Joseph Haydn.
BIOGRAPHIES OF MUSICIANS.
Life of Haydn
BY
LOUIS NOHL.
TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN
BY
GEORGE P. UPTON.
“Heart and Soul must be free.”
CHICAGO:
JANSEN, McCLURG, & COMPANY.
1883.
COPYRIGHT,
By Jansen, McClurg, & Co.
A. D. 1882.
STEREOTYPED, AND PRINTED
BY
THE CHICAGO LEGAL NEWS COMPANY.
INTRODUCTION.
The abridged Life of Haydn, by Dr. Nohl, preparedoriginally as a contribution to a series ofbiographies, which is issued in popular form inGermany, is so simple in its narrative, that it wouldhardly need an introduction, were its subject-matterconfined to the record of Haydn’s life, with itsmany musical triumphs, or to the portraiture ofthis genial, child-like and lovable master. Thetrials and troubles of his youth, their intensificationin his married life, his marvelous musical progress,his seclusion at Eisenstadt, his visits to Londonand his introduction to its gay world in his old age,followed by such wonderful musical triumphs, makea story of extraordinary personal interest, whichthe author has heightened with numerous anecdotes,illustrating his rare sweetness and geniality. Thereare many discursions, however, in the work, inwhich Dr. Nohl analyzes the component parts ofHaydn’s musical creations, and traces the effect ofhis predecessors as well as of his cotemporaries uponhis development as an artist. To understand these,it must be remembered that the author deals withmusic from a philosophical standpoint, choosing[4]Schopenhauer for his authority, the philosopherwhom Wagner admires so much, and who makesthe Will the basis of all phenomena. Applied in amusical sense therefore, music is not a matter ofsweet sounds, whether melody or harmony, nor isits principal office the creation of pleasure by thesesounds, but it is the chief agent of the Will in givingexpression to its impulses. What this theory is, hasbeen stated by Richard Wagner himself in his “Essayon Beethoven,” in the following words: “Themere element of music, as an idea of the world, isnot beheld by us, but felt instead, in the depths ofconsciousness, and we understand that idea to bean immediate revelation of the unity of the Will,which, proceeding from the unity of human nature,incontrovertibly exhibits itself to our consciousness,as unity with universal nature also, which indeedwe likewise perceive through sound.” The definitionwill afford a clue to some of the author’s statements,and may help to make clearer some of hismusical analyses. The rest of the work may safelybe left to the reader. It is the record of the lifenot only of a great musician, but of a lovable man,who is known to this day among his own people,though almost a century has el