From time to time in the reading of the history of any notable person, we find years of tedium, years of ill fortune, and then, occasionally, years of great achievement with just a modicum of sorrow to use for spice. 1768 is such a year, and also seems to mark the time when we finally have enough documentation so we can actually piece together a whole year. I won't, of course, but the many highs and the one major low will suffice for now.
Two events which actually commenced the previous year will serve as a beginning. In March, Haydn used his newfound power of manipulating Nicholas by sending him a letter about the Stabat Mater, which can be easily summed up by saying this; Haydn discusses sending the score to Hasse for review and suggestions for improvement, but Hasse sent back a letter with such high praise that Haydn would have seemed churlish if he didn't accede to Hasse's request to hear the work played and sung properly. Therefore, Nicholas would accrue great honor to himself if he allowed his humble servants (Haydn and the singers) to go to Vienna and perform the work for Hasse and select company. Although the reply to this doesn't exist, we fully expect in the event it happened as hoped for. It is hard to know how Nicholas felt personally about what we see as overt manipulation, perhaps it wasn't, really, maybe it was just the way things were done. I am sure it was a grand time though, and certainly a great opportunity for Haydn to sit and commune with his older peer.
The second event leads to an interesting piece of large music, and some idea of how much Haydn's name has become known within Austria. In November of 1767, Haydn was commissioned, presumably through the Prince himself, although this isn't documented it must have been so, to compose a uniquely Austrian piece of music called an applausus musici. These came into being in the 1730's and were basically large, heavily orchestrated, Italian style cantatas written to honor (applaud) someone at a big event in their lives. An example is the huge one composed by Albrechtsberger to be performed at the honeymoon stop of Joseph II and his second wife at Melk Abbey, west of Vienna in 1765. The genre as a whole seems to have completely disappeared in 1775, but in its short lifespan produced many works, most of which don't exist any longer because they were the epitome of 'occasional music'. They were played/performed once and never again, most often there was only one copy, given as a presentation to the honoree after the performance. Haydn, knowing this, kept a copy for himself in Eisenstadt, and over the next few years we shall see he turned various numbers into sacred music. Ever thrifty.
Haydn's Applausus was composed for the Abbot of the Cistercian monastery in Zwettl, Lower Austria, on the occasion of his 50th anniversary of taking his vows to the monkhood. We know a little about the occasion because a list of gifts presented to the Abbot was sent out by the monastery's Vienna office, including the music and a set of porcelain china which cost at that time nearly 500fl.! It still exists today and can be seen in a Vienna museum, although one can only imagine the price in today's currency! Some copies of the libretto still exist, including the Abbot's own. Through good fortune, the autograph manuscript also exists, comfortably ensconced in the archive of The Friends of Music in Vienna. A point of note is the signature. It reads (in his own hand) thusly: 'hVnC appLaVsVM feCIt joseph haIDn' (This 'Applausus' made by Joseph Haydn). For those who have wondered about Haydn's level of scholarship, given his concentration on music and little else in school, it is interesting indeed to see that he signed this work, for the pleasure of the monks, with a chronogram. Chronograms were a word play game of the Middle Ages and through the Baroque, in which certain letters in a Latin name or phrase were capitalized to represent Roman numerals. These were extracted and formed an anagram of a date (usually). I will leave you to solve this one yourself here (answer at bottom of page), with the hint that 'V-V' could equal 'X' if you were a game player. This bit of cleverness displays rather nicely Haydn's abilities outside of merely composing music.
One other thing which has come from the Applausus project is a letter which Haydn wrote to the music director of the Abbey instructing him how to perform this work. The letter has become a mainstay, not only of modern Haydn performers but of historical performance practitioners in general. I can't type out the entire letter here as it is not inconsiderable, but the closing paragraph shows a personal side of Haydn, and his pride in his work which may be underappreciated by many of us today:
"Finally, I ask everyone, and especially the musicians, to apply the greatest possible diligence in order to advance my reputation as well as their own; if I have perhaps not guessed their taste, I am not to be blamed for it, for I know neither the persons nor the place, and in truth the fact that these were concealed from me made my work very difficult. For the rest, I hope that this Applausus will please the poet, the most worthy musicians, and the most honorable reverend Auditorio"
Clearly there are inferences to be made from this paragraph, and many have been, in addition to the obvious which we have discussed previously; Haydn knew how to get the best from musicians, whichever form of cajolery was needed. Another is the more subtle message that Haydn felt his music wouldn't travel well, without him and his virtuoso band maybe the music itself wasn't up to par. This betrays a surprising and totally unwarranted lack of self-confidence. It is possible this was a personality trait which haunted him for most of his life, at least until the journeys to England. Later we will look at his reply to a request for an opera for Prague, in which, while recommending Mozart for the job he also states outright that his music wouldn't travel well. History has proved him wrong, of course, but too late for his personal use!
Another major event of 1768: Haydn's new house in Eisenstadt burned to the ground! Along with that whole end of town. According to the town's estimate of damage, Haydn personally was out 1150 florins! This was well over a year's pay, and a man without his connections would have been broken by it. As we have discussed previously, Haydn really was the apple of Nicholas' eye. In later times when we talk about why Haydn hung on to a life of servitude and virtual slavery (as the 19th century saw it), some consideration might be given to the fact Nicholas rebuilt Haydn's house at his own expense, not even as a loan. Of course, even with that, just like with insurance today, no amount of money can cover the loss of such things as the manuscripts of his early operas, six keyboard sonatas which we know about because of their presence in the Entwurf Katalog, and most likely the remainder of the a Capella mass which we will examine this year, Hob 22:02 Missa Sunt bona mixta malis (with good mixed with bad). And this is just what we know about. In any case, as bad as it is getting burned out (it happened again in 1776!) Haydn had occasion to learn who his friends were, and also, more subtly, to get bound tighter than ever to his patron and employer.
Among the other large works of the year were the wonderful mass in Eb, The Great Organ Solo Mass in Honor of the Blessed Virgin (Große Orgelsolomesse) which we spoke of in an earlier essay in performance with the 'Philosopher' Symphony, and another opera buffa, Lo speziale (The Apothecary), a superb work which displays well the progress Haydn was making towards becoming a first-rate opera composer. In addition, some of my favorite symphonies and a unique baryton work. So much really fine music for one year, it can only be viewed as one to treasure!
So these are the high (and low) points of 1768. As we look at the music, this context might help to fit the pieces together. Hard to imagine how so much can fit into so little time!
Thanks for reading!
Answer to the chronogram - V-C-L-V-V-M-C-I-I-D = MDCCLXVII = 1767 the year of the commission.
