Opera Scotland

Franz Joseph Haydn Suggest updates

Born Rohrau, 31 March 1732.

Died Vienna, 31 May 1809.

Austrian composer.

Haydn, always recognized as a wonderful symphonist, as well as the perfector of the string quartet, has had only a small reputation as an opera composer, although he did produce a significant number of such works. Most were created for the summer palace of Eszterháza (frequently referred to by its Austrian name, Eisenstadt), and have only recently been seen elsewhere. While there is plenty of excellent music, the structure and pacing rarely stands comparison with the operatic output of Mozart. In this, he is little different from other composers of the time. His last opera, on the Orpheus and Euridice myth, was commissioned for London, though not performed in his lifetime.

His last two oratorios had far greater long term success, especially The Creation.  In his later years he also composed six excellent masses for performance at Eszterhazy, perhaps the most famous being the 'Nelson' Mass (Missa in Angustiis).

Operas and oratorios performed in Scotland are shown in bold:-

01   Der krumme Teufel (1751) () (lost)

02   Der neue krumme Teufel (1758) () (lost)

03   La vedova (c1761-5) () (lost)

04   Il dottore (c1761-5) () (lost)

05   Il sganarello (c1761-5) () (lost)

06   La marchesa Nespola (1763) ()

07   Acide e Galatea (Eszterháza 1763) (Migliavacca)

08   La canterina (Eisenstadt 1767) (Friberth, after Goldoni)

09   Lo speziale (Eszterháza 1768) (Goldoni)

10   Le pescatrici (Eszterháza 1770) (Friberth, after Goldoni)

11   L'infedeltà delusa (Eszterháza 1773) (Friberth, after Coltellini)

12   Philemon und Baucis, oder Jupiters Reise auf die Erde (Eszterháza 1773) (after Pfeffel)

13   Hexenschabbas (?1773) () (lost)

14   Der Gotterath (1773) ()

15   L'incontro improvviso (Eszterháza 1775) (Friberth, after Dancourt)

16   Il ritorno di Tobia (1775) ()

17   Dido (1776) () (lost)

18   Genovevens vierter Theil (1777) () (lost)

19   Il mondo della luna (Eszterhâza 1777) (Goldoni)

20   Die Feuersbrunst (c1778) ()

21   La vera costanza (Eszterháza 1778) (Puttini)

22   L'isola disabitata (Eszterháza 1779) (Metastasio)

23   Die bestrafte Rachbegierde (?1779) () (lost)

24   La fedeltà premiata (Eszterháza 1781) (Lorenzi)

25   Orlando Paladino (Eszterháza 1782) (Porta)

26   Armida (Eszterháza 1784) (Durandi)

27   L'anima del filosofo, ossia Orfeo ed Euridice (1791; prod Florence 1951) (Badini)

28   Heiligmesse (Missa Sancti Bernardi Offida) (Vienna 1796) (Liturgy)

29   Paukenmesse (Missa in tempora belli) (Eszterháza) (Liturgy)

30   Missa in Angustiis (Nelson Mass) (Eszterháza 1798) (Liturgy)

31   Die Schöpfung - The Creation (Vienna 1799) (anon, adap van Swieten, rev Novello)

32   Theresienmesse (Eszterháza 1799) (Liturgy)

33   Die Jahreszeiten - The Seasons (Vienna 1801) (van Swieten)

34   Schöpfungsmesse - Creation Mass (Eszterháza 1801) (Liturgy)

35   Harmoniemesse - Wind-Band Mass (Eszterháza 1802) (Liturgy)