Joseph Haydn
1732–1809 · Classical period (1750–1820) · 1 melody
Joseph Haydn (1732–1809) was a composer from Rohrau, often called the "father of the symphony" and of the string quartet. Melody you can play here: Surprise Symphony (Haydn).
He wrote more than 100 symphonies, many of them while working for the Esterházy family for nearly 30 years. In the Surprise Symphony (No. 94, 1791) a sudden loud chord interrupts a quiet melody, a musical joke audiences still enjoy.