4.2: Most Prominent Composers

The First Viennese School: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven.

Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven are collectively referred to as the "First Viennese School." Not because they attended or created their own school, but because they were the most influential composers of their time, and Vienna was the cultural hub (especially for composers) during their lifetime. Of course, there were many other composers during this time period, both within and outside of Vienna. But when we look collectively at just these three composers, we have literally thousands of different musical works.

Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809).

Born in 1732 in Austria, Franz Joseph Haydn is one of the most influential composers in all of Western music. He was instrumental in helping to establish the symphony and the string quartet as ensembles, and was also crucial in helping develop the larger musical form within instrumental music. Unlike other composers of his time, he was fortunate enough to have been employed for the better part of 30 years by a prince! He worked for Prince Nicholas Esterhazy as his sole composer. As a matter of fact, his contract of employment stated that Haydn was to see the prince every morning—in uniform—to ask him what his desires were for music performances! Haydn composed solely at the discretion of the Prince, but fortunately for him, the Prince loved music---he was even an amateur baryton player, and performed some of the music that Haydn had himself written for the prince! (Readers who would like to see a Baryton in action may view a performance here).

Haydn had the privilege of not only writing for the prince (and being paid well, living basically in a mansion), but he also had access to Europe's best performers as director of the Prince's ochestra. As a result, he could take risks that others wouldn't have been able to get away with. He is well-remembered for his instrumental music, which includes over 100 symphonies, over 50 piano sonatas, and more than 70 string quartets! He also wrote operas, oratorios, cantatas, and hundreds of other pieces. He was Mozart's friend and mentor, and he even taught Beethoven counterpoint. Both Mozart and Beethoven dedicated some of their own compositions to Haydn.

After the Prince died, his brother took over, who didn't have as much of a passion for music, and he was essentially "released" from his contract (though Haydn was financially set at this point). Haydn died two decades later in 1809.

If you want to see just how much music Haydn composed, visit the Wikipedia list of his compositions! Keep in mind that much of this music contains several movements, and can last between 10-30 minutes!

(above): portrait of Haydn by Thomas Hardy. Public Domain.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-91).

Mozart was born in 1756 in Austria. His father, Leopold Mozart, recognized an innate musical ability when he was young, and promoted him as quickly as he could, booking him on tours as a performer. As the legend goes, Mozart was composing music before he could even speak; his first composition was a Minuet and Trio in G Major, written when he was 5 years old (though there's some speculation that his father had more than a "hand" in writing this, to help promote the idea of his son's genius). Regardless as to his father's "help" as a child, Mozart was a true musical genius of his time, and could compose some of the most complicated music on the spot. He composed the orchestra's overture to his opera Don Giovanni the night before the opera's premiere --- which is not an easy task, to say the least!

Before he was 20 years old, Mozart had traveled all across Europe to promote his musical abilities. Over the course of his life, he made 1 trip to England, 3 trips to Italy, 3 trips to Paris, 4 trips to Prague, and 1 trip to Berlin! Unlike Haydn, Mozart's life was filled with lots of hardship and found it difficult to gain long-lasting employment from benefactors (this was likely a result of his personality, which was quite abrasive). Mozart sought full-time employment as the Royal Court Composer, but unfortunately never attained the full position that he desired. He was able to support himself as a freelancer, providing lessons in piano and composition, performing publicly, and selling his compositions. Although he did well enough during these years, he died as a pauper in 1791, likely due to his compulsive gambling.

Mozart is well-known for his over 40 symphonies, string quartets, piano sonatas, instrumental concertos, and operas. For those interested in seeing just how much music he composed, visit the Wikipedia list of his compositions.

(right): postumous Portrait of Mozart by Barbara Kraft. Public Domain.

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827).

Born in 1770 in Germany, Beethoven is probably the best-known composer in the world of popular culture. He suffered many hardships beginning when he was younger; his father was an alcoholic, and at an early age, Beethoven was forced to work as the primary breadwinner for his family. He was known as a virtuosic pianist from an early age, and traveled to Vienna at an early age, where he studied with Haydn. Beethoven's first set of piano sonatas were dedicated to Haydn!

Beethoven began experiencing hearing loss in his later 20s, which caused a tremendous amount of pain for him. Eventually, he was unable to hear at all, and would rest his head against the piano in order to feel the vibrations. Although as a trained musician, he was able to audiate (that is, hear in one's own head), it wasn't the same. In 1802, he wrote a letter to his brothers, which explained his unhappiness and what he called a "wretched existence." Although he contemplated suicide in an un-sent letter to his brothers, he decided against it, declaring that "it was only my art that held me back."

Beethoven composed a tremendous amout of music while completely deaf, including his 9th (and last) Symphony - the "Ode to Joy" symphony. His music was considered incredibly difficult during his time (and I would add as a pianist, it's still difficult!) As a composer for the piano, he truly revolutionized the piano sonata as a full-fledged 20-30 minute work for solo piano. He is most known for his instrumental music including 32 piano sonatas, 9 symphonies, and 16 string quartets, though he wrote much more music than that. His most well-known music in the world of popular culture includes "Fur Elise," "Ode to Joy," and his famous 5th Symphony, which has accompanied the opening to Judge Judy for decades. For those interested in seeing his list of compositions, visit the Wikipedia list of works.

(above): portrait of Beethoven by Joseph Karl Stieler, 1820. Public Domain.