Joseph Haydn
Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) was an Austrian composer. He ranks among the most important composers to lead the development of instrumental and vocal music during the middle and late 1700's. Many of his compositions helped set standards for musical style and taste in the late 1700's.
Haydn wrote over 80 string quartets and established many of the basic characteristics of that form. He also wrote many other chamber works, mainly trios. His symphonies are numbered through 104, but he probably wrote about 108. His later symphonies are among the most complex and mature works of his day. Haydn gave many of them titles associated with an aspect of the symphony. For example, Symphony No. 94 is called the Surprise because it includes an unexpected loud chord shortly after the soft beginning of the second movement. Among Haydn's other instrumental works are overtures, concertos, incidental music for theater works, sonatas, and pieces for harpsichord or piano.
Excerpt adapted from the "Joseph Haydn" article, The World Book Encyclopedia © 1999