Joseph Haydn was an austrian composer. Considered the father of the symphony, Haydn began being called in the early 19th century the first of "Viennas Classics", while Mozart and Beethoven make up the other part of that list.

To begin with some background information: Haydn was born in Rohrau, Lower Austria in 1732 and died in Vienna in1809. His ancestors were artisans and tradespeople, but his father and mother both were lovers of music. All of their sons who survived to adulthood ended up becoming musicians. Haydn's talent was evident from a young age. His voice, in particular caught the attention of a school principle who came to visit the family. After this performance Haydn left his parents to live with said principle as a choir boy. For years his singing talent was fostered at this school until, eventually, his voice broke. This was a devastation to Haydn and he was dismissed from the school soon afterward to begin a life in poverty and teaching. 

The summer of 1750 Haydn struggled to make ends meet by teaching music. During this time, his life was said to be “devoted to giving lessons, the study o this art, and performing”. However, this led to a widening circle of people familiar with his work and he became in contact with other musicians that presumably gave him advice . A musician with particular influence over Haydn is Bach, although this influence can be identified more in Haydn's later work. By the year 1759 he was music director to Count Morzin in Vienna with a salary of 2000 gulden, and free lodging. His life became more carefree and he had stepped into a position of luxury. This is an example of how the lifestyle of the composer shifted during this time period. Due to their craft being catered to an audience, wealth began to flow to those who were successful in the business of music. 

Another fun fact abotu the life of Haydn is that he married the eldest daughter of a wigmaker who helped him during his years in poverty. However, Haydn had actually fallen in love with her younger sister. This sister was forced by her parents to become a nun and was therefore unable to marry. Needless to say, his marriage was unhappy and riddled with infidelity on both ends (Oxford Music Online). 

As for The Emperor Quartet, Movement #1 it is a string quartet performed in four movements and is the origin of the national anthems for Austria and Germany. It was composed as a piece for the Austrian monarchy, inspired by Haydn's travels to England where he heard the dignified music of "God Save the King". He decided that Austria was in need of a composition that communicated the same regality. The first movement is called Allegro and is a sonata (Encylopedia Britannica). 

Works Cited: 

Schwarm, Betsy. "Emperor Quartet". Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2019, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Emperor-Quartet. Accessed 19 April 2022.

Feder, Georg. “Haydn, Franz Joseph.” Grove Music Online, 2001, https://www-oxfordmusiconline-com.pointloma.idm.oclc.org/grovemusic/view....