Joseph Haydn in Eisenstadt / Esterhaza
The series about historical places of opera art & culture. Get to know exciting excursion and travel ideas for opera lovers. This time: Joseph Haydn in Vienna.
All Destinations on google maps with links to detailed Blogposts:
Joseph Haydn in Eisenstadt and Esterhaza
Haydn was 29 when he was offered a position as Vice-Kapellmeister to Prince Esterhazy in Eisenstadt, the most important noble family in Hungary. Before taking up the post, he married Anna Keller. However, the marriage was unhappy and childless, and Haydn had several affairs during his life. In 1766 he was appointed liveried (uniformed) Kapellmeister and the prince obliged him to buy a house in Eisenstadt so that he would have a representative home. He also had to accompany his prince to his other residences, so the busy Haydn spent part of the year with his wife in Eisenstadt and others in Vienna or Esterhaza. When the Esterhaza palace was expanded into a completely oversized absolutist magnificent building, it had a large theater hall that could accommodate an entire orchestra. So the Haynds moved to the new Esterhaza Castle and there the 47-year-old met the 19-year-old Luigia Polzelli, who was engaged with her husband as a singer at the court. They had a son, Antonio, in 1883, who is believed to have been Haydn’s illegitimate child. During these Esterhaza years Haydn composed, staged and conducted one work after another and became the entertainment machine of the palace. This state of affairs lasted until 1790, when with the death of the prince the orchestra was disbanded. Haydn went back to Vienna after many decades.
Destination Haydn House in Eisenstadt
Haydn and his wife lived in today’s Haydn House from 1766 to 1778. Haydn had to finance it with debts and, to make matters worse, it was severely damaged twice during town fires at that time. Once the prince helped him out and the second time he was insured. Haydn’s handwritten list of insured items can be seen in the museum.
Today there is a Haydn museum in the house. Haydn had then occupied the upper floor with its five rooms . The visitor gets an excellent insight into Haydn’s life and a dwelling of the 18th century. Among other things, his official clothes and a fortepiano can be seen.
The Haydn House also includes a garden, which is set off from the house and is planted in a baroque style as a spice garden, be sure to stop by!
Haydn house:
A look into the museum:
Destination Mountain Church (Bergkirche) / Haydn Mausoleum
The Mountain Church is part of a project of the Esterhazy princes, which was once planned with gigantic dimensions. The present church originally corresponded to the sanctuary and was intended to become a huge pilgrimage church, hence its unusual round shape.The church is an annex to the so-called “Calvary” (Latin translation of Golgotha, where Christ was crucified). Calvary is a hill artificially raised at the beginning of the 18th century with grottoes and stairs representing the Passion of Christ. The statue of “Mary with the Child” is a special destination of pilgrims.
In the mountain church there is the Haydn mausoleum. His body was moved from Vienna to Eisenstadt in 1820 and in 1932 a mausoleum with a monumental marble sarcophagus was built in the church. On the wall of the mausoleum one can see figures which are supposed to represent his oratorio “the Seasons”.
In the Mountain Church (and in St. Martin’s Cathedral) there are organs built according to Haydn’s specifications and therefore called “Haydn organs”.
Bergkirche:
Haydn Mausoleum:
Destination Schloss Esterhazy Fertöd
The castle is one of the baroque representative buildings and one of the largest castles in Europe. Guided tours of the building are offered and are recommended.
Esterhazy Castle:
Haydn’s concert hall is the heart of the palace and still impresses visitors today. Due to its splendor and excellent acoustics, a concert in this hall has an experiential value, concerts are offered throughout the year. The program can be found in the concert calendar below.
Concert Hall:
Concert Calendar Esterhazy:
https://esterhazy.at/en/classic-esterhazy
Musical background: Haydn’s Organ Concerto in C Major
Haydn is said to have composed this organ concerto for a special occasion. Namely, he had fallen in love with his piano student Therese Keller and would have liked to marry her. But for unknown reasons, Therese entered religious service and Haydn wrote her the festive organ concerto on the occasion of her vows. Therese called herself as a nun … Sister Josepha.
Organ Concerto in C Major:
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