Story about Haydn

[DSpiel]

I understand Nicole Marie is the person to come to with questions about the famous composers, including all teh stories and gossip on them. So my question is...I'm currently playing Haydn Symphony #45. Apparently at the end he removes musicians stand by stand so that at the end only two players remain onstage (myself apparently being one of them...oh my) as a protest to the Emperor not allowing the musicians to leave his summer home. So just how true is this? Was it actually staged as such? If so, how many of the musicians survived the subsequent wrath of the emperor, whom I'm sure was not amused by this scene. And which emperor was this composed for?

[Bones]

It wasn't the emporer, it was Haydn's employer Nicholas Esterhazy. My memory is a little hazy, but I think they were overstaying the normal season and the musicians were anxious to go home. Evidently, Esterhazy got the message and everybody went home the next day. Who knows if it's really true?

[Bones]

A better story about Haydn is the one about his severed head making the rounds for years among various collectors, until somebody buried it with the rest of him. I don't remember all the details about that one, either, but maybe somebody else does.

[BenMurphy6]

his severed head???? whoa! now you've piqued my interest...

[Nicole Marie]

How the story goes is: After Haydn passed away two men (it's said they were doctors or something close to that) dug up his grave to remove Haydn's head. It's said they wanted to study his skull to try to unlock the "secrets" behind his musical abilities.<P>Well a few years later Prince Esterhazy (I think is the name) was granted permission to remove Haydn's body and bury him in Vienna. When they dug up the body...you guessed it! No head!<P>Well the Prince starts an investigation and it doesn't take long to find the two "doctors". They were taking the head to parties and showing it off to everyone! Haydn's head is reunited with his body and he's buried in Vienna.

[BenMurphy6]

wow. that's quite a story...must've caused quite a scandal!