As we saw, Haydn finally had to sit down on May 1, 1761 and sign his new contract. It is a rather short document, actually, and loaded in favor of the employer. Despite what we think today (was he crazy?!?) it was not really that much different than going to work for an employer in modern times. It spells out who was in charge, what Haydn’s duties were, how much he would be paid to perform them, what he couldn’t do, and ultimately what he could expect down the road. It isn’t the actual duties and such that seem to bother people today, rather, it is the overall imperious tone used throughout. If you sit and examine your own relationship with your employer, I think you will discover that it would be nice to have a document spelling it all out like this.
I am not going to type out the entire contract, archaic language and all. Since I think of it as ‘The Fourteen Commandments’, I will just hit on the substance of each one in one or two sentences or less. You will miss the flavor of the Princely haughtiness this way, but maybe that will help to keep you more focused.
I There is an old Kapellmeister named Werner in Eisenstadt who has the infirmities of age. He will be in charge of the chorus and choral singing. Every other thing having to do with music will be the responsibility of Haydn.
II Haydn will be a House Officer and behave as such. He will treat the people in his charge with kindness and leniency. They will all wear their musician uniforms (which the Prince provides) when playing, including Haydn.
III He will refrain from drinking and acting a fool in front of his subordinates so they won’t lose respect for him. He will act like a gentleman/courtier.
IV He will compose whatever music the Prince asks for, and not give or sell copies to anyone.
V He shall appear every day in the Prince’s antechamber and inquire whether a musical performance is required. He will be on time, and will make sure the musicians are all on time too.
VI If, against all hopes, disagreements between the musicians shall break out, Haydn will do his best to resolve them and only submit them to higher authority if all else fails.
VII He shall be in charge of all the music and instruments and make sure they are not destroyed through neglect.
VIII He will give singing lessons to the women singers so they don’t forget what they learned in their expensive lessons in the city (yes, he put it that way!). Haydn will also practice diligently on every instrument that he can play.
IX A copy of this document will be given to everyone who reports to him so they will know what’s what. (I believe this means the document up to this point)
X It is unnecessary to put down on paper all of the duties since the Prince hopes that he will be so diligent that he will do his best at everything, now and in the future.
XI He will receive an annual salary of 400 florins. (That is a pretty good chunk of money, and just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what he actually got (firewood, livestock, vegetables &c))
XII When at the estate, he will eat at the officers’ table or else get a per diem of half a florin.
XIII This contract is good for three years. At the end of that time, if Haydn wishes to leave he may do so having given 6 months notice.
XIV The Prince wishes to retain Haydn for the entire period. If Haydn gives full satisfaction then he may look forward to becoming Ober Kapellmeister. However, if he wishes to do so, the Prince may dismiss him at any time.
I have read any number of comments about this contract, the consensus of the 19th and earlier 20th centuries being that it was equivalent to having sold himself into slavery! This was actually one of the main points which the 19th century music establishment held against him and his music; he was a toadying lackey of the aristocracy. In more recent times, though, some balance seems to have come into the heads of historians and it is now being viewed in a more enlightened way. For someone in Haydn’s position, this was a godsend that would guarantee his security for the rest of his life.
Maybe translating the literal text and shortening it up into simple, modern English makes it a bit more straightforward to digest. You don’t need ‘Nobly born, Dread Lord…’ sort of verbiage in the way, just the nut itself.
So, are you an 18th century person or proud to be free but hungry? When one looks at the opportunities available at the time, the options are few. Burning a demo DVD and getting it on MTV seems to be out of the equation for now. Teaming up with young Mozart and going on the road with a ‘Father & Son’ act has already been done. So yes, the options are limited. But let us not look at this as a desperate final solution, it truly was the chance of a lifetime, and the making of a musical establishment which would influence the art for the next 200 years!
Thanks for reading!