Happy Birthday Papa Haydn

Franz Joseph Haydn (March 31, 1732 – May 31, 1809) was an Austrian composer. He was one of the most important, prolific and prominent composers of the classical period. He is often called the "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet" because of his important contributions to these genres.

I truly love his symphonies. I have felt such deep emotion with his music I even teared up.

Here is his 94th symphony, the "Surprise". The reason is it is called the Surprise because he did something very startling in the 2nd movement. People literally fell out of their chairs when it was first played. Papa Haydn had a good sense of humor which I think is an important quality of a great composer and song writer.

It was hard to find a good version on youtube. I like to watch a conductor and his orchestra, but the versions I found were unappealing. So, instead here is a version that highlights the music.

The first movement

The second movement

The third movement

The final movement