"Haydn was of humble family, perhaps unusually so for a famous composer. His parents were working people (his mother Anna Maria was a former cook, his father Mathias a master wheelwright). They dwelt in an obscure rural village, and had no musical training. This is not to say they were unmusical, however. Mathias was evidently a folk musician; according to Haydn's own reminiscences in old age, his father 'played the harp without reading a note of music', having taught himself the instrument while a journeyman. According to the oldest biographies of Haydn (written with the help of interviews with the composer), the Haydn family frequently sang together as well as with their neighbors. The early Haydn biographer Georg August Griesinger, based on interviews with the composer, wrote" (Quote from wikipedia.org)Table of Contents Publisher's Preface; Dedication; Preface; Birth--ancestry--early Years; vienna--1750-1760; Eisenstadt--1761-1766; Esterhaz--1766-1790; First London visit--1791-1792; Second London visit--1794-1795; "the Creation" And "the Seasons"; Last Years; Haydn: The Man; Haydn: The Composer; Appendix A: Haydn's Last Will And Testament; Appendix B: Catalogue Of Works; Appendix C: Bibliography; Appendix D: Haydn's Brothers; Appendix E: A Selection Of Haydn LettersAbout the Publisher Forgotten Books is a publisher of historical writings, such as: Philosophy, Classics, Science, Religion and Mythology. http://www.forgottenbooks.orgForgotten Books is about sharing knowledge, not about making money. Our books are priced at wholesale prices. We print in large sans-serif font, which is proven to make the text easier to read and put less strain on your eyes. Happy reading!