symphony
and the quartet," was born at Rohrau, a small Austrian village on the
Leitha, in the night between 31st March and 1st April 1732. At a very
early age the boy's sweet voice attracted the notice of G. Reuter,
capellmeister of St. Stephen's, Vienna, and for many years he sang in
the cathedral choir. In 1749 he was dismissed, the alleged cause being
a practical joke played by him on one of his fellow-choristers. He
was, as Sir G. Grove relates in his article "Haydn" in the _Dictionary
of Music and Musicians_, thrown upon the world "with an empty purse, a
keen appetite, and no friends." Haydn took up his abode in an attic in
the old Michaelerhaus. But it chanced that Metastasio lived in the
same building, and the famous poet took an interest in the penniless
composer, and, among other things, taught him Italian. Metastasio was
extremely fond of music, and we know from his letters that the flowing
compositions of his countrymen delighted him more than the learned
music of Germany. Then Haydn made the acquaintance of Porpora, who
gave him instruction in composition and in the art of singing. And he
is also supposed to have studied the works of San Martini, an Italian
composer in the service of Prince Esterhazy. In addition, Italian
music was much played and much admired in Vienna. Emanuel Bach also,
as we have seen, came under Italian influence, but not until he had
finished his studies under his father's guidance. Once more, we may
conclude that Haydn, before he commenced writing clavier sonatas, had
made acquaintance with those of Paradies and of Alberti. These early
Italian influences should be noted, for one is apt to think rather of
the young composer as plodding through Fux's "Gradus" and playing
Emanuel Bach's sonatas on his "little worm-eaten clavier." During his
last years Haydn told his friend Griesinger that he had diligently
studied Emanuel Bach, and that he owed very much to him. From the
painter Dies, in his biographical notice of the master, we also learn
how fond he was of playing Emanuel Bach's sonatas. And this influence
was undoubtedly not only a strong, but a lasting one; in 1788, the
year in which E. Bach died, Haydn wrote to Artaria, begging the latter
to send him that master's last two works for clavier.

In reference to Haydn, musicians are apt to speak merely of his
sonatas, whereas those of Beethoven are generally described by their
key, or their opus number; or as belonging to one of the th