Celebrating Joseph Haydn

From a village boy from Rohrau to honorary doctor of Oxford, Joseph Haydn - against all odds - became a world-renowned composer and the father of Viennese classical music. He is the most famous Vienna Boys’ Choir member of all times and also went on to play together with his friend W. A. Mozart in string quartets. A teacher as well, his most accomplished student was Ludwig van Beethoven.

Two hundred years after his death, Joseph Haydn is more celebrated than ever. In 2009, music lovers can commemorate the bicentenary of the great composer by enjoying his music in the buildings where he lived and worked, and uncovering some of the secrets of his prolific career.

In the baroque room of the family’s farmhouse in Rohrau, Lower Austria, you can see the restored Hammerflügel (fortepiano), on which Haydn is said to have played. Between May and October 2009 there will be six opportunities to hear this historic instrument being played at a very intimate concert, including performances as part of the 6th Haydn Festival at Rohrau Palace

In Burgenland, the 2009 bicentennial celebrations will open with a birthday serenade: on 31 March, Haydn’s 277th birthday, Concentus Musicus will perform in the Haydnsaal at Esterhazy Palace. These musicians are known for the passion with which they bring this classical music to life, as if Joseph Haydn himself were standing on the podium. The four symphonies, to be performed under the direction of Nicolaus Harnoncourt, are the starting signal for the 100&7 Symphonies project – meaning that there are a further 103 opportunities this year to appreciate the enthusiasm of the “Master of the Symphony” of this art form (31 March 2009).

The extraordinary friendship between Haydn and Mozart was forged in Mozart’s birthplace. Amadeus composed his Haydn Quartet and performed it for the first time in this house. Joseph Haydn on first violin and Mozart on the viola – one can only imagine the magic of that performance. In the footsteps of Haydn you can dine in true baroque tradition, following a concert in the Piaristenkeller Restaurant, on dishes such as cream of pheasant soup and exquisite braised beef, which Haydn and his young friend Mozart so much enjoyed.

For more information on celebratory events, log on to Haydn2009.net.