I often refer to the small village I now call home as unimpressive and nondescript, and I suppose in many ways it is, but whenever I mull about how un-special my little village is, I quickly remember Eszterháza Palace and its famous court composer, Joseph Haydn.
The Esterházy family constructed Eszterháza a mere two-and-a-half kilometers from where my home now stands. A grand structure partially modeled after the Palace of Versailles, Esterháza was home to Haydn for a great portion of his composing life. As kapellmeister for the Esterházy family, Haydn divided his time between the family's palaces in Eszterháza (now known as Fertod in Hungary) and Kismarton (now known as Eisenstadt in Austria). The amount of time Haydn spent at these 'remote' estates - remember this is the eighteenth century and anything ten kilometers from Vienna was considered remote - isolated him from other composers and trends, forcing him, as he put it, "to become an original."
The Esterházy family constructed Eszterháza a mere two-and-a-half kilometers from where my home now stands. A grand structure partially modeled after the Palace of Versailles, Esterháza was home to Haydn for a great portion of his composing life. As kapellmeister for the Esterházy family, Haydn divided his time between the family's palaces in Eszterháza (now known as Fertod in Hungary) and Kismarton (now known as Eisenstadt in Austria). The amount of time Haydn spent at these 'remote' estates - remember this is the eighteenth century and anything ten kilometers from Vienna was considered remote - isolated him from other composers and trends, forcing him, as he put it, "to become an original."
Eszterháza Palace (photo by Civertan Grafikai Stúdió)
Sometimes I wonder if Haydn ever happened to pass through my small, nondescript village, which must have been much smaller and much more nondescript in his day. I imagine he must have. As I mentioned above, the palace is very close by. But even if he didn't, I imagine Haydn must have experienced many of the same sights, sounds, and scenery I experience today - the calling of the cuckoos, the red flecks of poppies, the strong spring breezes, the sight of the Alps on the western horizon. I imagine some of these things must have inspired his music in much the same way they inspire me. Of course, Haydn's inspiration led to masterpieces, whereas mine leads to non-masterpieces and feelings of contentment and wellbeing.
The statue of Haydn at Eszterháza, which my son affectionately refers to as "Hot Dog Haydn" because the sheet music in the hand resembles a hot dog.
Thinking of Haydn has reminded me that I have not visited Eszterháza Palace since December or January. I believe I will take my son this week, and we'll walk through the garden the same way we did after we first moved here, with a sense of awe and wonder. My little village may appear unimpressive and nondescript, but it sits in the middle of a region that is anything but. After all, Haydn was here. And in many ways, he still is.
I'll sign off this post by leaving a link to one of my favorite Haydn pieces - Trumpet Concerto in E-flat major. If you happen to give it a listen now, try to visualize the composer walking the garden at Eszterháza, and you'll have the chance to spend a little time in the area I call home.
I'll sign off this post by leaving a link to one of my favorite Haydn pieces - Trumpet Concerto in E-flat major. If you happen to give it a listen now, try to visualize the composer walking the garden at Eszterháza, and you'll have the chance to spend a little time in the area I call home.
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