Franz Joseph Haydn

Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical era whose influence on his contemporaries and later composers was immense. Among the innovators who shaped the sonata form in the 18th century, Haydn provided much-imitated models in his many instrumental sonatas, string quartets, symphonies, and concertos, and laid the groundwork for the formal developments of Mozart, Beethoven, and Schubert. Noted for his elegant sense of humor, Haydn often included musical jokes in his works, such as the startling chord in the quiet Andante of the "Surprise" Symphony or the gradual departure of the musicians in the "Farewell" Symphony. ~ Blair Sanderson, All Music Guide