Mozart and Haydn | Robert Greenberg: Mozart in Vienna

An excerpt from the third lecture of Robert Greenberg's “Mozart in Vienna” webcourse - Mozart and Haydn!

[jakemiller]

I think we do know why all the clocks were stuck on 4:20 lol

[hagbardceline]

Thanks as usual, these are always a welcome addition to my day.

[elaineblackhurst]

Interesting as ever Robert - thank you.

However, given the clear evidence of the two composers’ mutual love, respect and admiration for each other, it is difficult to see what Mozart saw in Haydn the man from this simplistic caricature sketch of the older man.

This is not a criticism, it is a reflection perhaps of the fact that we know so little of Haydn’s true personality and the bits we do know are perhaps not fully representative and oft repeated.

We know that from well before Mozart met Haydn, he was interested in his music and that in this respect, Haydn challenged and stimulated Mozart in a way few other contemporary composers were able to - most obviously with the Opus 33 quartets - but there are many other examples as well.

But Haydn the man...what was it that Mozart found so attractive ?

By December 1789, Mozart was writing to one of his creditors, Michael Puchberg: ‘...I am inviting you (and you alone) on Thursday at 10.00 o’clock in the morning to my place for a small opera rehearsal [a private rehearsal of Così fan tutte] I am inviting only you and Haydn’.

Why Haydn ?

We know that he accepted Haydn as a composer of comparable stature, but what else ?

The moving description of their last evening together, the night before Haydn left for England, when Mozart felt that they would never see each other again (never thinking that he would be the one to die), is very heartfelt, genuine and touching.
I would suggest that there is more we do not know than we do know.

Perhaps a topic for some really new thoughts.

[kuruczalbert]

Why Mozart could not find his teacher? (Because he was Haydn.)

[michaelwu]

Adding to the list of late-bloomers in history: Immanuel Kant

[lanechange]

Clocks on 4:20.
420 is numerical symbol for cannabis.

[michaelenns]

Come on .... at least try to pronounce the name correctly.
I hate it when people from english speaking countries don't even pay the respect to the names and just butcher them without even the try to pronounce the name correctly.