When you think about composers of the past, do you think about boring, stuffy men with white wigs and fancy clothes?
While this may be true of their appearances, composers of the past were anything but boring. Today we’re going to learn about one such composer of the past, who loved to play jokes on people in real-life — and in his music.
In this episode, you’ll learn how Franz Joseph Haydn…
- Got himself kicked out of school for a wicked prank on a fellow choir member
- Used a bassoon to imitate the sound of…a fart (yes, I’m serious)
- Wrote an ending into a symphony to get across this message to a prince: let the musicians go home!
Musical Samples You’ll Hear in this Episode:
Symphony No. 45 – Finale by Franz Joseph Haydn
Symphony No. 94 in G Major – Andante by Franz Joseph Haydn
Symphony No. 93 in D Major by Franz Joseph Haydn
Quartet in E-flat Major, Op. 33 No. 2 by Franz Joseph Haydn
Music Listening Schedule for Episode 17
Enjoy the links to performances connected to our theme of Haydn: Musical Prankster until our next episode airs in two weeks.
Day 1: Sonata No. 60 in in C Major (Haydn)
Day 2: Symphony No. 60 in C Major (Haydn) *Listen for the sound of the instruments “re-tuning”
Day 3: Farewell Symphony – Finale (Haydn)
Day 4: A Musical Joke (Mozart) *A parody of the terrible composers of his time
Day 5: Rage Over A Lost Penny (Beethoven) *Read the story of this piece here.
Day 6: L’Elephant (Saint-Saens)
Day 7: Duetto buffo di due gatti: Meow! (Rossini)
Day 8: Music for the Theatre: Burlesque (Copeland)
Day 9: Mosquito Dance (White) *Listen for the sound of the mosquito getting slapped!
Day 10: The Comedians (Kabalevsky)
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