Grove is proud to be publishing extracts from 'The New Grove II' on four of the most prolific and influential composers of all time. Each title is extensively revised or re-written, containing the most up-to-date research on these most interesting and exciting figures in the history of music.
The son of an eighteenth century Austrian wheelwright, Haydn is acknowledged for refining the symphony and string quartet and praised for his oratorios and masses. Deeply involved in the evolution of the Classical style, its subsequent growth can be seen in his own music, indeed, he is considered to be one of the most significant composers of the Classical Period.
Under his care the symphony and string quartet came to life, and the oratorios and masses of his late years belong to the consummation of the classical spirit in music.
