Editing Joseph Haydn (section)

=== Character ===

The Haydn scholar [[Karl Geiringer]] has emphasized the sheer joyfulness of much of Haydn's music:

<blockquote>
Out of Haydn's love for the beauties of our world grew the gaiety and affirmative spirit apparent throughout all his creative periods ... Even in his advanced age, this gaiety did not entirely desert him. Nurtured by ... a victorious optimism maintained through all the vicissitudes of a long and arduous life, this radiant joyfulness again and again manifested itself, and Haydn considered it his mission to let his fellow beings share in this unique gift.<ref>Geiringer (1982, 369). Geiringer supports his contention by quoting a letter Haydn wrote in old age, asserting that during his lifetime, when he found his work difficult, he was bolstered by the thought that his work might lighten the burden of the "weary and worn."</ref>
</blockquote>

The sense of bliss often evident in Haydn's music was also noticed by [[Charles Rosen]], who (describing a theme in the piano trio [[Hoboken catalog|Hob.]] XV:13), wrote of 

<blockquote>
Haydn's ability to create an emotion that was completely his own and that no other composer could duplicate -- a feeling of ecstasy that is completely unsensual, almost amiable. There is no recipe for producing this effect ...<ref>Rosen (1971/1997, 355)</ref>
</blockquote>

A modest number of Haydn's works are striking exceptions to this upbeat character. Some excursions into emotional darkness include [[The Seven Last Words of Christ (Haydn)|The Seven Last Words of Christ]], the ''largo'' movement of the string quartet [[String Quartets, Op. 76 (Haydn)|Op. 76 no. 5]], which Haydn marked "mesto" (sorrowful), and the widely admired coda section of his [[Variations in F minor]] for piano.

Perhaps more than any other composer's, Haydn's music is known for its humour; specifically, incongruous musical passages heard as jokes.{{efn|[[Steven Isserlis]] calls him "the funniest of the great composers" (preface to Richard Wigmore, ''The Faber Pocket Guide to Haydn'' (Faber, 2011)). {{Harvtxt|Brendel|2001}} focuses on the humour of both Haydn and Beethoven. {{harvtxt|Rosen|1997|p=111}} attributes to Haydn "an aptitude for the facetious that no other composer enjoyed".}} The most famous example is the sudden loud chord in the slow movement of his [[Symphony No. 94 (Haydn)|"Surprise" symphony]]; Haydn's many other musical jokes include numerous [[False ending#Music|false endings]] (e.g., in the quartets [[String Quartets, Op. 33 (Haydn)|Op. 33 No. 2]] and [[String Quartets, Op. 50 (Haydn)|Op. 50 No. 3]]), and the remarkable rhythmic illusion placed in the trio section of the third movement of [[String Quartets, Op. 50 (Haydn)#Opus 50, No. 1|Op. 50 No. 1]].<ref>The means by which Haydn fools the listener as to the location of the downbeat are discussed by Danuta Mirka (2009) ''Metric Manipulations in Haydn and Mozart: Chamber Music for Strings, 1787–1791'', Oxford University Press, pp. 197–198.</ref>

Haydn's fast movements tend to be rhythmically propulsive and often impart a great sense of energy, especially in the finales. Some characteristic examples of Haydn's "rollicking" finale type are found in the [[Symphony No. 104 (Haydn)|"London" Symphony No. 104]], the String Quartet Op. 50 No. 1, and the Piano Trio Hob XV: 27. Haydn's early slow movements are usually not too slow in tempo, relaxed, and reflective. Later on, the emotional range of the slow movements increases, notably in the deeply felt slow movements of the quartets [[String Quartets, Op. 76 (Haydn)|Op. 76 Nos. 3 and 5]], the [[Symphony No. 98 (Haydn)|Symphonies No. 98]] and [[Symphony No. 102 (Haydn)|102]], and the Piano Trio Hob XV: 23. The [[minuets]] tend to have a strong downbeat and a clearly popular character. Over time, Haydn turned some of his minuets into "[[Scherzo|scherzi]]" which are much faster, at one beat to the bar.