ABSTRACT
Joseph Haydn's position in the world of music is one that may be variously reckoned. Haydn, in his early struggles, is a figure that commands more respect than the Haydn of later days. Rarely has a musician had a more laborious march towards fame and fortune. He sprang from a sturdy race of Austrian peasants, with whom life was a constant struggle to keep the wolf from the door. The early days of his childhood were happy, for his father, who had himself a natural taste for music, noted the bent of the boy's mind, and encouraged him in the hope of someday becoming a musician. Haydn's English triumphs established his position in the world of music more firmly than ever. After his return to Vienna he reigned as undisputed monarch. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was dead, and Beethoven's star had but just arisen. There was no one to challenge Haydn's supremacy.
