HMR Project: History of Music & Modern Recording

Michael Haydn

Source: Weltbild

Born on 14 Sep of 1737 in Rohrau, Austria, Johann Michael Haydn was a harp player who composed more than 400 pieces of sacred music including a good number of antiphons (a kind of responsorial by choir or congregation), canticles (diminutive to "songs" in Latin, being texts taken from Scripture other than David's 'Psalms'), graduals (antiphons sung between the Epistle and the Gospel in the Eucharistic service) and settings to Masses. In addition to forty-one symphonies, his secular instrumentals include a strong number of serenades. Haydn's many pieces for voice include 65 canons (an instrumental or vocal work in which the same music is begun at different times, the nursery song, 'Row, Row, Row Your Boat', an apt example). As younger brother to Joseph Haydn, Michael's father was a wheelwright and village mayor. About 1745 he became a singer at St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna. The greater majority of Haydn's compositions are firmly in classical form yet difficult for scholars to date with precision. His missa, 'SS Trinitatis' MH 1, is estimated to be as early as 1754 in Vienna.

"MH 1" translates to the chronological catalogue of Sherman & Thomas of above eight hundred works published by Pendragon Press in 1993. Though most dates in Sherman & Thomas are estimated, it has been preferred since its publishing to the 'Perger-Verzeichnis' of 1907 which goes by type of work, then chronology, but found to have numerous errors. Comparatively, Perger 1 is 'Symphony No.1C in E flat major' [Malmberg] which is MH 35 in Sherman & Thomas probably composed sometime between 1757-60 in Nagyvárad. Meanwhile 'Symphony No. 1 in C major' is Perger 35 and MH 23 [Malmberg / Wikipedia] likely written before 1761.

Haydn had been appointed Kapellmeister to the court of the Bishop of Grosswardein in Nagyvárad in 1757. Situated from Austria across some 200 miles of present-day Hungary in Oradea, Romania, that makes Haydn the most eastern-bound composer in these histories thus far, nigh doing a loop from where they began in Constantinople 1200 years prior, then to Rome and Western Europe now to weave back to the more eastern reaches of the Western empire. This reveals how far the Habsburgs had ventured eastward from Austria, having captured Oradea in 1556 whence it became a possession of Transylvania until conquered by the Turks in 1660, that until the Habsburgs acquired it again in 1692 [Emanuil Gojdu National College]. We begin samples of early Michael Haydn below with 'Missa Sancti Gabrielis' MH 17 possibly written in his early twenties before 1760. It is arranged and performed by François Piel on VSTi (Virtual Studio Technology Instrument). VSTi is a synthesizer concerning which references are made below under Further Reading. As for 'Missa Sancti Francisci Seraphici', this was written for the name day (anniversary of the coronation / 4 Oct) of Holy Roman Emperor Franz I who had married Empress Maria Theresa nearly twenty years earlier in 1745.

'Missa Sancti Gabrielis' C major MH 17 Johann Michael Haydn

C 1758–60 in 7 movements

Arrangement: François Piel VSTi: François Piel

IMSLP Score Score (continuo of violoncello)

'Violin Concerto' B-flat major MH 36 Johann Michael Haydn

Completed 20 Dec 1760

Camerata Salzburg / Lukas Hagen Violin: Lukas Hagen

All Music

'Missa Sancti Francisci Seraphici' C major MH 43 Johann Michael Haydn

Possibly c 1760-62 yet in Grosswardein

Commissioned by the royal house for the name day of Holy Roman Emperor Franz I on 4 Oct 1763

Zürcher Sängerknaben / Zürcher Kammerorchester / Howard Griffiths

Soprano: Gregory Limburg Alto: Serge-Etienne Freytag

Tenor: Tino Brütsch Bass: René Koch

In 1763, however, Haydn became Kapellmeister to Archbishop Schrattenbach in Salzburg much closer to the heart of the Holy Roman Empire as a privileged principality. Haydn had by that time already completed 15 symphonies, 14 masses, six divertimentos for three-string instruments as well as multiple wind partitas and concertos.

Haydn also worked as an organist at the Dreifaltigkeitskirche (Church of the Holy Trinity) and remained in Salzburg for the rest of his career. Into the seventies came his first Requiem of two prior to 'Symphony No. 15 in D major' (Perger 41 / MH 150) likely 1772 or later [Malmberg]. This symphony along with No.16 was drawn from Michael's ballet, 'Hermann', finished on 1 August 1771. All works below and throughout were composed in Salzburg.

'Requiem' C minor MH 155 Johann Michael Haydn

Scored 1771 for solo voice / choir

2 bassoons / 4 trumpets / 3 trombones / timpani / strings / basso continuo

Ensеmble and choir Pygmаliοn / Rаphаël Pichοn

Soprano: Mаlin Christеnssοn Mezzo-soprano: Mаriаnne Crеbаssa

Tenor: Julien Bеhr Bass: Andrеаs Wolf

'Symphony No.15' D major MH 150 Johann Michael Haydn

Scored 1772 or later for 2 oboes / 2 horns / flute / strings

Ensеmble and choir Pygmаliοn / Rаphаël Pichοn

Soprano: Mаlin Christеnssοn Mezzo-soprano: Mаriаnne Crеbаssa

Tenor: Julien Bеhr Bass: Andrеаs Wolf

Malmberg Wikipedia

Into the eighties Haydn set Luigi Gatti’s 'Missa Sancti Ruperti' into C major MH 322 in 1782, also known by other titles including 'Jubiläumsmesse' ('Anniversary mass'). We conclude this glance at Michael Haydn with his second 'Requiem' MH 838 left unfinished in 1806.