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| Joseph Haydn |
When you hear the name Franz Joseph Haydn, what do you think of? The London Symphonies? His Cello Concerto? Maybe his Trumpet Concerto?
Those all are great answers but his sense of humor and knack for “living his best life” really set him apart.
Haydn’s brilliance (in music and humor) began at a VERY young age. His singing voice was so impressive that he was asked to join the Choir School of St Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna when he was just five years old. However, things changed for Haydn when he lost his “angelic” voice as a teenager. He left the choir after Empress Maria Theresa said: "That boy doesn't sing, he crows!"
He was the one who got the last laugh, he cut the pigtail of another boy chorister!
It’s been said that Haydn's younger brother Michael was far better behaved when they were both at the St Stephens Cathedral school, and that in fact, it was Michael that the family had placed their hope for the future in - apparently Joseph was too much of a practical joker to ever be a success.
Haydn's sense of humor even made it into many of the pieces he composed. His string quartet in E flat (subtitled 'The Joke') is a great example - there are false endings to try and catch the audience.
Given the fact that he was good friends with Mozart, one can only imagine what their late night “jam sessions” would have entailed after a couple glasses of wine. (Mozart was a well known jokester, practical-joker and dirty joke enthusiast. If he was bored during a rehearsal, he’d often imitate a cat!)
Classical music can be inspiring, motivating and moving… But just like the most famous composers of all time, sometimes all we need as humans is a good chuckle.
So, if you find yourself listening to 90.9 WGUC and a piece by Haydn starts to play, be prepared for a chuckle, or a giggle, or even a snort… I’m sure he would love it.
-Andy Ellis
