Mozart and Haydn are two of the greatest composers the world has known. Both were born in Austria and are considered as friends, though, Haydn was the older of the two, and lived longer than Mozart who died at a young age of only 35. Mozart is revered by musicians the world over and his symphonies are believed to be master pieces. Haydn, though believed to be a very good musician, remained in the shadows of Mozart all his life, and even today, his name is taken as an afterthought, whereas Mozart is known to all music lovers across the world. This article attempts to highlight the differences in the style of compositions of the two music stalwarts.
The story and comparisons of the two great music composers can be summed up in a single sentence uttered by Haydn about Mozart. He said, “My friends flatter me about my talent, but he was far above me”.
Even before Mozart arrived on to the music scene as a child prodigy, Haydn was a famous composer serving the royalty pleasing them with his music and earning a pittance to make a living. Surprisingly, Haydn was the teacher of Beethoven who is considered to be as great as Mozart in composing music. Together, the three composers formed a trinity that is considered to be responsible for the reform and development of classical music in 18th century. All three worked hard and developed the styles known as symphony, opera, concerto, and siring quartet.
There can be no two opinions about the greatness of Mozart and Haydn, but they were different human beings who became friends until death forced them away. Haydn was more religious and virtuous than Mozart, and there were differences in their values and lifestyles that show up when we try to compare the two composers. Haydn was born in a peasant family while Mozart was born in a more respected family. This difference in circumstances and lineage meant a lot in the development of talent in the two composers. While Mozart had a chance to travel to far off places with his parents in his childhood, Haydn never traveled more than 80 miles till he went to London at the ripe old age of 60.
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What is the difference between Mozart and Haydn? • Mozart lived for only 35 years while Haydn lived for 77 years. • The music of Haydn feels similar to that of Mozart, and in part, this is true because both were friends and had great influences on each other. • Haydn was a countryman while Mozart was brought up in towns. • Mozart was a child prodigy while Haydn was a famous composer when Mozart came along the scene.
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