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Composer Worksheet #4 - Franz Joseph Haydn
Name___________________________ Date__________ Block______ Due________
Dates
Born March 31, 1732 in Rohrau, Austria
Died May 31, 1809 in Vienna, Austria
Nationality
Austrian
Style/Period
Classical 1750-1820
Famous Works
"Surprise" Symphony, numerous symphonic, chamber, choral, operatic, and keyboard music
Bio
Haydn's father was a wagon builder and repairer who loved music and played the harp for his
friends and neighbors. Perhaps this is why three of his sons became musicians. The most
famous, whose music is still played today, is Franz Joseph Haydn. As a young boy, Haydn was
sent to live with his uncle, who was a schoolmaster in Hainburg. There he studied reading,
writing, arithmetic, and singing. He learned to play the harpsichord, organ, violin, trumpet, and
drums.
While on a talent-spotting tour, the Music Director of the Cathedral of St. Stephen in Vienna
discovered Haydn. He had been in school in Hainburg for about a year. At age eight, Haydn went
to Vienna and joined the choir there.
Throughout his life, Haydn had a great sense of humor. Although this helped him in many ways,
it got him into serious trouble with the choir director in Vienna when he was a teenager. He cut
off one of the pigtails of the boy in front of him (choir boys at that time wore their hair in
pigtails), and his punishment was to be expelled from the choir and the school. For several years
he struggled to find his way, and was finally able to make a living as a court musician and
composer. His sense of humor is often shown in the music he wrote. For example, one of his
most famous pieces, the Surprise Symphony, has very soft passages followed by sudden, very
loud chords to wake up members of the audience who were sleeping.
1. In which Musical Period did Haydn live and work:
A. Baroque
B. Classical
C. Romantic
D. Modern/20th Century
E. Contemporary
Select the correct date for the following categories:
____2. Date of Birth
A. August 5, 1989 D. April 14, 1759 G. February 23, 1685
B. March 31, 1732 E. March 1, 1810 H. May 31, 1809
C. May 7, 1840 F. October 17, 1849 I. November 6, 1893
____3. Date of Death
Select the correct city/town and country for the following categories:
____4. Place of Birth
A. London, England D. Halle, Germany G. St. Petersburg, Russia
B. Vienna, Austria E. New York, United States H. Paris, France
C. Votkinsk, Russia F. Rohrau, Austria I. Zelazowa Wola, Poland
____5. Place of Death
6. Which answer best describes why Haydn is regarded as an important composer in music
history.
A. The memorable melodies, strong colors and uninhibited emotionalism made him one of the most widely popular of all
composers. He is well known for his ballets.
B. He was a leading composer of concerti grossi, operas, and is known today mainly through his musical
compositions called oratorios- a form in which he created. His most famous piece is Messiah; an oratorio set to texts from
the King James Bible and is one of the most popular works in all of music.
C. He ranks among the most important composers to lead the development of instrumental and vocal music during the
middle and late 1700’s. He was one of the most prominent composers of the Classical period, called the “Father of the
Symphony” and “Father of the String Quartet.”
D. His fame rests almost entirely on his more than 200 compositions for solo piano and his keen appreciation for the
capability of the piano to produce beautiful music. He designed his compositions to display the resources of the
instrument to full effect.
E. Before his first major project was named, he toured through Scandinavia performing for various types of audiences. He
was a very talented lyricist and wrote all but three songs on Led Zeppelin’s (his band) first album.
Haydn’s Music: Match the genre and classification number to the correct Title and Key.
A. Viva la Vida in F# B. Die Schopfung(The Creation) C. Hansel and Gretel D Surprise: in G E. L’anima del
filosofo (Orfeo ed Euridice) F. The “Joke” Quartet in Eb
_____7. Symphony No.94: 1791 (Orchestral- Hob.I: 94)
_____8. String Quartets: 1781 (Op.33. No.2 Hob.III:38)
_____9. Oratorio: 1798 (Sacred Vocal Works- Hob.XXI:2)
____10. Opera: 1791 (Hob.XXVIII:13)
11. What characteristics of the Surprise Symphony give the piece this nickname? Describe in
complete sentences with 2-3 ideas.