[Footnote 110: For the early and significant achievements in
orchestral effect of the Mannheim Orchestra under its famous
leader Stamitz, seeThe Art of Music, Vol. 8, Chapter II.]
[Footnote 111: For interesting comments on the String Quartets
see Hadden’sLife of Haydn, pp. 174-175.]
[Footnote 112:The Oxford History of Music, Vol. V, Chapter I,
andThe Present State of Music in Germanyby Burney present
a vivid picture of the times and of the results of 18th century
patronage.]
[Footnote 113: For an entertaining account of the two London
visits, which took place during the latter part of his career,
see the essayHaydn in Londonby Krehbiel in hisMusic and
Manners.]
As to the formal side of Haydn’s work, he is responsible for sev-
eral distinct improvements. The different divisions of the move-
ment are more clearly defined—sometimes perhaps, as we look
back, a bit rigidly—but no more so than was necessary for a pub-
lic just beginning to follow easily the main outlines of the form.
Haydn leads up to his objective points in a clear-cut, logical way
and there is little of “running off into the sand” or of those oth-
erwise aimless passages so prevalent in Emmanuel Bach. In his
best works, notably in many of the Quartets, there is also more
individuality secured for the second theme;[114] although for
highly personified and moving second themes we have to await
the greater genius of Mozart and Beethoven. Whenever we are
inclined to call Haydn’s style old-fashioned we must remember
that he wrote before the note of intense personal expression—
the so-called subjective element, prominent in Beethoven—had
come to the fore. The time just prior to Haydn had been called
the “Pig-tail period” (Zopf-Periode) in reference to the stiff and
precise dress and manners which had their counterpart in for-
mality of artistic expression. Only towards the end of his career
do we feel that breath of freedom in life and art which was gen-
erated by the French Revolution (beginning in 1791) and by the
many political and social changes of that stirring period. From
Haydn on, much more attention should be paid to the content
and meaning of the music than to the formal handling of the
material. In all worthy music, in fact, the chief point of interest
is themusic itself which speaks to us in its own language of
sound and rhythm. A knowledge of form is but a means to an