A Complete History of Music: for Schools, Clubs, and Private ReadingBaltzell, W. J. (Winton James)
History
A Complete History of Music: for Schools, Clubs, and Private Reading
Baltzell, W. J. (Winton James)
Music -- History and criticism
=Hardships in Vienna=.—At the age of seventeen, therefore, he wandered
the streets all of one rainy November night, with no friend to whom
to turn. Finally, in the morning, he met an acquaintance formerly at
the school, Spangler, a tenor singer, himself nearly as poor as Haydn.
Nevertheless, he took the outcast home to his garret, where he was
eking out an existence with his family; and thus temporarily provided
for, Haydn set about finding work to do. Small jobs, like playing in
bands, or at weddings and baptisms, and singing in choirs, he eagerly
sought; his spare moments he occupied in writing music for serenades
or garden-parties. While undergoing these hardships, however, he was
becoming familiar with the music dear to the people’s heart, and also
with the varied effects of instrumental combinations.
=Studies and New Friends=.—In 1750, he rented a garret in a house
in Vienna, and, having secured a dilapidated spinet, set himself
diligently to work to study all available musical compositions, notably
those of the new sonata order, and especially the sonatas of C. P.
E. Bach. Theoretical works, also, like the “Gradus ad Parnassum” of
J. J. Fux, and Mattheson’s work on conducting, were eagerly devoured
by the youthful enthusiast. By a piece of good fortune, Metastasio,
the popular opera librettist, roomed in the same house, and learning
of the talent hidden away in the garret, sought Haydn out, gave him
Italian lessons, and ultimately started him on the road to success
by recommending him as clavier teacher to a Spanish lady, to whose
daughter he gave lessons.
=Connection with Porpora=.—Her singing master was the renowned opera
composer, Porpora, who recognized Haydn’s talent as accompanist, and
proceeded to make him useful to himself, giving him instruction in
composition in return for his services, which were frequently of even a
menial nature. Accompanying Porpora on his journeys, he met musicians
like Wagenseil and Gluck; and at the age of twenty had written many
compositions, including a mass in F, an opera and many works of the
sonata order, founded on the style of C. P. E. Bach.
=Better Times=.—Better times now opened before Haydn. Gaining
influential friends, he won, through them, the post of music director
and composer to Count Morzin, a position which he held only a short
time, since the Count gave up his musical establishment soon. But he
was immediately engaged by the wealthy and cultivated Prince Paul
Esterhazy, who had been charmed at hearing a symphony of Haydn’s, as
assistant director of music at his estate at Eisenstadt. The same year
Haydn made an unhappy marriage with the daughter of Keller, a wigmaker,
which he had cause to regret for the remainder of his life.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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