Description
Stapert presents a listener's guide to Austrian composer Hayden (1732-1809) that includes a broad survey of his huge and diverse output, general descriptions or characterizations of pieces or repertoires, and detailed analyses of a few pieces or parts of them. The form is a biography that touches on such matters as choirboy at St. Stephans Cathedral in Vienna during the 1740s, kapellmeister at Eszterháza Palace and composer of church music 1768-72, symphonies and sonatas during the peak opera years 1773-81, life in London and a return to Vienna 1791-93, and music for troubled times. Annotation ©2014 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com)
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Franz Joseph Haydn (1732–1809) has been called the father of the symphony and the string quartet. A friend of Mozart and a teacher of Beethoven, "Papa" Haydn composed an amazing variety of music -- symphonies, string quartets, concerti, masses, operas, oratorios, keyboard works -- and his prolific output celebrates both the heights and depths of life.In this fascinating book Calvin Stapert combines his skills as a biographer and a musicologist to recount Haydn's steady rise from humble origins to true musical greatness. Unlike other biographers, Stapert argues that Haydn's work was a product of his devout Catholic faith, even though he worked mainly as a court musician and the bulk of his output was in popular genres. In addition to telling Haydn's life story, Stapert includes accessible listening guides to The Creation and portions of other well-known works to help Haydn listeners more fully appreciate the brilliance behind his music.
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