Haydns

Haydns refers to the Haydn family, a prominent Austrian musical lineage active in the 18th century. The best-known members are Joseph Haydn (1732–1809) and his younger brother Michael Haydn (1737–1806). The family originated in Rohrau, Lower Austria, and their father, Mathias Haydn, was a wheelwright who encouraged his children’s musical interests alongside his own amateur playing.

Joseph Haydn became one of the leading composers of the Classical era. In 1761 he entered the service of the Esterházy princes, where he served as Kapellmeister for many years. His prolific output helped define the symphony and the string quartet as central genres of the period, and his works include influential choral and instrumental pieces such as The Creation (Die Schöpfung) and The Seasons. Haydn’s music is noted for its formal clarity, inventive humor, and adept orchestration, and he is frequently credited with shaping the Viennese classical style and influencing contemporaries and successors, including Mozart and, later, Beethoven.

Michael Haydn achieved distinction as a composer in Salzburg, where he wrote extensively for church and liturgical use as well as instrumental works. He was respected in his time for sacred choruses and symphonic writing, and his music circulated among Mozart’s circle; the two Haydns corresponded and shared musical ideas.

Together, the Haydn brothers are regarded as central figures in establishing the core forms and aesthetics of the Classical period. Their contributions to symphonic, chamber, and sacred music left a lasting imprint on Western music and continue to be studied for their craftsmanship and historical significance.