The New Student's Reference Work/Austrian Hymn

Austrian Hymn. Known also as the Emperor's Hymn. Written by the poet Hauschka in 1796, and set to music for four voices by Joseph Haydn. It was first sung on the emperor's birth-day, February 12, 1797, at the national theater in Vienna and at the principal theaters in the provinces. Its combination of strength and simplicity well fit it for an adequate expression of patriotic sentiment. With Haydn it was a great favorite, which he often delighted to play, and which he introduced into the Kaiser quartet, No. 77, with elaborate variations. It endures as the best of Haydn's songs.