time. He remained there until his voice changed during puberty.

As a young adult, Haydn spent 8 years studying composers while working as a street musician and music teacher. His goal was to become a master composer. The Italian composer, Niccolo Porpora trained Haydn in the fundamentals of composition. Haydn's earliest work followed the Rococo style, which was simple and elegant.

Haydn worked for the Esterhazy family for 29 years. During this time, he was prevented from forming friendships with the staff due to his employer's strict rules for employees. He also experienced marital discord. Haydn's work reflected this isolation by becoming darker and more foreboding. This period of Hadyn's compositions is known as Sturm und Drang, or Storms and Stress.

After leaving the Esterhazy palace, Haydn met and became friends with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, despite their vast age difference and different musical styles. Haydn eventually moved to London, where he composed his 12 London Symphonies and experienced great success.

Joseph Haydn spent the last twelve years of his life in his Viennese house which became known as Haydnhaus. It is located in an area that was once an outer village of Vienna called Gumpendorf. Haydn composed The Creation and The Seasons while living in this home, but he was unable to continue composing as his health declined later in life.

The 200th anniversary of Haydn's death was in 2009. To commemorate the occasion, the Wien Museum renovated this house to more closely match historical models.

HAYDNHAUS, WIEN MUSEUM. Accessed August 14th, 2023. https://www.wienmuseum.at/en/locations/haydnhaus.

Santos, Ricardo. Why Listen to Haydn? His Life and Music, YouTube. August 1st, 2022. Accessed August 14th, 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TY1CQiz9cs4&ab_channel=InsidetheScore.