Joseph Haydn: His Life and Works

Taken from humble parents to be a choirboy, six-year-old Haydn endured hunger and harshness, but finally became the "father" of the symphony and the string quartet. Exiled for years in the isolation of the Esterhazys' Hungarian palace, he finally saw London - and the sea - at 60. Delightfully illustrated with generous musical pieces. - Rachel Redford, The Observer Naxos began in the music business and has an excellent catalogue of recordings to draw on, making this series on the lives and works of composers a natural for them. There's no need to settle for description when you can hear Joseph Haydn's actual music. With Audie-winning (for his work on Chopin) author and narrator Jeremy Siepmann and a fine supporting cast, this audiobook introduces us to the life and works-and the relation between the two-of one of the greatest of all composers. The inventor of the modern symphony and the string quartet, Haydn is one of the pillars of concert music, and this original audiobook leads us to a deeper understanding of man and music. - AudioFile

Symphonies, quartets, concertos and keyboard works poured from the pen of Joseph Haydn, making him one of the most important figures in classical music. Jeremy Siepmann tells the story of the man and his work in this lively autobiography, enhanced by numerous examples of the music itself, taken from the "Naxos" catalogue. There is no better programme with which to mark the 200th anniversary of the composer's death.