The serene, genial face of Haydn, as seen in his portraits, measures
accurately the character of his music. In both we see healthfulness,
good-humour, vivacity, devotional feeling, and warm affections; a mind
contented, but yet attaching high importance to only one thing in
life, the composing of music. Haydn pursued this with a calm,
insatiable industry, without haste, without rest. His works number
eight hundred, comprising cantatas, symphonies, oratorios, masses,
concertos, trios, sonatas, quartets, minuets, etc., and also
twenty-two operas, eight German and fourteen Italian.
As a creative mind in music, Haydn was the father of the quartet and
symphony. Adopting the sonata form as scientifically illustrated by
Emanuel Bach, he introduced it into compositions for the orchestra and
the chamber. He developed these into a completeness and full-orbed
symmetry, which have never been improved. Mozart is richer, Beethoven
more sublime, Schubert more luxuriant, Mendelssohn more orchestral and
passionate; but Haydn has never been surpassed in his keen perception
of the capacities of instruments, his subtile distribution of parts,
his variety in treating his themes, and his charmingly legitimate
effects. He fills a large space in musical history, not merely from
the number, originality, and beauty of his compositions, but as one
who represents an era in art-development.
In Haydn genius and industry were happily united. With a marvellously
rich flow of musical ideas, he clearly knew what he meant to do, and
never neglected the just elaboration of each one. He would labour on a
theme till it had shaped itself into perfect beauty.
Haydn is illustrious in the history of art as a complete artistic
life, which worked out all of its contents as did the great Goethe. In
the words of a charming writer: "His life was a rounded whole. There
was no broken light about it; it orbed slowly, with a mild, unclouded
lustre, into a perfect star. Time was gentle with him, and Death was
kind, for both waited upon his genius until all was won. Mozart was
taken away at an age when new and dazzling effects had not ceased to
flash through his brain: at the very moment when his harmonies began
to have a prophetic ring of the nineteenth century, it was decreed
that he should not see its dawn. Beethoven himself had but just
entered upon an unknown 'sea whose margin seemed to fade forever and
forever as he moved;' but good old Haydn had come into port over a
calm sea and after a prosperous voyage. The laurel wreath was this
time woven about silver locks; the gathered-in harvest was ripe and
golden."
_MOZART._