Joseph Haydn, Austrian composer who was one of the most important figures in the development of the Classical style in music during the 18th century. He helped establish the forms and styles for the string quartet and the symphony.
Joseph Haydn was undoubtedly one of the greatest composers of all time, a prolific genius, and a pivotal figure in the history of music. This lively and well-written biography-primarily intended for the general public-outlines his life and achievements engagingly and reliably and should appeal to devotees of Haydn's inventive and enchanting music and anyone approaching Haydn for the first time.