Joseph Haydn

1732 – 1809 · died at about 77^[1][2]

Music

Fun Facts About Joseph Haydn

• Joseph Haydn's head was stolen by phrenologists shortly after his burial, and his skull was only reunited with the rest of his remains in 1954.^[1]
• As a choirboy whose singing Empress Maria Theresa called "crowing," Haydn snipped off a fellow chorister's pigtail as a prank and was caned and thrown out of the choir.^[1]
• Haydn and Mozart were friends who sometimes played string quartets together. Mozart honored him with his "Haydn" quartets, and both joined the same Masonic lodge.^[1][3][4]
• Haydn taught the young Beethoven, whose patron told him: "You will receive the spirit of Mozart from the hands of Haydn."^{[1][3][4][5][6]}
• Haydn said the sudden loud chord in his "Surprise" Symphony was meant to make a brilliant debut so that his own student Pleyel, giving rival concerts in London, would not outdo him.^[1]
• When Napoleon's army shelled his Vienna neighborhood in 1809, the elderly Haydn told his frightened household: "Don't be afraid, children, where Haydn is, no harm can reach you!"^[1][7][8]
• Joseph Haydn was alive at the same time as Hans Christian Andersen — their lives overlapped for 4 years (1805–1809).^{[1][2][9][10]}
• Joseph Haydn shares a birthday with Johann Sebastian Bach: both were born on March 31.^{[1][2][11][12]}

Franz Joseph Haydn was an Austro-Croatian composer of the Classical period. He was pivotal in the evolution of chamber music forms such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions to musical form have led him to be called "Father of the Symphony", "Father of the String quartet" and "Father of Sonata Form".^[1]

Contemporaries

John Adams

74 yr overlap

James Watt

73 yr overlap

Immanuel Kant

72 yr overlap

George Washington

67 yr overlap

Thomas Jefferson

66 yr overlap

Catherine the Great

64 yr overlap

Francisco Goya

63 yr overlap

Toussaint Louverture

60 yr overlap

Edward Jenner

60 yr overlap

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

60 yr overlap

Benjamin Franklin

58 yr overlap

Adam Smith

58 yr overlap

Their World

Questions About Joseph Haydn

When was Joseph Haydn born?

Joseph Haydn was born on March 31, 1732, and died on May 31, 1809.

How old was Joseph Haydn at death?

Joseph Haydn was born on March 31, 1732, and died on May 31, 1809, at age 77.

What was Joseph Haydn known for?

Joseph Haydn was known for: Father of the symphony and string quartet. Franz Joseph Haydn was an Austro-Croatian composer of the Classical period. He was pivotal in the evolution of chamber music forms such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions to musical form have led him to be called "Father of the Symphony", "Father of the String quartet" and "Father of Sonata Form".

Who was alive at the same time as Joseph Haydn?

Joseph Haydn's closest contemporary was John Adams. Their lives overlapped for 74 years.