Austrian composer.
Printed musical score signed, Haydn [paraph manu propria], on the title page of Ariana a Naxos, Cantata a Voce Sola, first British edition, 18 pages, oblong folio. London: Published for Haydn by J. Bland. Rare.
Franz Haydn gave the music publisher John Bland the copyright to Ariana when the two first met in Vienna in November 1789. It was the first association of the two in what would become a long friendship as well as a profitable business relationship. It was at Bland’s house that Haydn stayed during his first triumphant trip to London the next year.
For most of his career, Franz Haydn was a court musician for the wealthy Hungarian aristocratic Esterházy family on their remote estate. Isolated from other composers and trends in music until the later part of his long life, Haydn was, as he put it, “forced to become original.” When an Esterházy prince came along who was not interested in music, Haydn was free to branch out; he travelled to London twice where electrified the musical world there.
Franz Haydn was a friend of Mozart, who he met around 1784; they performed string quartets together and Haydn praised him unreservedly. For his part, Mozart dedicated a set of six quartets to him, the “Haydn” quartets.
At the time of his death, Franz Haydn was one of the most celebrated composers across Europe. He is often called the “Father of the Symphony” and the “Father of the String Quartet” because of his important contributions to these genres. Contained in a dark green quarter-morocco binding.
Price: $12,500
This item is associated with the following category in our inventory:
- Musicians / Composers
