Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume VIII.djvu/555

 HAYDN 541 himself to compose for the society whenever called upon, he withdrew his score ; and the society 18 years later was proud to elect him an honorary member. The fame of his Italian 3ras procured him an order to compose one >r the imperial opera house in Vienna. La constanza was written and accepted, laydn had studied the capacities of the singers ifully, and adapted his parts with great skill their various powers. The theatre was in hands of the same Italians who had before icceeded in preventing the performance of tozart's La finta simplice, and it was enough array them against Haydn that he was a ierman. The one means in their power to the opera was to make an entire change in he distribution of the parts, and this they did. lying, " I know what and for whom I wrote," laydn took his score and returned to Eisen- it. During the building of the new chateau it Eszterhaz, the accommodations were so lim- that the prince took with him of his or- lestra but a few virtuosos, who were obliged leave their families at Eisenstadt. Six months I, and the musicians, full of impatience to jturn, were astonished and despairing to learn lat Esterhazy intended to prolong his stay months. They came to Haydn praying to find some means of changing the prince's letermination. To have sent in a petition rould only have brought upon him and them he laughter of their employer. Haydn com- a sextet, giving the first violin to the irtuoso Tomasini, whose playing would be ire to hold the prince until the close. At le performance one player after another ceased, blew out his candle, took his music and instru- lent, and silently left the room, until at length Tomasini alone remained, and he only to finish lis part, when like the rest he put out his light id withdrew. " If they all go away, we must ive too," said Esterhazy. The performers had waited in an anteroom, and as the prince came through he said laughing : " Haydn, I understand it ; the gentlemen may all leave to- morrow." The sextet was afterward devel- oped into a symphony. In 1780 the philhar- lonic society of Modena sent Haydn a diploma honorary member. In 1785 he received an order from Cadiz in Spain to compose a series of seven adagios for orchestra, to be played in the principal church at the annual festival in commemoration of the crucifixion. To these seven were afterward adapted words founded upon the seven phrases spoken by Christ upon the cross. As adagios, performed in a church lighted by a single lamp, the priests prostrate before the altar, and the multitude kneeling in silence, this music is, as Haydn himself de- clared, among the most successful of his com- positions. Prince Nicholas Esterhazy died Sept. 28, 1790. His son and successor Paul Anthony, not having the taste of his father, dismissed the orchestra, retaining Haydn nominally as his chapelmaster. The composer was now free from all labor but that of composition, had a handsome income secured to him, and, having made Vienna his residence, occupied himself in laying plans for future works on a grander scale than any hitherto attempted. Thus only could he compete with the young Mozart, whom, he loved as a son, but whose genius was a spur to the veteran. A few weeks after the death of Esterhazy a stranger entered the room of Haydn. " I am Salomon, of London," said he, "and come to take you thither; to- morrow we will strike a bargain." Salomon was a native of Bonn, but left that city early in life to enter the service of Prince Henry of Prussia, and in 1783 emigrated to London. He had repeatedly urged Haydn by letter in pre- vious years to visit that city, and Prince Ester- hazy was ready to give the necessary leave of absence; but Haydn was unable to make up his mind to accept the invitation. Gallini, the undertaker of the great professional concerts in Hanover square, was with Salomon upon the continent at this time engaging singers and virtuosos for the succeeding season. Salomon was already at Bonn on his way back to Lon- don when he learned the death of Esterhazy, and immediately started for Vienna to engage Haydn. The composer hesitated long, but an offer of 3,000 florins for an Italian opera, and 100 florins for every new work which he should compose and direct in a series of 20 concerts, at length overcame his scruples, and on Dec. 15, 1790, he left Vienna. The musical world of London received him with the highest de- gree of enthusiasm, which increased with each new work that he produced. Soon after the concerts began, a quarrel broke out between Gallini and Salomon on the one part, and the other directors of the concerts on the other, which resulted in driving the two from Hano- ver square to the Haymarket theatre. Haydn, having made his contract with Gallini, re- mained faithful to him notwithstanding the offer of a large sum from the other party. The public followed Haydn to the Haymarket, and the enterprise of Gallini and Salomon was successful. Haydn's first stay in London last- ed 18 months. The principal works produced were: Orfeo (opera seria), 9 symphonies, a symphony concertante, " The Storm," a grand chorus with orchestra, 6 quartets, 11 sona- tas, several beautiful songs and canzonets, and the arrangements to more than 100 Scotch songs. The Orfeo was not given, because Gal- lini's license did not include operatic perform- ances. In the summer of 1792 Haydn returned to Vienna, with a handsome sum saved from his earnings, and the fame of being (for Mozart was now dead) the greatest of living com- posers. On Jan. 19, 1794, he left Vienna for a second visit to London, where he remained a year and a half. His principal works were three symphonies, a large number of songs and airs, both with pianoforte and orchestral ac- companiment, the ten commandments composed as canons, 24 minuets and German dances, 6 contra dances, 3 sonatas, an overture, ballads,