Haydn and Beethoven... and Napoleon? | Jause, WoO2
This Jause is a highlight from Classical Cake, op. 3. In this excerpt, we’re talking with Alexander Krakhofer, from the Haydn Birthplace in Rohrau, Austria, about the relationship between Joseph Haydn and Beethoven.
TRANSCRIPT
Haydn first met the young Beethoven in 1790 and, in 1792, Beethoven began taking lessons from Haydn. But, Beethoven being famously temperamental, they didn't get along.
For his second, and enduring stay in Vienna, Beethoven came to Haydn, they had lessons. But, by this time Haydn was over 60 years old. He had done no music teaching in years. But, he wanted to keep his promise because when Haydn promised something, he kept his promise. Young Beethoven, well, he was not only a different kind of personality, but he was also a completely different generation.
Around 1790 — it's just one year after the French Revolution. Beethoven was a little radical in his views. He admired what happened there. Of course, they did not know what would come out of this, like Napoleon and the [Napoleonic] Wars hadn't happened yet.
When Beethoven and Haydn came together, I think Beethoven admired Haydn. And, it's said the very early works of Beethoven, they're like a mirror of Haydn and Mozart's music, just worked through Beethoven's mind. And that's fascinating because Beethoven had the ability not only to take something from here and there and make something completely new and very powerful out of it.
Also, Haydn could see there was a genius. Another genius, like his good friend, Mozart. And Beethoven, like Mozart, was much younger than Haydn. Beethoven even more. Well, I think Haydn felt a little like a father figure. But, as it happens, fathers and sons always have quarrels. And so Haydn and Beethoven did. And, probably, it was not only the views Beethoven had on the French Revolution and probably the modern kind of political system to come up and Haydn being more traditional growing up around Vienna with the court and all its people.
And I guess they had quite a lot of discussions, but like father and son discussions where they say, okay, what is your intention? What do you want to do? And somehow Beethoven kept the respect for Haydn all of his, also unfortunately short life, but working together did not work for too long.
Painting by René-Théodore Berthon. Image via Wikipedia Commons.
You mentioned the guards in front of [Haydn’s] house. This was right after Napoleon had his big victory over the Habsburg army and Napoleon sat there in the Schönbrunn Palace residing there, basically.
Haydn was not too happy about it, he was mumbling around and playing the Emperor's [Hymn] he had composed some years earlier and he was not keeping his mouth shut.
So, he was saying quite bad things about Napoleon and I think Napoleon wanted to meet Haydn. And so, he sent some officers of – probably the Imperial Guard, it would have been – to Haydn and said ‘His Majesty [Napoleon Bonaparte] would to like to meet you.’
And Haydn said, ‘No. This short man with his big head, I won't see him.’
I guess the words were not too friendly at all and somehow the officers had to explain to Napoleon that Mr. Haydn would not see the emperor.
So, Napoleon sent two guardsmen to guard the front of the house. It was more like house arrest but, officially, they put it as a Guard of Honor.