Joseph Haydn

The wittiest of the Viennese masters, who built the symphony and string quartet into what they are.

Core Principles & Analysis

• His hundred-plus symphonies and nearly seventy quartets defined both forms.
• Three decades of Esterházy service gave him, as he said, no choice but to become original.
• He taught Beethoven, sparred with him, and outlived Mozart, his closest peer and friend.

Specifications & Metrics

• ERA: 1732 – 1809