In Search of Haydn

A Great Film About Haydn
This film, which combines interviews with musicians, snippets of performances and a history of Haydn's life, brings Haydn the life. I felt that I had a good understanding of who he was and what made him strive to write so many classic pieces. Several musicians who perform Haydn are interviewed, including Roger Norrington and Marc Andre Hamelin.

The film is about 90 minutes long. Not one minute of it is wasted. It describes Haydn's relationships with Mozart and Beethoven, his two great contemporaries. If you want to understand Haydn, you cannot beat this film.

Everything about it is first rate.

"History may...overshadow [Haydn] with his contemporaries but Mozart adored him and Beethoven sought him out as a teacher."
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On the back of the DVD case for this film it states:

"This film rescues Haydn from any neglect he may have previously suffered."

This statement is one hundred percent accurate. If you knew nothing about Haydn before viewing this documentary, you'll certainly know him intimately after viewing this extraordinary film!

The long career of Franz Joseph Hayden (1732 to 1809), an Austrian composer, spanned the decades when the Classical style was being formed. He imprinted upon it the stamp of his personality, and made a contribution to his art--especially the symphony and string quartet--that in scope and significance was unmatched.

We are informed of Haydn's early years in Vienna. Before long, he attracted the notice of the music-loving aristocracy in Vienna. One wealthy family employed him and he remained in their service for almost an amazing thirty years (the greater part of his creative career).

Haydn's life...

Excellent!
This beautifully shot film is a perfect introduction to Haydn, his family background, his musical career and insight into his character. Never patronising and always entertaining, for the connoisseur or novice alike... with some of the most famous musicians and historians in the world discussing how they feel about Haydn's music, how it is to play, and how it related to his life at the time it was written. Excellent!

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