Haydn: His Life and Times

In London he was, as we have seen, something of a "lion," but it is doubtful if he enjoyed the conventional diversions of the beau monde. Yet he liked the company of ladies, especially when they were personally attractive. That he was never at a loss for a compliment may perhaps be taken as explaining his frequent conquests, for, as he frankly said himself, the pretty women "were at anyrate not tempted by my beauty." -from "Haydn: The Man" This 1902 biography of the 18th-century Austrian composer is highly informative, focusing not only on the "tranquil career" of Franz Joseph Haydn but his private life, too, his "long, sane, sound, and on the whole fortunate existence." Hadden finds the drama inherent in Haydn's life, in his European travels and hobnobbing with royalty, making this a vastly entertaining work. The useful appendices include a catalog of Haydn's works, a selection of his personal correspondence, and his last will and testament. Scottish writer and musician JAMES CUTHBERT HADDEN (1816-1914) also wrote biographies of Chopin, Handel, and Mendelssohn.