I seem to follow Haydn everywhere I go in this region I now call home. I have written earlier about Haydn's time at the Esterhazy Palace in Esterháza (Fertod), Hungary, which is located very near to my village, but I have only touched upon Haydn's main place of residence at the Esterhazy "Schloss" in Kismárton, known today as Eisenstadt, in Austria.
While the palace in Hungary served mainly as a summer retreat and hunting lodge, the palace in Austria served as the Esterhazy's primary residence. I discovered the Haydn link quite accidentally shortly after I began working at my part-time university position in Eisenstadt, Austria.
Though fifty kilometers closer to Vienna than the Esterháza Palace, the palace in Eisenstadt was still considered to be 'in the sticks' during Haydn's time; so much so that the composer often lamented about feeling isolated from the vibrancy and creativity of the capital.
In an effort to attract tourists to the region, Eisenstadt bills itself as "Haydnstadt" on many of its tourist pamphlets and brochures and hosts a veritable avalanche of concerts featuring Haydn's music every year. I have not had the pleasure of partaking in any of these yet, but I would really like to do so this summer. One prominent musical ensemble in "Haydnstadt" is the Haydn Trio Eisenstadt who focus exclusively on Haydn's smaller concertos and chamber music; as far as I know, they still perform in the town today.
Though fifty kilometers closer to Vienna than the Esterháza Palace, the palace in Eisenstadt was still considered to be 'in the sticks' during Haydn's time; so much so that the composer often lamented about feeling isolated from the vibrancy and creativity of the capital.
In an effort to attract tourists to the region, Eisenstadt bills itself as "Haydnstadt" on many of its tourist pamphlets and brochures and hosts a veritable avalanche of concerts featuring Haydn's music every year. I have not had the pleasure of partaking in any of these yet, but I would really like to do so this summer. One prominent musical ensemble in "Haydnstadt" is the Haydn Trio Eisenstadt who focus exclusively on Haydn's smaller concertos and chamber music; as far as I know, they still perform in the town today.
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