Len Fehskens wrote:
>Why is it that Haydn gets "dissed" this way so regularly? The Paris and
>London Symphonies? The string quartets?
It is an unfortunate state of affairs. We applaud Haydn in a slightly
condescending and patronizing way. We fail to see the intrinsic merit
of his work. Haydn is much more than a pleasant, good-humored pastime
that paved the way for the seemingly more profound utterances of Mozart,
Beethoven and the Romantics. The surface naivete' of his music often
belies its consummate art and depth of meaning. Haydn's wit is not a mask
for triviality. There is much wisdom, sophistication, and depth in Haydn's
music.
There are no Faustian or Promethean notions about himself or his art. The
Enlightenment supplied the world with galant froth, but Haydn transformed
it into delicious and substantial daily bread.
Laus Deo
Mark--