Greeting

May 31 2009 is the bicentenary of Joseph Haydn’s death. Yet the Haydn Year celebrated worldwide in 2009 is about the composer’s immortality. Music historians refer to Haydn, the first great composer of the Viennese Classic period, as „the father of the symphony” and „the inventor of the string quartet”. Haydn was born in a small trilingual village in Lower Austria, where he soon became receptive to the music of local nationalities. Haydn later produced his operas, string quartets, symphonies and innumerable other compositions during the nearly three decades he spent in the service of the Eszterházy family. The main body of Haydn’s vast oeuvre consists of 104 symphonies, 68 string quartets, 55 piano sonatas, 12 masses and 14 operas. Haydn, the country boy who went on to receive an honorary doctorate from Oxford, lived during an age of great historical change. The well-liked and highly esteemed Haydn was industrious, witty, easy-going and straightforward. In 2009 we commemorate the bicentenary of Haydn’s death, yet the aim of the commemoration is to prompt the world’s music lovers to recall his life and work and to provide an opportunity for those who know him only casually to deepen their acquaintance with him and for those who do not know him at all to discover his magnificence. The Haydn Year 2009 programmes are of the highest standard, encompassing a wide range of arts. Professional musicians, classical music lovers and young people yet untouched by his music will all find interesting contact points at the performances. If all of this is achieved, the Haydn Year will have fulfilled its mission. I wish everyone an unforgettable musical experience!

Dr. István Hiller
Minister of Education and Culture