Considered by most to be the father of the symphony, Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) played a central part in the development of Classical music. His extended period of creativity spanned pronounced changes in musical style, from the late Baroque through the mid-century Viennese style to the mature Classical and even a foreshadowing of nineteenth-century Romanticism. All his works, especially his symphonies, are characterized by lucidity, perfect...