7 Joseph Haydn 7

achieved much success, both at the Austrian court and in
public performances (although not in London).
Haydn’s late creative output included six masses written
for his patron Miklós II. He also continued to compose
string quartets, notably the six Erdödy quartets known as
Opus 76. In 1797 Haydn gave to the Austrian Empire the
stirring song Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser (“God Save
Emperor Francis”). It was used for more than a century as
the national anthem of the Austrian monarchy and as the
patriotic song “Deutschland, Deutschland über alles”
(“Germany, Germany Above All Else”) in Germany, where
it remains the national anthem as “Deutschlandlied.” The
song was so beloved that Haydn decided to use it as a
theme for variations in one of his finest string quartets,
the Emperor Quartet (Opus 76, No. 3).
After composing his last two masses in 1801 and 1802,
Haydn undertook no more large-scale works. During the
last years of his life, he was apparently incapable of further
work. In 1809 Napoleon’s forces besieged Vienna and in
May entered the city. Haydn refused to leave his house
and take refuge in the inner city. Napoleon placed a guard
of honour outside Haydn’s house, and on May 31 the
enfeebled composer died peacefully; he was buried two
days later.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

(b. Jan. 27, 1756, Salzburg, Archbishopric of Salzburg [Austria]—d.
Dec. 5, 1791, Vienna)

A

ustrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is widely
recognized as one of the greatest composers in the
history of Western music. With Haydn and Beethoven he
brought to its height the achievement of the Viennese
Classical school. Unlike any other composer in musical
history, he wrote in all the musical genres of his day and