Life of Haydn-Ludwig Nohl

End of Section 1 section two of life of haydn chapter one seventeen thirty two to seventeen fifty three his youth and early studies See, my dear Hummel, the house in which Haydn was born, to think that so great a man should have first seen the light in a peasant's wretched cottage, such were the words of Beethoven upon his deathbed in 1827, as he spoke of the father of the symphony and quartet, both of which he himself brought to their highest perfection.

Joseph Haydn was born March 31st, 1732, at the market town of rohrau near bruch on the river leitha which at that point separates lower austria from hungary the little place belonged to the counts harrach who erected a memorial to his honor in their park upon his return from his london triumphs in seventeen ninety five haydn's father was a wheelwright and the craft had long been followed by the family he had travelled as a master workman and in his wanderings had been it is said as far as frankfort on main his marriage was blessed with twelve children six of whom died very young they were brought up religiously in the catholic faith and as they were poor they were also accustomed to economy and industry in his old age haydn said my parents were so strict in their lessons of neatness and order even in my earliest youth that at last these habits became a second nature his mother watched over him most tenderly but his father alone lived to enjoy the recompense of such care when his son was installed as kapellmeister the manner in which he remembered his mother's grave many years later in his will reveals the strength of her influence his father who was by nature a great lover of music had a fair tenor voice and during his travels accompanied himself on the harp without knowing a note After the day's toil, the family sang together, and even when an old man, Haydn recalled with much emotion these musical pleasures of his boyhood.

The little separal, as he was called, astonished them all with the correctness of his ear and the sweetness of his voice, and always sang his short, simple pieces to his father in a correct manner.

More than this, he closely imitated the handling of a violin bow with a little stick.

and upon one such occasion a relative from the neighborhood observed the remarkable feeling for strict tone and time in the five-year-old boy.

This relative, who was a schoolmaster and choir leader in the neighboring town of Hainburg, took the lad, who was intended for the priesthood, to that place that he might study the arts.

which it was thought would undoubtedly open a way to the accomplishment of this purpose after this haydn only returned home as a visitor but that he remembered it and his poor relatives all his life with esteem and affection is evidenced by this remark in his old age.

I live not so much for myself as for my poor relatives, to whom I would leave something after my death.

His biographical notices say he was so little ashamed of his humble origin that he often spoke of it himself.

In his will, he remembers the parish priest and schoolteacher as well as the poor children of his humble birthplace.

in seventeen ninety five when he revisited it upon the occasion of the dedication of the harak memorial before alluded to he knelt down in the familiar old sitting-room kissed its threshold and pointed out the settle where he had once displayed in sport that childish musical skill which was the indication of his subsequent grand artistic career the young may learn from my example that something may come out of nothing what i am is entirely the result of the most pressing necessity he once said as he recalled his humble antecedents in heineberg haydn learned the musical rudiments and studied other branches necessary to youth with his cousin matthias frank In an autobiographical sketch about the year 1776, which may be found in the Musikerbriefe, Leipzig, 1873, second edition, he says, Almighty God, to whom I give thanks for all his unnumbered mercies, bestowed upon me such musical facility that even in my sixth year, I sang with confidence several masses in the church choir and could play a little on the piano and violin.

besides this he learned there the nature of all the ordinary instruments and can play upon most of them i thank this man even in his grave for making me work so hard though i used to get more blows than food runs one of his later humorous confessions unfortunately the latter complaint corresponded to the rest of his treatment in his cousin's house i could not help observing much to my distress that i was getting very dirty and though i was quite vain of my person i could not always prevent the spots upon my clothes from showing of which i was greatly ashamed in fact i was a little urchin he says at another time even at that time he wore a wig for the sake of cleanliness without which it is almost impossible to imagine papa haydn of the style of musical instruction in heineberg we have at least one example it was in passion week a time of numerous processions frank was in great trouble owing to the death of his kettledrummer but a spied little separal he bethought himself that he could quickly learn he showed him how to play and then left him the lad took a basket such as the peasants use for holding flour in their baking covered it over with a cloth placed it upon a finely upholstered chair and drummed away with so much spirit that he did not observe the flour had sifted out and ruined the chair he was reprimanded as usual but his teacher's wrath was appeased when he noticed how quickly joseph had become a skilful drummer as he was at that time very short in stature he could not reach up to the man who had been accustomed to carry the drum which necessitated the employment of a smaller man as unfortunately he was a hunchback it excited much laughter in the procession but haydn in this manner gained a thoroughly practical knowledge of the instrument and as is well known the drum parts in his symphonies are of special importance he was the first to give to this instrument a thorough individuality and a separate artistic purpose in instrumental music He was very proud of his skill and, as we shall see farther on, his ideas were of great assistance to a kettle drummer in London.

This first practical result convinced his teacher that Haydn was destined for a musical career.

His systematic industry was universally praised and his agreeable voice was his best personal recommendation.

The result was that after two years of...