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Joseph Haydn's Autobiographical sketch (1776) is the only autobiographical document ever prepared by this composer. Haydn wrote the sketch, which is about two pages long, at the request (relayed to him by a chain of two mutual acquaintances) of Ignaz de Luca, who was preparing a volume of brief biographies of Austrian luminaries entitled ''Das gelehrte Oesterreich'' ("Learned Austria"). The sketch was published in 1778, in Volume 1, Part 3 of this work.〔Robbins Landon (1959, 21)〕 At the time of writing Haydn was 44 years old. ==Content== The sketch may be read in its entirety by following the External Link given below. The sketch begins with a brief account of the first 29 years of Haydn's life. Haydn mentions his early home life in Rohrau, his early education in Hainburg, his subsequent career as a choirboy in Vienna, his struggles during eight years of freelance work, and his appointments as Kapellmeister, first with Count Morzin and then with the hugely wealthy Esterházy family. For a detailed account of this period of Haydn's life, including material from other sources, see Joseph Haydn. Having related his rise to career success, Haydn says nothing at all of the years 1761-1776 spent working in the Esterházy court, but concludes his narrative with a declaration of loyalty to his employer: :''I was engaged as ... Capellmeister of His Highness the Prince Esterházy, in whose service I wish to live and die.''〔English translations of all extracts are by H. C. Robbins Landon, from web source listed below.〕 Haydn held to his word: despite considerable tedium and loneliness during the time his employer required him to live in isolated Esterháza,〔See discussion in Maria Anna von Genzinger.〕 he remained in official service to Prince Esterházy and his heirs up to his death in 1809.〔After the failure of Haydn's health around 1803, the service was only nominal, but he maintained his official position. Haydn's visits to London (1791-1792, 1794-1795) were made with the Esterházys' permission, though he returned from them somewhat late.〕 The sketch goes on to list what Haydn regarded as his most important works up to that time: the operas ''Le pescatrici'', ''L'incontro improvviso'', and ''L'infedelta delusa''; his oratorio ''Il Ritorno di Tobia'' (1775) and his Stabat Mater (1767). All of these are vocal music; Haydn omits pre-1776 instrumental works that arguably have received greater critical acclaim in modern times, such as the "Farewell" Symphony〔See, e.g., Webster (1991).〕 or the string quartets, Opus 20. Musicologist David Schroeder notes that "in the eighteenth century vocal music was considered pre-eminent. With opinion such as this as the common currency, it should not surprise us that Haydn ... listed only vocal works among those he considered his finest." 〔Schroeder (2005, 95)〕 Haydn also offers an assessment of his then-current reputation as a composer, expressing appreciation for the praise and support of Johann Adolph Hasse, Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf, and Gottfried van Swieten, as well as considerable resentment directed at various (unnamed) critics in Berlin. :''I have been fortunate enough to please almost all nations except the Berliners; this is shown by the public newspapers and letters addressed to me. I only wonder that the Berlin gentlemen, who are otherwise so reasonable, preserve no medium in their criticism of my music, for in one weekly paper they praise me to the skies, whilst in another they dash me sixty fathoms deep into the earth, and this without explaining why; I know very well why: because they are incapable of performing some of my works, and are too conceited to take the trouble to understand them properly.'' The sketch concludes thus: :''My highest ambition is only that all the world regard me as the honest man I am.'' :''I offer all my praises to Almighty God, for I owe them to Him alone: my sole wish is to offend neither my neighbour, nor my gracious Prince, nor above all our merciful God.'' 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Autobiographical sketch (Haydn)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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