Essay on Haydn and Mozart - 1997 Words

Between the years 1782 and 1785, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote six string quartets which were dedicated to his friend and fellow composer, Joseph Haydn. These quartets, known as the Haydn Quartets, were among Mozarts first six masterpieces in the medium (Keller, 64). In composing these works, Mozart was inspired by Haydns recently published Opus 33, which is also a set of six string quartets. When Haydn wrote his Opus 33 in 1781, it was the first time he had written for the string quartet in a period of ten years. With the six pieces of Opus 33, Haydn established a style of chamber music that he described as being in an entirely new, very special manner (Pauly, 45). At the same time, it had also been nearly 10 years since†¦show more content†¦The royalty of the time was especially interested in having small instrumental groups play at their social gatherings and official events. The music of these small groups was known as chamber music, because it was usually meant to be performed in a royal patrons private chambers (Rosenstiel, 547). In order to suit the tastes of the aristocracy, this type of music was generally light and elegant. Both Mozart and Haydn were masters of the classical style. Haydn, born 24 years before Mozart, was an innovator in the development of the style. Mozart followed Haydns lead and went even further by becoming a true master of classical forms. Mozarts works also show a strong sense of emotion, which adds to their power. Haydn wrote more than 80 string quartets during his long career. By the early 1770s, the four-movement format was standardized in Haydns quartets (548). After an exciting first movement in sonata-allegro form, Haydn often used a minuet for the second movement. The third movement was usually a slow piece and the fourth movement was usually another up-tempo form like the first movement. This order of movements differed from the traditional order, in which the second movement was a slow piece and the third movement was a minuet. By changing the order, Haydn expressed an element of the classical style, because the four movements are balanced in terms of their expressive weight (Rosen, 280).Show MoreRelatedThe Works Of Haydn And Mozart940 Words   |  4 PagesHaydn and Mozart are often recognised as the two composers who were responsible for bringing Viennese Classicism to its greatest height. In the public eye, these two great composers could not be more different, whether it is i n terms of their characters or values. This essay sets out to explore the similarities and differences in the early lives of these two gifted individuals, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and (Franz) Joseph Haydn, through their backgrounds and music education. 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