Haydn

by J. Cuthbert Hadden

The authority for Haydn's life is the biography begun by the late Dr Pohl, and completed after his death by E.V. Mandyczewski. To this work, as yet untranslated, every subsequent writer is necessarily indebted, and the present volume, which I may fairly claim to be the fullest life of Haydn that has so far appeared in English, is largely based upon Pohl. I am also under obligations to Miss Pauline D. Townsend, the author of the monograph in the "Great Musicians" series. For the rest, I trust I have acquainted myself with all the more important references made to Haydn in contemporary records and in the writings of those who knew him. Finally, I have endeavoured to tell the story of his career simply and directly, to give a clear picture of the man, and to discuss the composer without trenching on the ground of the formalist.

Genres: Music

151 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1902

About the author

James Cuthbert Hadden (1861-1914)

Reviews

[David Dunlap · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book that was originally published in 1902. The author's style is dry, but the content is solid. There are some interesting vignettes about the composer's life of which I had been previously unaware. (For example, a young Haydn was a drummer in a marching band...but he was too small to carry the drum himself, so it was strapped on the back of the musician ahead of him -- a hunchback.) It's difficult to recommend this particular edition, however: it is quite clear that the original book included illustrations and musical examples. The -space- for these things is still there, but the displays are -not-. There are also allusions to other books, but no accompanying documentation: the allusions merely tantalize; they do not provide sufficient clues for the curious to pursue. -- A definite mixed-bag, then. I enjoyed it...but I do not heartily recommend it to others.