This Companion provides an accessible and up-to-date introduction to the musical work and cultural world of Joseph Haydn. Readers will gain an understanding of the changing social, cultural, and political spheres in which Haydn studied, worked, and nurtured his creative talent. Distinguished contributors provide chapters on Haydn and his contemporaries, his working environments in Eisenstadt and Eszterháza, and humor and exoticism in Haydn's oeuvre. Chapters on the reception of his music explore keyboard performance practices, Haydn's posthumous reputation, sound recordings and images of his symphonies. The book also surveys the major genres in which Haydn wrote, including symphonies, string quartets, keyboard sonatas and trios, sacred music, miscellaneous vocal genres, and operas composed for Eszterháza and London.

'The format is inviting … the book puts professionals in touch with some up to date scholarship, while introducing amateur listeners to the musical and cultural worlds Haydn inhabited … It is a genial read, as engaging as its subject, and though not all contributions show the razor-sharp edge of Haydn's thought, the best are as lean and relevant as any of his compositions.'

Source: Musical Times

'This is an erudite and well-rounded collection and will be a valuable contribution to the literature on Haydn.'

Source: Contemporary Review

'There is plenty in this book to engage and challenge … the serious Haydn lover.'

Source: Gramophone

'This is an important book for music libraries, particularly in its laying to rest of some myths which have grown up around the composer …'

Source: Reference Reviews