The New Grove Haydn

This 18th century Austrian was the son of a wheelwright whose love for music led him to ignore his parents' wish for him to enter holy orders and insstead to doggedly pursue a musical career. He rose over the years of his life from a talented choirboy who sang for his neighbors to one of the most significant composers of his time. Deeply involved in the evolution of the Classical style, its subsequent growth can be seen in his own music. Under his care the symphony and the string quartet came to life. The great oratorios and masses of his late years belong to the consummation of the classical spirit in music. The New Grove Haydn takes an in-depth look at this fascinating composer.