Haydn and His Sense of Humor

FRANZ JOSEF HAYDN
(March 31, 1732—May 31, 1809)

One of the more interesting facts about great composers is how they are always thought of as constantly serious and focused. They are seldom written about as full personalities, and as a result we fail to realize just how much their sense of humor found its way into their music.

Joseph Haydn perhaps provides the best illustration of his humor carrying over into his incredible abilities as a composer, and one story about his life and work is worth sharing in order to create a better understanding of just how important it is for an artist not to always take himself so seriously.

It seems that Haydn used his creativity to make a very strong point in his “Surprise Symphony,” Symphony No. 45. Haydn’s patron, Nikolaus I, Prince Esterházy, was in residence, together with all of his musicians and retinue at his favorite summer palace, Eszterháza, in Fertöd, Hungary. Sometimes called the “Hungarian Versailles” is it considered Hungary’s grandest Rococo edifice, and also served as the home of Haydn and his orchestra from 1766 to 1790.

 This particular stay was longer than usual, and most of the musicians had been forced to leave their wives and families back at home in Eisenstadt, which was about a day’s journey away.

Given that they were all longing to get back home, they appealed to Haydn for help, and instead of him speaking to Prince Nikolaus directly, Haydn decided to let his music, the Symphony No. 45, do all the talking.

During the final adagio of the work, the musicians, a few at a time, stopped playing, snuffed out the candle on their music stand, and left the performance space. By the end of the work there were only two violinists left, one being Haydn and the other his concertmaster, Luigi Tomasini.

Prince Esterházy got the message, and the court returned to Eisenstadt the day following the performance.

This comic turn of events can be seen in this wonderful YouTube video featuring the Sinfonia Rotterdam under the direction of Conrad van Alphen.

 Please enjoy.